How to Completely Uninstall NordVPN?

[MacMan988]

I've recently installed NordVPN and enabled most of its features, including Threat Protection and others. While enabling these features, I had to grant various permissions in System Settings. It felt like the app was embedding numerous components into the system, potentially altering macOS in several ways.

The problem now is that when I want to uninstall NordVPN, there doesn’t seem to be a clear guide on how to fully remove all the components associated with the app. NordVPN's support only points to Apple's general instructions for uninstalling apps, which simply involve dragging the app from the Applications folder to the Trash.

If anyone knows of a tool or guide that can help with a complete removal of NordVPN, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[Geoff777]

There are quite a few uninstaller apps on the App Store you might want to check out.

 

[HDFan]

There are quite a few uninstaller apps

AppCleaner is mentioned in quite a few posts.

 

[Geoff777]

I know some Mac users frown on it, but I use Clean My Mac and it's been fine for me so far - cuts all the extra bits out when you delete apps too.

 

[bogdanw]

The NordVPN pkg includes a preinstall script that completly removes the previous version of the app before installing the new one. Here is the script:

#!/bin/bash

SYSLOG_TAG="NordVPN.app Installer"

clog () {
    message="${SYSLOG_TAG}: $@"
    logger -t "${SYSLOG_TAG}" "${message}"
    echo "${message}"
}

cerr () {
    message="${SYSLOG_TAG}: $@"
    logger -s -p user.error -t "${SYSLOG_TAG}" "${message}"
    echo -e "\033[0;31m${message}\033[0m"
}

stopApplication() {
    
    APP_PID=`ps -e -o pid,args \
        | grep "${1}/Contents/MacOS/NordVPN" \
        | grep -v "grep" \
        | awk '{print $1}'`
    
    if [ -n "${APP_PID}" ]; then
        clog "Stopping application"
        kill -9 $APP_PID
    fi
    
}

stopOVPNHelperDaemon() {
    
    OVPN_PID=`ps -e -o pid,args \
        | grep "${1}/Contents/Resources/Bin/\(openvpn\|ovpn\).*${2}/" \
        | grep -v "grep" \
        | awk '{print $1}'`
    
    if [ -n "${OVPN_PID}" ]; then
        clog "Stopping daemon"
        kill -9 $OVPN_PID
    fi
    
}

killProcess() {

    HELPER_BUNDLE_ID=$1

    HELPER_PID=$(ps -e -o pid,args | grep -i ${HELPER_BUNDLE_ID} | grep -v "grep" | grep -v "plutil" | awk '{print $1}')

    if [ ! -z "${HELPER_PID}" ]; then
        sudo kill -9 $HELPER_PID
    fi

}

removeOVPNHelperDaemon() {

    APP_BUNDLE_ID=$1
    
    clog "Removing ${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.helper daemon"
    launchctl remove "${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.helper"

    LAUNCH_DAEMONS_PLIST="/Library/LaunchDaemons/${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.helper.plist"
    if [ -e "${LAUNCH_DAEMONS_PLIST}" ]; then
        clog "Removing ${LAUNCH_DAEMONS_PLIST} file"
        rm "${LAUNCH_DAEMONS_PLIST}"
    fi
    
    PRIVILEGED_TOOL="/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.helper"
    if [ -e "${PRIVILEGED_TOOL}" ]; then
        clog "Removing ${PRIVILEGED_TOOL} file"
        rm "${PRIVILEGED_TOOL}"
    fi

    DNS_TOOL_PATH="/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.ovpnDnsManager"
    if [ -e "${DNS_TOOL_PATH}" ]; then
        clog "Removing ${DNS_TOOL_PATH} file"
        rm "${DNS_TOOL_PATH}"
    fi

}

removeApp() {
    
    APP_PATH=$1
    ESCAPE_STR='-install.app'

    if [[ $APP_PATH == *"$ESCAPE_STR" ]]; then
        echo "Skipping removal of installer app"
        return
    fi
    clog "Removing ${APP_PATH}"
    
    if [ -e $APP_PATH ]; then
        PREVIOUS_VERSION=$(/usr/bin/mdls -raw -name kMDItemVersion "${APP_PATH}")
        PREVIOUS_MAJOR_VERSION=$(echo $PREVIOUS_VERSION | awk -F. '{print $1}')
        
        clog "Previous version: $PREVIOUS_VERSION"
        clog "Previous major version: $PREVIOUS_MAJOR_VERSION"
    else
        clog "Couldn't find previous application version"
    fi
    
    stopApplication "${APP_PATH}"
    
