I can't seem to get rid of some virus in my mac that brings up a porno website everytime I type the url of one of my parked domains. I tried using Internet Cleanup 4 but it didn't eliminate the problem. Any advice please?

Dani AI

Generated

As recommended, start by treating this as a DNS/redirect problem rather than assuming an OS-level virus. For parked domains the most common causes are: the registrar/parking service serving an ad page (sometimes with adult content), a changed hosts file on the Mac, a browser/proxy extension injecting redirects, or router/ISP DNS hijacking. The troubleshooting below helps identify which is happening and what to change.

Check where the redirect happens (local vs network)

  • From another device on the same LAN, and from the Mac using a cellular-connected phone browser: if all devices show the same landing page, problem is registrar/router/ISP; if only the Mac does, it’s local (hosts, browser, proxy, local malware).

Quick verification commands (run on the Mac Terminal)

cat /etc/hosts
dig +short domain.example.com @8.8.8.8
curl -I http://domain.example.com

Backup the hosts file before editing. dig (or nslookup) shows the IP the name resolves to; curl -I shows the HTTP response headers and can reveal parking providers.

If the resolution points to a known parking/advertising provider or the domain has expired, contact the registrar or renew/change DNS so it points to the correct host. If all LAN devices see the redirect, log into the router and verify its DNS settings and admin password (reset if unknown).

If the issue is local to the Mac

  • Inspect browser extensions, clear browser cache, check Network preferences for proxies, and run a reputable scanner (for example, Malwarebytes for Mac) as a precaution.

For background on why parked domains show ads and redirects, see Domain parking. When reporting results back to this thread, include the dig output and whether other devices see the same page so responders can narrow the cause.

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I'd recommend following this guide for cleaning up your DNS (even if you didn't get infected with this exact Trojan, it will most likely fix your problem):

I'd recommend following this guide for cleaning up your DNS (even if you didn't get infected with this exact Trojan, it will most likely fix your problem):

Thanks for the advice. I'll follow the process and inform you of any results.

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