Strange Browser Behavior

Multiple times when I've been using a browser today, I was redirected to a Yahoo search results page (http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com), even though I was not using Yahoo search. This occurred using Firefox as my browser and also occurred when I briefly switched to Safari. Any idea what's going on with this?

No. You didn't say redirected from where, only to where. Different sites are redirecting you to Yahoo!? Which one(s)?

Would guess you recently updated Flash (or some other app) and did not uncheck the install yahoo toolbar when you did. Or you downloaded an app from Cnet, Download.com or softonic and didn't uncheck whatever junk those sites are now adding into their downloads.

You're going to need to head into the add-ons/extensions of all your browsers and remove it all.

^^ toMACsh, the browsers were redirecting me from various webpages, e.g., a university webpage, a church webpage----nothing sketchy about the webpages from I was redirected. Even my homepage, which had been set to Google in the browser preferences, got changed to Yahoo.

^ bobtomay, I think you might be right about the browser extensions and add-ons.
On the browser menu bar, I found tabs for Amazon and eBay that I didn't put there myself. When I checked the extensions/add-ons, I found the Amazon and eBay add-ons. These apparently were linked to Spigot extensions: Uninstall Spigot Mac Extensions - Spigot
Apparently, the Spigot extension installed a Searchme/Yahoo extension:
https://apple.stackexchange.com/que...hme-extension-for-safari-and-chrome-come-from

The only app I tried to download recently was the financial program, Mint. I think it was from the CNET site.

That Spigot extension functioned just like malware I've seen on Windows PCs---hadn't experienced anything like that on Macs before.

I removed the suspect extensions and, so far, things seem to be back to normal.

I've just deleted 4 extensions that found themselves onto my iMac and Macbook yesterday:

- spigot
- some yahoo search thing
- an amazon shopper thing
- an ebay shopper thing.

now the only thing I installed on both machines yesterday was MS Silverlight to enable me to watch BT Sport. Is MS bundling these things with its software now???

This is the second time I have had to go to my Chrome extensions and remove unwanted Amazon shopper assistant, Bargain hunter and shopping guide extensions all from Spigot.
I then ran Adware Medic and found they were also installed in Safari extensions.
Just on spec I checked my wife's laptop found exactly the same situation. She had been experiencing a noticeable slow down in Chrome actions and recently Google searches were giving Yahoo search results. All very sneaky. Anyone experiencing the same problems should probably check extensions for anything they didn't install themselves and remove. In my wife's case this was pretty easy, she only has one, AddBlock Plus.

Maybe AdBlockPlus and Ghostery might be the answer to your problems. No others have got in to Safari preferences > Extensions.

I have AdBlock Plus myself (but not Ghostery) it didn't stop these extensions getting through but I'm beginning to wonder if they may be attached to eMail notifications. Is this even possible? I do get email notifications from eBay and Amazon, usually trash them and I haven't visited their web sites at all for months. Might unsubscribe and see what happens.

hey the spigot plugin's are apart of chrome and firefox now so be careful

johnodd4 said:

hey the spigot plugin's are apart of chrome and firefox now so be careful

Click to expand...

Can you explain that statement please. The reason I ask is because I found the same extensions in Safari and FireFox as well. None of which were installed by me.

A little on line research turned this article up; The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide : Spigot
I don't think this site shares your opinion and falls just short of branding this AdWare as Malware. It calls CNet's behaviour of parcelling software along with Spigot adware 'despicable".