    # Remove v3 files
    if [ -n "${PREVIOUS_MAJOR_VERSION}" ] && [ $PREVIOUS_MAJOR_VERSION -lt 4 ]; then
        clog "Removing v3 daemon"
        removeOVPNHelperDaemon com.nordvpn.NordVPN
        stopOVPNHelperDaemon ${APP_PATH} com.nordvpn.NordVPN
        
        clog "Removing old login item"
        osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to delete login item "NordVPN"' || true
    fi
    
    rm -rf "${APP_PATH}"
    
}

removeApplicationsWithBundleID() {
    
    APP_BUNDLE_ID=$1
    PURGE_HELPERS=$2
    
    if [ -n "$PURGE_HELPERS" ]; then
        clog "Removing ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} helpers"
        removeOVPNHelperDaemon $APP_BUNDLE_ID
    fi

    clog "Searching for ${APP_BUNDLE_ID}"
    
    APPS_LIST=()
    IFS=$'\n' 
    read -r -d '' -a APPS_LIST < <( (mdfind kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier = "${APP_BUNDLE_ID}") )

    if [ -z "${APPS_LIST}" ]; then
        clog "No apps with bundle id '${APP_BUNDLE_ID}' was found"
    else
        for INSTALLED_APP_PATH in "${APPS_LIST[@]}"; do

            clog "Located ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} at '${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}'"
            if [ -z "${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}" ]; then
                clog "Skipping ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} at '${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}', because path is empty"
                continue
            fi

            if [ -n "$PURGE_HELPERS" ]; then
                clog "Stopping ovpn process from ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} at '${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}'"
                stopOVPNHelperDaemon $INSTALLED_APP_PATH $APP_BUNDLE_ID
            fi

            clog "Removing ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} at '${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}'"
            removeApp $INSTALLED_APP_PATH
 
        done
    fi
    
    if [ -n "$PURGE_HELPERS" ]; then
        clog "stopping $APP_BUNDLE_ID.helper process"
        killProcess "$APP_BUNDLE_ID.helper"
    fi
    
}

removeApplicationsWithBundleID "com.nordvpn.NordVPN" 1
removeApplicationsWithBundleID "com.nordvpn.osx" 1
removeApplicationsWithBundleID "com.nordvpn.macos"
removeApp "/Applications/NordVPN.app"

clog "Done"
exit 0

extracted from https://downloads.nordcdn.com/apps/macos/generic/NordVPN-OpenVPN/latest/NordVPN.pkg with SuspiciousPackage https://www.mothersruin.com/software/SuspiciousPackage

 

[MacMan988]

The NordVPN pkg includes a preinstall script that completly removes the previous version of the app before installing the new one. Here is the script:

#!/bin/bash

SYSLOG_TAG="NordVPN.app Installer"

clog () {
    message="${SYSLOG_TAG}: $@"
    logger -t "${SYSLOG_TAG}" "${message}"
    echo "${message}"
}

cerr () {
    message="${SYSLOG_TAG}: $@"
    logger -s -p user.error -t "${SYSLOG_TAG}" "${message}"
    echo -e "\033[0;31m${message}\033[0m"
}

stopApplication() {
   
    APP_PID=`ps -e -o pid,args \
        | grep "${1}/Contents/MacOS/NordVPN" \
        | grep -v "grep" \
        | awk '{print $1}'`
   
    if [ -n "${APP_PID}" ]; then
        clog "Stopping application"
        kill -9 $APP_PID
    fi
   
}

stopOVPNHelperDaemon() {
   
    OVPN_PID=`ps -e -o pid,args \
        | grep "${1}/Contents/Resources/Bin/\(openvpn\|ovpn\).*${2}/" \
        | grep -v "grep" \
        | awk '{print $1}'`
   
    if [ -n "${OVPN_PID}" ]; then
        clog "Stopping daemon"
        kill -9 $OVPN_PID
    fi
   
}

killProcess() {

    HELPER_BUNDLE_ID=$1

    HELPER_PID=$(ps -e -o pid,args | grep -i ${HELPER_BUNDLE_ID} | grep -v "grep" | grep -v "plutil" | awk '{print $1}')

    if [ ! -z "${HELPER_PID}" ]; then
        sudo kill -9 $HELPER_PID
    fi

}

removeOVPNHelperDaemon() {

    APP_BUNDLE_ID=$1
   
    clog "Removing ${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.helper daemon"
    launchctl remove "${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.helper"

