How to remove Cork.app (Mac)

What is Cork.app

Cork.app is an adware application targeting macOS users, designed to deliver intrusive advertisements and disrupt normal browsing activities. This malicious software is part of the Pirrit family, known for generating various forms of ads, including pop-ups, banners, and misleading coupons. Users who interact with these ads may unknowingly be redirected to potentially harmful websites, which can include phishing pages aimed at stealing sensitive information. Cork.app often installs through deceptive bundling techniques, where it is packaged with legitimate software, making it easy for users to inadvertently install it. The presence of Cork.app can lead to a significant decline in system performance, as it consumes resources and may collect user data for third-party exploitation. To safeguard against such threats, it is crucial to be vigilant during software installations and to utilize reliable antivirus solutions for ongoing protection.

How Cork.app infects Mac computers

Cork.app typically infects Mac systems through a method known as bundling, where it is packaged alongside legitimate software during the installation process. Users often unknowingly install this adware by skipping over the “Manual” or “Custom” installation options, which could allow them to opt out of additional software. Deceptive pop-up ads, misleading buttons, and notifications on dubious websites can also trick users into downloading Cork.app. Once installed, it embeds itself within the system, making removal challenging. This adware not only generates intrusive advertisements but also collects user data, raising significant privacy concerns. To mitigate the risk of infection, users should exercise caution when downloading software from untrusted sources and regularly review their installed applications.

1. Download Cork.app Removal Tool
2. Remove Cork.app from Login Items
3. Remove/Uninstall Cork.app from Applications
4. Remove Cork.app from browsers
5. Reset browser settings
6. Remove Cork.app files and folders
7. Block Cork.app ads and pop-ups
8. How to protect from threats, like Cork.app

Remove Cork.app manually for free

Note: Cork.app sets up to start on macOS startup. Therefore, before starting the removal, perform these steps:

1. Open System Preferences, choose Users & Groups.
2. Choose your account (set up as Current User).
3. Click Login Items tab.
4. Find “Cork.app” entry. Select it, and click the “-“ (minus) button to remove it.

Note 2: Cork.app won’t quit just by closing it, therefor use Force Quit to end the process.

1. Press 3 buttons at the same time: Option, Command, and Esc (Escape). This is similar to Control-Alt-Delete on a Windows PC.
2. Choose Cork.app in the list.
3. Click Force Quit button.

Here is a manual step-by-step tutorial for full Cork.app removal from your computer. This works 99% and was checked with the latest versions of Cork.app installer on operating systems with the latest updates and browser versions.

Remove Cork.app from Applications

Remove Cork.app from Mac:

1. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications.
2. Cork.app might have an Uninstaller. If you see Uninstall Cork.app or Cork.app Uninstaller, double-click it and follow the onscreen instructions.
3. Otherwise, drag Cork.app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located at the end of the Dock).
4. Then choose Finder > Empty Trash.

Cannot uninstall Cork.app

If you can’t uninstall Cork.app using instructions above, or it keeps coming back, you can use free AppCleaner for Mac to remove all residual data and libraries of Cork.app. Follow instructions below:

1. Download free AppCleaner.
2. Drag Cork.app from Applications folder to AppCleaner window.
3. Choose files and folders you want to remove along with Cork.app.
4. Click Delete button.

Remove Cork.app add-on from your browsers

Removing Cork.app from Applications often does not bring the desired effect. It is a browser extension, and it may still be active in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Here are instructions on how to remove the Cork.app extension from your browsers manually.

Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Click Extensions tab.
3. Find Cork.app extension.
4. Click Uninstall button to remove it.

Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://extensions.
3. Find Cork.app extension.
4. Click the trash can icon to remove it.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:addons.
3. Choose Cork.app extension.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Reset browser settings

To finish Cork.app removal, reset your browser settings to make sure, there are no leftover items in browser folders.

Reset Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Go to the Privacy section of Safari’s preferences.
3. Click Remove All Website Data button.
4. In the opened window, click Remove Now button to remove data stored by websites in Safari.
5. Go to the Advanced section of Safari’s preferences.
6. Click the Show Develop menu in menu bar option.
7. In the menu, click Develop and select Empty Caches from this menu.
8. Again, go to Safari menu and choose Clear History….
9. Choose to clear all history and click Clear History button.

Reset Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://settings.
3. Scroll down and find Show advanced settings link.
4. Click on it and scroll down to the bottom again.
5. Click Reset settings button and click Reset to confirm.

Reset Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:support.
3. Click Refresh Firefox… button.
4. Click Refresh Firefox to confirm.

Remove following files and folders of Cork.app


~/Library/Application Support/.[random_string]/Services/com.Cork.app.service.app
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.Cork.app.service.plist
/Library/Application Support/.[random_string]/System/com.Cork.app.system
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.Cork.app.system.plist


Download AdGuard for Mac to block malicious pop-ups, that promote Cork.app

AdGuard is the best ad-blocker, internet filtering, and internet security application for macOS. It can cut out unwanted banners from site pages, block pop-ups, stop redirects, and prevent users from visiting potentially dangerous resources. Use it to stop ads promoting Cork.app in browsers.

Download AdGuard for Mac

How to protect Mac OSX from adware, like Cork.app

Mac OSX is known to be one of the safest operating systems, and for a long time, there was no need for antivirus products for Mac. But with the growing popularity of Mac computers and notebooks and evolving technology, viruses, trojans, adware, toolbars, hijackers, and other malware paved the way for Mac users. We recommend you to use one of the best anti-malware for Mac available — Malwarebytes for Mac.

Download Malwarebytes for Mac