MaCatte Antivirus 2009 – a fake security tool you should never trust to protect you from malware
MaCatte Antivirus 2009 is a misleading anti-virus application that attempts to impersonate well-known and trusted McAfee security software. The rogue application gives false reports of system security threats or infections. It displays fake alerts to trick you into purchasing a full version of the program to remove non-existing infections.
In other words, this is a scam, and you should never trust notifications or alerts that come from this program. Do not purchase this bogus application and uninstall this rogue from your computer upon detection. Below you will find all the necessary information and steps for virus removal.
| Name | MaCatte Antivirus 2009 |
| Type | Malware, rogue virus, scam |
| Infiltration | Trojan downloaders, fake online scanners that report about virus infections, malicious installers, etc. |
| Operation | Shows fake virus notifications and disables normal Windows functions; asks to buy a full license in order to get rid of the allegedly installed malware; malware itself |
| Removal | If you can't uninstall the program in a regular way through the Control Panel as explained below, use a legitimate antivirus program for its elimination – we recommend SpyHunterCombo Cleaner |
| System fix | Rogue antispyware can alter Windows operation and damage its functions or files; to remediate your PC and fix virus damage automatically, use FortectIntego |
Distribution channels of fake security apps
This program is promoted through the use of Trojans that comes from fake My Computer online scanners. Fake online scanners display notifications and alerts stating that your computer is badly infected with malware, mainly Trojans.
One of such fake scanners is hxxp://proscan5.info. Other distribution channels include the following:
- peer-to-peer networks,
- newsgroup postings,
- already installed trojans,
- fake online scanners,
- social networking websites, etc.
In order to avoid being infected with malicious software in the future, ensure you have a powerful antivirus installed on your system. Also, never visit websites that offer software cracks or pirated programs – these are perfect places for hackers to hide their malware.
Operation of the scamware
Once installed, MaCatte Antivirus 2009 will be automatically configured to start a system scan each time you log on into Windows. The scan results are, of course, false. You may safely ignore them.
Malware will block currently installed or downloaded anti-virus software. It will hijack your web browser and redirect you to various misleading websites, including the rogue program homepage macatte.com. Therefore, in order to eliminate the program permanently, you should also clean your web browsers properly; for that, either use FortectIntego or follow the guide provided below.
Then the rogue application will prompt you to pay for a full version of the program to remove the threats. To make things worse, it will display fake security alerts and notifications every one or two minutes.
Spyware activity alert!
Spyware.IEMonster activity detected. It is spyware that attempts to steal passwords from Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Outlook and other other programs, including logins and passwords from online baking sessions, eBay, PayPal.
It will also impersonate Windows Security Center and state that your computer is unprotected and that you should purchase the app to ensure full system protection. As you may know, the legitimate Windows Security Center does not promote any antivirus software.
Terminate fake antivirus programs at once
If you find that your computer is infected with this malware, remove MaCatte Antivirus by following the instructions below. If you are unable to do so manually, we recommend you install a powerful antivirus program and perform a full system scan to eliminate all the malicious components automatically.
Also, if you have purchased this bogus program, contact your bank and explain that you were scammed – you might get your money back if the transaction can be traced to illegal activities.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
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