BasicTransaction Mac virus (Free Instructions)

BasicTransaction Mac virus Removal Guide

What is BasicTransaction Mac virus?

BasicTransaction virus slips through the built-in Mac defenses

BasicTransactionBasicTransaction is a malicious application that can steal user data

BasicTransaction is one of many Adload malware variants that target Mac systems exclusively. The strain is not classified as malware by some security vendors as its main goal is to deliver intrusive advertisements, although there are plenty of detections that allocate it to a trojan category. Indeed, the virus is much more than just your typical adware, and there are plenty of malicious traits it possesses.

BasicTransaction spreads via malicious installers downloaded from pirated software sites, although fake Flash Player updates[1] and similar misleading prompts can also cause the infection. As soon as malware proliferates the system, it installs itself with elevated permissions, granting it more power over the various device operations.

The main operational surface of the virus is the browser, where users would immediately spot a BasicTransaction extension installed. It would change the homepage and new tab settings, replacing them with something different – this is the browser hijacker element that guarantees user exposure to various advertisements monetized by crooks.

It is important to note that those affected by the virus are at much greater privacy and security risks, as it can gather personal user data in the background and could be related to the installation of other malicious software on a Mac.

Name BasicTransaction
Type Mac virus, adware, browser hijacker
Malware family Adload
Distribution Malware is downloaded along with pirated software installers or via fake Flash Player updates
Symptoms Unknown extension installed on the web browser and can't be removed; homepage and new tab address altered to Safe Finder or another provider; increased amount of advertisements
Removal You can get rid of Mac malware with the help of powerful security tools, such as SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner. A manual option is also available, although not recommended for novice users
Optimization Malware and adware can meddle with your system, reducing its performance. If you want to quickly fix various issues, we recommend you try using automated tools like FortectIntego

Adload brief

The rise of Mac malware is hardly surprising, as more and more users opt to buy Apple products. Despite this, many users still choose not to believe that Mac malware even exists, despite the evidence against that statement. Security researchers have long proven that there are plenty of threats that target macOS users, and they should be aware of that.

Adload is one of many strains that rose up in 2017,[2] and since then, several hundred of its versions have been released by unknown cybercriminals behind it. According to some security research findings, malware strain is distributed very similarly to other prominent Mac malware – Shlayer Trojan on Bundlore.

The versions of the virus spread using pirated software installers, although fake Flash Player prompts are just as popular. In order to reduce the probability of the infection, we recommend staying away from illegal software distribution websites. Also, Adobe has already discontinued Flash, so all the requests to install it are fake and are likely to result in malware infection.

BasicTransaction virusBasicTransaction spreads via fake Flash Player updates

It goes without saying that malware is very damaging and shouldn't run on the device. Follow the detailed guidelines below in order to eliminate the infection thoroughly.

Removal of the main app

Because Adload variants can effectively bypass Gatekeeper and Xprotect security measures, it is important to keep an alternative security application running in the background, for example, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes. These apps can also automatically remove all malicious software from the system.

If you would rather look for manual removal steps, you should proceed with the instructions below. Keep in mind that it might not be as effective as the automatic option, and malware might return.

First off, you should shut down the related malware processes and remove the main application from the system. If that does not work, proceed with the next solution.

  • Open the Applications folder and go to Utilities
  • Double-click the Activity Monitor and shut down all the suspicious processes.
  • From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  • In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
  • Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)

Uninstall from Mac 1

  • Select Go > Go to Folder.
  • Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
  • Find the following entries and delete them:
    /Library/Application Support/.[random_string]/Services/com.BasicTransaction.service.app
    /Library/LaunchAgents/com.BasicTransaction.service.plist
    /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.BasicTransaction.system.plist
    /Library/Application Support/.[random_string]/System/com.BasicTransaction.system
  • Go to System Preferences > Accounts > Login items – delete all the malicious entries.
  • Finally, go to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Profiles – delete all the malicious entries.

Fix your browsers

As we already mentioned, Adload versions are a huge risk to one's privacy. Since the virus manipulates the permission options on the system, it allows the malicious extension to gather all sorts of personal information via the browser extension and show intrusive ads and redirects. If you'd check the permissions for the extension, you will find the following message on your Safari browser:

Permissions for “BasicTransaction”:

Webpage Contents
Can read sensitive information from webpages, including passwords, phone numbers, and credit cars on all webpages

Browsing History
Can see when you visit all webpages

The problem is that malware usually prevents users from removing the malicious add-on, and the “Uninstall” button is simply grayed out. Luckily, by performing the steps described in the previous section, you are likely to succeed:

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

Passive data tracking can also be performed with the help of cookies[3] and other trackers, which are stored locally. Therefore, we recommend cleaning web browsers promptly after malware is terminated. You can either use the manual steps or employ the FortectIntego cleaning tool for this purpose.

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

In some cases, resetting the browser is the best choice once all adware is deleted from the device:

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

If you are using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, you will find the step-by-step instructions below.

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Compatible with Microsoft Windows Compatible with macOS
What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.

Getting rid of BasicTransaction Mac virus. Follow these steps

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. 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. Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data. Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings. Reset Chrome 2

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove. Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Options.
  3. Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data…
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear. Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information. Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox. Reset Firefox 2

Delete from macOS

Remove items from Applications folder:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
  3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash) Uninstall from Mac 1

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
  3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
  4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files. Uninstall from Mac 2

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. 

 

About the author
Alice Woods
Alice Woods - Likes to teach users about virus prevention

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