Removing ProcessRate adware and the advertisements it displays

What is ProcessRate?

Discovered by our researchers on VirusTotal, ProcessRate is an adware-type application. It also belongs to the AdLoad malware family. This app operates by running intrusive advertisement campaigns, and it may have other harmful abilities.

ProcessRate adware overview

After being installed onto our test machine, ProcessRate began displaying advertisements. It is noteworthy that advertising-supported software may require specific conditions to deliver intrusive ad campaigns (e.g., compatible system/browser or user geolocation, visits to particular websites, etc.). Regardless of whether adware displays ads or not, its presence on a system still endangers device and user safety.

Adware-displayed adverts usually promote various scams, untrustworthy/harmful websites and software, and even malware. Some intrusive advertisements can be triggered (by being clicked) to stealthily download/install software.

Any legitimate content encountered through these ads is highly unlikely to be endorsed by the actual developers. Scammers who abuse affiliate programs commonly employ this advertising method to acquire illegitimate commissions.

Furthermore, ProcessRate may also have browser hijacker functionalities since they are typical for AdLoad adware. However, this app did not exhibit any during our analysis.

What is more, ProcessRate may collect private information. Advertising-supported software tends to target browsing data, personally identifiable details, usernames/passwords, financial/banking information, and so on. The collected data is monetized through sake to third-parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

In summary, the presence of software like ProcessRate on devices can result in system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by ProcessRate
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AB [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.Adload.5), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.C), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Adload.h), Full List (VirusTotal)
Additional Information	This application belongs to Adload malware family.
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Adware examples

FlowSurplus, ElementryCheck, MicroLocator, and SearchAim are just some examples of the adware we have analyzed. Advertising-supported software looks legitimate and offers "useful" functionalities. However, these features seldom work as promised, and in most cases - they are nonfunctional.

How did ProcessRate install on my computer?

Adware is proliferated using various techniques. This software can be bundled with regular programs. Download from untrustworthy sources (e.g., unofficial and freeware sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.) and rushed installations - increase the risk of allowing bundled content into the device.

Intrusive adverts are also employed to spread advertising-supported software. Once clicked on, the ads can execute scripts to make downloads/installations without user permission.

Adware can have "official" promotional/download pages as well. Visitors typically access such sites inadvertently, e.g., via mistyped URLs or redirects caused by websites using rogue advertising networks, spam browser notifications, intrusive advertisements, or installed adware (with browser force-opening functionalities).

How to avoid installation of adware?

We highly recommend researching software and downloading only from official/verified channels. Additionally, when downloading, it is important to read terms, explore available options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings, and opt-out of all additions.

We also advise exercising caution when browsing, as illegitimate and malicious content usually looks harmless. For example, intrusive ads appear ordinary and innocuous; however, they redirect to questionable sites (e.g., gambling, adult-dating, pornography, etc.).

If you experience adverts and/or redirects of this kind, inspect your device and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with ProcessRate, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Pop-up window displayed once ProcessRate adware's installation is over:

ProcessRate adware's installation folder:

Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is ProcessRate?
• STEP 1. Remove ProcessRate related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove ProcessRate ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove ProcessRate adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove ProcessRate ads from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove ProcessRate adware using Combo Cleaner:

ProcessRate adware removal:

Remove ProcessRate-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX","NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash.

After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove adware-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for adware generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for adware generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What harm can adware cause?

Adware can decrease browsing quality and system performance. This software typically has data tracking abilities, which make it a threat to user privacy. What is more, the advertisements delivered by this software can be dubious/malicious and cause severe problems.

What does adware do?

Advertising-supported software (adware) is designed to display ads on visited websites and/or different interfaces. Some types can also force-open websites and gather private information.

How do adware developers generate revenue?

Adware generates revenue primarily through affiliate programs by promoting various websites, products, services, and so forth. The developers may earn commission from ad clicks, site visits, file downloads, product purchases, service subscriptions, or similar.

Will Combo Cleaner remove ProcessRate adware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan systems and eliminate all adware-type applications detected. On the other hand, manual removal (unaided by security programs) might not be a perfect solution. When advertising-supported software is (manually) removed - file leftovers may stay within the system. Furthermore, such remnants can continue running and causing issues. Therefore, it is crucial to remove adware thoroughly.

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