Removing MotivePrime adware and the advertisements it displays

What is MotivePrime?

Our researchers discovered the MotivePrime rogue application while inspecting new submissions to VirusTotal. After analyzing this piece of software, we determined that MotivePrime operates as adware and is part of the AdLoad malware family.

MotivePrime adware overview

Adware is designed to deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns. In other words, advertising-supported software displays ads on visited websites and/or other interfaces.

These adverts promote online scams, unreliable/harmful sites and software, and even malware. Some intrusive advertisements can perform stealthy downloads/installations upon being clicked.

Note that any legitimate products encountered through these ads are unlikely to be endorsed by their actual developers. Instead, this promotion is undertaken by scammers abusing the products' affiliate programs to acquire illegitimate commissions.

It is pertinent to mention that adware may require specific conditions to run intrusive ad campaigns (e.g., compatible browser/system or user geolocation, visits to particular websites, etc.). However, regardless of whether MotivePrime delivers adverts - its presence endangers device/user safety.

Furthermore, MotivePrime may have browser hijacker abilities since they are common for AdLoad adware, although we did not observe any during testing.

What is more, MotivePrime likely has data tracking functionalities. Advertising-supported software typically collects the following information: visited URLs, viewed webpages, searched queries, usernames/passwords, personally identifiable details, financial/banking data, etc. The gathered data is then shared with and/or sold to third-parties.

To summarize, the presence of software like MotivePrime on devices can lead to system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by MotivePrime
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Agent-TX [Trj]), Combo Cleaner (Adware.MAC.Generic.27097), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.G), McAfee (RDN/Generic.osx), 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

We have analyzed thousands of adware-type applications; BasicEngine, SkyWebProcess, and AuroraFit are merely a couple of examples. This software typically appears legitimate and offers "handy" functions. However, these functionalities are usually nonoperational.

How did MotivePrime install on my computer?

Adware can have "official" download webpages, and it is promoted on scam sites. Users typically enter these websites through redirects caused by misspelled URLs, spam browser notifications, pages using rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads, or installed adware (with webpage force-opening capabilities).

Additionally, fake Adobe Flash Player updaters/installers are used in advertising-supported software proliferation. Intrusive adverts spread it as well. Once clicked on, some of these advertisements can execute scripts to make downloads/installations without user consent.

Adware can also be bundled (packed together) with ordinary software/media. Download from dubious channels (e.g., freeware and third-party websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.) and rushed installations increase the risk of allowing bundled content into the system.

How to avoid installation of adware?

We highly recommend researching software products and downloading them from official/verified sources. Additionally, installation processes must be approached with caution. Therefore, we advise reading terms, inspecting available options, using the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opting-out of all supplements.

Another recommendation is to exercise caution when browsing since illegitimate and malicious content usually appears innocuous. For example, intrusive ads look legitimate and harmless, yet they redirect to questionable sites (e.g., gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.).

In case of encounters with such adverts/redirects, check the system and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with MotivePrime, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

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

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

Video showing how to remove MotivePrime adware using Combo Cleaner:

MotivePrime adware removal:

Remove MotivePrime-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 diminish the browsing experience and system performance. It is also deemed to be a privacy threat, as this software typically has data tracking functionalities. Furthermore, adware-delivered advertisements promote dangerous content that can cause serious issues (e.g., system infections, financial losses, etc.).

What does adware do?

Adware is designed to enable the placement of various ads on visited websites and/or other interfaces. It may also be capable of force-opening webpages and collecting private data.

How do adware developers generate revenue?

Adware developers generate most of their profit through affiliate programs by promoting various websites, apps, products, services, and other content.

Will Combo Cleaner remove MotivePrime adware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan computers and eliminate all adware-type apps installed. It has to be mentioned that manual removal (unaided by security programs) might not be ideal. In some cases, even after the adware has been (manually) removed - file leftovers remain hidden in the system. Furthermore, these components may continue running and causing issues. Hence, it is crucial to eliminate advertising-supported software thoroughly.

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