Avast has failed to find or remove BrowserIO malware

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My system has become infected with BrowserIO. This malware has created an obnoxious floating "Search the Web..." window which can be repositioned around the screen but can not be closed, resized, or minimized. It has created two files (see screen caps) which I have repeatedly trashed; nothing prevents their being recreated upon restart, and nothing will get rid of this window.

I have run Avast Security scans on the entire system and the entire hard drive. IT FOUND NOTHING.

Research hasn't been helpful. All articles suggest that this virus implants itself as an Extension on your system and/or your Web browsers, but I have no Extensions on my system and no new Extensions or Add-Ins on any of my browsers. Strangely, the articles mention a number of malevolent things this thing can do, but none mention this annoying search window.

Any suggestions helpful, and an explanation from Avast as to why it fails to even find BrowserIO, let alone fix it, would be appreciated.

[drake145]

My system has become infected with BrowserIO. This malware has created an obnoxious floating "Search the Web..." window which can be repositioned around the screen but can not be closed, resized, or minimized. It has created two files (see screen caps) which I have repeatedly trashed; nothing prevents their being recreated upon restart, and nothing will get rid of this window.

I have run Avast Security scans on the entire system and the entire hard drive. IT FOUND NOTHING.

Research hasn't been helpful. All articles suggest that this virus implants itself as an Extension on your system and/or your Web browsers, but I have no Extensions on my system and no new Extensions or Add-Ins on any of my browsers. Strangely, the articles mention a number of malevolent things this thing can do, but none mention this annoying search window.

Any suggestions helpful, and an explanation from Avast as to why it fails to even find BrowserIO, let alone fix it, would be appreciated.

KingofGlam,

Have you tried running Malwarebytes to see if it finds anything?

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Just tried it. It didn't find anything, either. But thanks.

[Vladimirz]

Thanks for your report! It looks like first reported BrowserIO incident on MacOS platform.
For manual solution try deleted WebExplorer app and related plists from your Mac.
We add this malware to our databaze ASAP.

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[Revised] I read your reply too quickly. You're right, "Web Explorer" was the virus. Deleting it and its associated files did the trick; thanks so much!

For the record, this could not have been the first mac infection by BrowserIO -- or at least a virus by that name; do a Web search for "remove BrowserIO Mac" and you'll find a number of articles. However, like I said in my OP, these articles describe the infection very differently from what I experienced, and none of them mention WebExplorer. So I guess either this was a new version of BrowserIO, or a new virus misleadingly named after an old one. 

[Vladimirz]

[Revised] I read your reply too quickly. You're right, "Web Explorer" was the virus. Deleting it and its associated files did the trick; thanks so much!

For the record, this could not have been the first mac infection by BrowserIO -- or at least a virus by that name; do a Web search for "remove BrowserIO Mac" and you'll find a number of articles. However, like I said in my OP, these articles describe the infection very differently from what I experienced, and none of them mention WebExplorer. So I guess either this was a new version of BrowserIO, or a new virus misleadingly named after an old one.

You are very welcome.
Every reports for BrowserIO what I see until your report was like generic instruction for any malware: "Open Applications folder and look for Search.browserio.com or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash." - mostly useless. But most important think is our solution helps.
Thanks again for your report.

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This just came up.

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Again, just now:

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It's STILL there. Or came back. Latest symptom: pop-ups from ck2-apple.com.

So, yesterday I ran a full System Scan, and it found 5 infections. I moved them all to the Virus Chest. Today I got yet another pop-up from ck2-apple.com. Ran another full System Scan; this time it found nothing.

Frustrated with this. Any thoughts?

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About to delete this folder:

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No progress. The popups from ck2-apple.com continue. If BrowserIO is still afoot, there are no signs of it since I last deleted the folder it creates. I have run a few total System Scans; Avast continues to FIND NOTHING.

Any suggestions? Can't say I'm finding Avast to be a terribly useful product.

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Examples of pop-ups. These both appeared in the last five minutes.

[Vladimirz]

Hi. I corect browserIO detection, so it should be good. Mentioned popups are not related to avast. I don't know how to help with third party popups.

[REDACTED]

What are you talking about, Avast has nothing to do with popups? Those pop-ups are created by a virus.

[Vladimirz]

What are you talking about, Avast has nothing to do with popups? Those pop-ups are created by a virus.

No this is not a virus, maybe phishing or similar crap, but not a virus. I provide this urls our adequate department.
Anyway, this is topic about BrowserIO, please start new topic about new problems, thanks in advance.