ActiveAnalyzer mac virus (Free Guide)
ActiveAnalyzer mac virus Removal Guide
What is ActiveAnalyzer mac virus?
ActiveAnalyzer is a mac virus that can cause spam and even malware installations
ActiveAnalyzer belongs to the Adload malware family which means it specifically targets mac users. It has a wide range of capabilities, including adware and browser hijacking. It can cause pop-ups, banner spam, and redirects. It may also change the main browser settings, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine.
| NAME | ActiveAnalyzer |
| TYPE | Adware, browser hijacker, mac virus |
| MALWARE FAMILY | Adload |
| SYMPTOMS | Different homepage and new tab addresses; redirects to some other search engine and shady websites; machine performs worse than before; unknown apps appear on the machine |
| DISTRIBUTION | Fake software updates, deceptive ads, installing programs from peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms |
| DANGERS | Altered search results can lead to dangerous websites; pop-up ads might be promoting scams; the virus can install other PUPs or even malware in the background |
| ELIMINATION | Altered search results can lead to dangerous websites; pop-up ads might be promoting scams; the virus can install other PUPs or even malware in the background |
| FURTHER STEPS | FortectIntego should be used to completely wipe out any data left and fix the remaining damage |
Adload in detail
Mac adware is much more aggressive than adware designed to infect Windows machines. Many users do not detect the presence of a mac virus until it has already made changes to the system, which can include installing PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) or malware. Part of the reason why is that it can bypass Apple's security system XProtect.[1]
The belief that Macs cannot get viruses is inaccurate. Adload developers are always trying to find ways to break through security systems. ActiveAnalyzer mac adware might also utilize different evasion methods so people have a more difficult time removing it.
The main file of the virus can be found in the “Applications” folder, although it also generates other files that look like normal system files and hides them throughout the computer. This is similar to many other variants of the Adload virus, such as FocusAhead, LegendDeploy, and ActiveLink. One way you can tell Adload variants apart is by their icons – a magnifier inside a green, teal, or gray background.
Distribution methods
Non-official websites can be full of dangerous software, like malware. File-sharing platforms that let users exchange files, such as Torrent sites[2] and peer-to-peer servers, often distribute pirated software. Though these downloads might look safe on the surface, there is no guarantee that they do not contain viruses or other malicious programs.
When installing apps, it is always best to visit the official website or app store. By using well-known and reliable software sources, you can be sure that the apps have gone through an extensive review process. Although this method may cost more upfront, it will save you money in the long run by keeping your system running smoothly. Additionally, there are plenty of free alternatives available.
Cybercriminals often use the fake Flash Player to spread Adload because it is easy to trick people into believing they need the plugin to view videos and other media content. However, since 2020, Flash Player has been replaced by HTML5 due to its many vulnerabilities. So, if you see a message on an unfamiliar website that says you need to update your Flash Player, beware.
Hackers can also exploit software vulnerabilities to unleash malicious programs. So, it is crucial to stay on top of things by regularly updating your operating system and installed software as soon as security patches[3] come out.
Removal of ActiveAnalyzer Mac adware
Manual removal may be a race against time. With launch agents, daemons, and cronjobs, it can sometimes take several attempts to beat all of these before one of them manages to rewrite deleted components back. 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, a standard 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 different persistence techniques and drops many files across the system, complicating browser extension and application removal.
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 ActiveAnalyzer 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.
![Uninstall from Mac 2]( "Uninstall from Mac 2")
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 ActiveAnalyzer 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:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
![Remove extensions from Safari]( "Remove extensions from Safari")
Cookies and website data:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
![Clear cookies and website data from Safari]( "Clear cookies and website data from Safari")
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.
![Reset Safari]( "Reset Safari")
Getting rid of ActiveAnalyzer mac virus. Follow these steps
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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.
How to prevent from getting adware
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
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- ^ Protecting against malware in macOS. Apple. Support.
- ^ Brad Haddin. 4 risks of using torrents. Creative. Apps, Gadgets, Opinion, Tech.
- ^ Why Are Patch Updates So Important?. Packetlabs. Security Solutions.