ChipSynergy mac virus (Free Instructions)

What is ChipSynergy mac virus?

ChipSynergy mac virus can cause spam, browser changes, and malware installations

Adload viruses can install PUPs and malware sneakily

ChipSynergy is a mac virus that belongs to the Adload malware family. It specifically targets Mac users and has both hijacking and adware^[1] capabilities. It can cause an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects. It may also change the main browser settings, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine.

Adload adware is much more aggressive than adware developed to infect Windows machines. The virus can automatically install PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and even malware in the background without the users' knowledge. Adload infections can result in operating system damage.

Adload in general

We previously wrote about many other mac viruses, like PremiumContinental, TotalResults, LevelNight, etc. They all have the same icon – a magnifier inside a green, teal, or grey background. The main file of the virus can be found in the “Applications” folder. However, that does not mean that it is easy to remove.

Most people do not notice mac viruses until they already started making changes because they can bypass Apple's own security system XProtect.^[2] Adload developers are constantly searching for new ways to infiltrate mac machines.^[3] Additionally, the ChipSynergy mac virus can use various evasion techniques.

It generates multiple other files disguised as normal system files and scatters them across the machine in different folders. This makes it much more difficult for average users to locate, and get rid of the intruder fully. That is why it is best to avoid such infections in the first place.

Adload uses evasion techniques to prevent people from finding it easily

Distribution tactics

There are multiple ways that users can infect themselves with Adload. The most common reason for mac virus infections is “cracked” software^[4] installations. People use Torrent websites, and peer-to-peer file sharing platforms, looking for apps to download for free.

However, these platforms are the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of malware because they are unregulated. It is much safer to use official web stores and developer websites. Even though it might get costly, you may save in the long run by keeping your system running smoothly.

Crooks can also use fake Flash Player updates to fool users into downloading malicious programs. Even though Flash Player was discontinued in 2020 and replaced by HTML5, many people still do not know this. Beware of prompts asking you to update or install certain programs.

Most users do not realize the importance of keeping the operating system and software updated. Hackers can use software vulnerabilities to breach devices. Software developers regularly release security patches which should be installed immediately to prevent this from happening.

Removal of ChipSynergy Mac adware

You should not do this yourself unless you know what you are doing and what kind of files you need to delete. Some of the files can have a .plist extension which is a normal settings file, also known as a “properties file,” used by macOS applications. It contains properties and configuration settings for various programs.

The app also uses various persistence techniques and drops many files across the system, making browser extension and application removal difficult. To keep your mind at peace, we recommend using professional anti-malware tools SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes, which can detect unwanted programs and eradicate them.

You also do not know if the virus installed any additional malicious programs, so this is the safest way to ensure the system is clean. If you still want to try and delete it manually, proceed with these steps:

• Open Applications folder
• Select Utilities
• Double-click Activity Monitor
• Here, look for suspicious processes related to adware and use Force Quit command to shut them down
• Go back to the Applications folder
• Find ChipSynergy in the list and move it to Trash.

If you are unable to shut down the related processes or can't move the app to Trash, you should look for malicious profiles and login items:

• Go to Preferences and select Accounts
• Click Login items and delete everything suspicious
• Next, pick System Preferences > Users & Groups
• Find Profiles and remove unwanted profiles from the list.

There are likely to be more .plist files hiding in the following locations – delete them all:

• Select Go > Go to Folder.
• Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
• In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
• Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.

The manual elimination process might not always result in full virus removal. Therefore, we still strongly suggest you perform a scan with security software.

Remove the malicious extension

An extension to your browser is also added by ChipSynergy which starts performing all sorts of unwanted tasks. It possibly collects sensitive data and sends it to tracking servers. Some of the data that could be exposed is – IP address, user name, macOS version, browser versions, computer ID, items in the “Applications” folder, a list of agents, daemons, and system configuration profiles.

You should eliminate the add-on as soon as possible after the dangerous files are eliminated from your system. You can delete cookies and cache automatically with the help of FortectIntego. It will also fix any damaged files and system errors, so you should notice an improvement in the machine's performance.

If you prefer doing this yourself without additional help, here are the instructions. You will find guides for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox at the bottom of this article:

1. Click Safari > Preferences…
2. In the new window, pick Extensions.
3. Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.

Cookies and website data:

1. Click Safari > Clear History…
2. From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
3. Confirm with Clear History.

The simplest and quickest solution to this is completely resetting Safari:

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• Go to Advanced tab.
• Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
• From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.