ProcessRate mac virus (Free Guide)

What is ProcessRate mac virus?

ProcessRate is a mac virus capable of hijacking, generating ads, and installing malware

ProcessRate is an aggressive form of adware infecting mac machine

ProcessRate is the name of a virus that specifically targets Mac machines. It has adware^[1] and hijacking capabilities, which means it can change the browser's main settings, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine. It can generate commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and cause redirects.

The virus belongs to the Adload malware family which means it is way more aggressive than adware developed to target Windows machines. It can lead users to dangerous websites that trick them into providing personal information, downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and even malware.

Not only that, it can gain Administrator passwords and install PUPs and malware automatically, without the users' knowledge. We previously wrote about dozens of viruses that belong to this malware family such as SmartTask, OriginInput, and PowerLane.

They all have a similar icon – a magnifying glass inside a green, teal, or grey background. Unfortunately, most people do not notice the malicious program in their “Applications” folder before it starts executing harmful tasks. It also uses various evasion techniques to make it very complicated for users to eliminate.

Many Mac users still seem to be under the impression that they cannot get infected. But that has not been true for a long time now. Malware developers are constantly coming up with new ways to evade security programs. For example, threat actors only had to remove a single strand from the code to avoid detection by Apple's native security system XProtect.^[2]

Adload distribution methods

ProcessRate is spread through deceptive ads, suspicious websites, software bundling, and fake error messages like Flash Player updates.^[3] Clicking on random links on the world wide web is not a good idea. Please make sure first that the website you want to enter is secure. This includes looking at the URL and seeing if it has an S at the end of the HTTP because this means that the connection is encrypted.

An even bigger problem is downloading “cracked” software, and using torrent sites, peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms. Websites distributing freeware are usually packed with useless applications disguised as handy tools that monetize user activity and torrent websites are breeding grounds for all kinds of malware.

You should only use official web stores and developer websites to install the software you want. Apps that get listed on official marketplaces go through an extensive review process to make sure they are safe. Besides, there are plenty of free applications to choose from so you will definitely find something that suits your needs.

That being said, you should always take precautionary steps during the installation process. Make sure to choose the “Advanced” or “Custom” installation methods and not skip any steps. The most important part is to check the file list. If you see any unrelated files, untick the boxes next to their names to prevent them from installing.

Another popular method to spread Adload^[4] viruses is fake Flash Player updates and installations. It is a social engineering attack seeking to convince users that they need to update or install the software in order to be able to see some type of content online. Unfortunately, many people still do not know that Flash Player was discontinued in 2020 and replaced by HTML5. Any websites telling you otherwise are definitely fake and should not be interacted with.

ProcessRate can infect users without their knowledge

Eliminate the ProcessRate mac virus

Manual removal may be a race against time. With launch agents, daemons, cronjobs, it can sometimes take several attempts to beat all of these before one of them manages to re-write 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 ProcessRate 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 suspicious 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 total virus removal. Therefore, we still strongly suggest you perform a scan with security software.

Remove the malicious browser extension

An extension to your browser is also added by ProcessRate that 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.

It would help if you removed the add-on as soon as possible after the dangerous files are eliminated from your system. You can delete cookies^[5] 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 the menu bar.
• From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.