    LAUNCH_DAEMONS_PLIST="/Library/LaunchDaemons/${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.helper.plist"
    if [ -e "${LAUNCH_DAEMONS_PLIST}" ]; then
        clog "Removing ${LAUNCH_DAEMONS_PLIST} file"
        rm "${LAUNCH_DAEMONS_PLIST}"
    fi
   
    PRIVILEGED_TOOL="/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.helper"
    if [ -e "${PRIVILEGED_TOOL}" ]; then
        clog "Removing ${PRIVILEGED_TOOL} file"
        rm "${PRIVILEGED_TOOL}"
    fi

    DNS_TOOL_PATH="/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/${APP_BUNDLE_ID}.ovpnDnsManager"
    if [ -e "${DNS_TOOL_PATH}" ]; then
        clog "Removing ${DNS_TOOL_PATH} file"
        rm "${DNS_TOOL_PATH}"
    fi

}

removeApp() {
   
    APP_PATH=$1
    ESCAPE_STR='-install.app'

    if [[ $APP_PATH == *"$ESCAPE_STR" ]]; then
        echo "Skipping removal of installer app"
        return
    fi
    clog "Removing ${APP_PATH}"
   
    if [ -e $APP_PATH ]; then
        PREVIOUS_VERSION=$(/usr/bin/mdls -raw -name kMDItemVersion "${APP_PATH}")
        PREVIOUS_MAJOR_VERSION=$(echo $PREVIOUS_VERSION | awk -F. '{print $1}')
       
        clog "Previous version: $PREVIOUS_VERSION"
        clog "Previous major version: $PREVIOUS_MAJOR_VERSION"
    else
        clog "Couldn't find previous application version"
    fi
   
    stopApplication "${APP_PATH}"
   
    # Remove v3 files
    if [ -n "${PREVIOUS_MAJOR_VERSION}" ] && [ $PREVIOUS_MAJOR_VERSION -lt 4 ]; then
        clog "Removing v3 daemon"
        removeOVPNHelperDaemon com.nordvpn.NordVPN
        stopOVPNHelperDaemon ${APP_PATH} com.nordvpn.NordVPN
       
        clog "Removing old login item"
        osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to delete login item "NordVPN"' || true
    fi
   
    rm -rf "${APP_PATH}"
   
}

removeApplicationsWithBundleID() {
   
    APP_BUNDLE_ID=$1
    PURGE_HELPERS=$2
   
    if [ -n "$PURGE_HELPERS" ]; then
        clog "Removing ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} helpers"
        removeOVPNHelperDaemon $APP_BUNDLE_ID
    fi

    clog "Searching for ${APP_BUNDLE_ID}"
   
    APPS_LIST=()
    IFS=$'\n'
    read -r -d '' -a APPS_LIST < <( (mdfind kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier = "${APP_BUNDLE_ID}") )

    if [ -z "${APPS_LIST}" ]; then
        clog "No apps with bundle id '${APP_BUNDLE_ID}' was found"
    else
        for INSTALLED_APP_PATH in "${APPS_LIST[@]}"; do

            clog "Located ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} at '${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}'"
            if [ -z "${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}" ]; then
                clog "Skipping ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} at '${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}', because path is empty"
                continue
            fi

            if [ -n "$PURGE_HELPERS" ]; then
                clog "Stopping ovpn process from ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} at '${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}'"
                stopOVPNHelperDaemon $INSTALLED_APP_PATH $APP_BUNDLE_ID
            fi

            clog "Removing ${APP_BUNDLE_ID} at '${INSTALLED_APP_PATH}'"
            removeApp $INSTALLED_APP_PATH
 
        done
    fi
   
    if [ -n "$PURGE_HELPERS" ]; then
        clog "stopping $APP_BUNDLE_ID.helper process"
        killProcess "$APP_BUNDLE_ID.helper"
    fi
   
}

removeApplicationsWithBundleID "com.nordvpn.NordVPN" 1
removeApplicationsWithBundleID "com.nordvpn.osx" 1
removeApplicationsWithBundleID "com.nordvpn.macos"
removeApp "/Applications/NordVPN.app"

clog "Done"
exit 0

extracted from https://downloads.nordcdn.com/apps/macos/generic/NordVPN-OpenVPN/latest/NordVPN.pkg with SuspiciousPackage https://www.mothersruin.com/software/SuspiciousPackage

Thanks for this! I'll try to run it.