Resolved Zscaler blocking all internet - I never installed it

[Monkeychemist]

Solved!

Apparently when she logged into the school network, it automatically added the software partially. However, without the proper client and configuration it blocked all websites. After speaking with the IT department at her school, they will remove this ghost file and her computer will work back to normal. I appreciate everyone's quick answers on this so I wanted to do my part and share the solution

Original message
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My daughter's MacBook Air (2018, OS 12.6.3) suddenly stopped being able to connect to websites via Chrome. In fact I am typing this from my computer because I couldn't even come to this site with hers.

The error message I get says that Zscaler cannot connect safely, or that it's been configured incorrectly. Problem is that I have never installed Zscaler, nor even know what it is. Is this a virus?

I have search the hard drive, applications, hidden files, ~/library. Nothing comes up for Zscaler or ZSAinstaller. I'm trying not to have to wipe and clean install, has anyone encountered this before?

Thank you in advance

 

[maflynn]

Did you search /Library, not just ~/Library

Also check this is zscaler

 

[Monkeychemist]

Did you search /Library, not just ~/Library

Also check this is zscaler

tried both, could not find anything. I checked the link you sent but it's just not there in my applications folder. It's completely "hidden" sort of speak. Even when I show hidden files, it still isn't there

 

[maflynn]

Are there any other accounts on the Mac? Sounds like it might be under a different account

 

[Monkeychemist]

Are there any other accounts on the Mac? Sounds like it might be under a different account

no, just the one and only. We do have screentime restrictions across her devices, but this is the only one with the error

 

[maflynn]

It probably couldn't hurt to take a gander at the Activity monitor and see if there's any zscaler processes showing up there. Open a Finder window and navigate to Applications > Utilities. Double-click Activity Monitor.

 

[Monkeychemist]

It probably couldn't hurt to take a gander at the Activity monitor and see if there's any zscaler processes showing up there. Open a Finder window and navigate to Applications > Utilities. Double-click Activity Monitor.

I did that as well and didn't see anything with that name. It's crazy how hidden this is.

 

[bearda]

Zscalar makes a lot of products, and some of them are network infrastructure. Are you sure the error is coming from something installed on the computer and not something the network traffic is passing through, like a proxy or firewall? Was this laptop ever owned or managed by a large company or educational institution that might have configured it to route all traffic through their Zscalar gateway?

 

[JonaM]

This is most likely a web proxy setting that is routing traffic through zscaler for scanning. Was your daughter's computer ever enrolled in a school profile or web safety package?

 

[Monkeychemist]

no, the school did not install anything. It was a used computer so unsure what the history was before however she's had it for 2 years now and this has never happened. It's all of the sudden now without having changed anything

 

[Monkeychemist]

It's fixed!

 

[bearda]

It's fixed!

What changed?

 

[Monkeychemist]

What changed?

I wrote it in the top post so that it would be easy to spot for newcomers