ImagineReview is an adware application that mostly gets installed on Mac operating systems without users’ knowledge. It uses tricky techniques to gain access to a target system. You may suddenly realize that a strange app is loaded when you see it attaches to Chrome, Firefox, or Safari as an extension.
Remove ImagineReview adware and Secure macOS
ImagineReview adware Manual Removal Guide
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Distribution of ImagineReview
ImagineReview is a nasty application for Mac which has been reported to interrupt regular browsing sessions without users’ permission. Since this undesired program could be misused for the distribution of malicious files its presence in the browser could endanger the overall security of targeted Mac operating systems. At the moment security experts have not been able to identify a single tactic that is being used to infect the targets. We presume that the bad actors are using several of the most important methods to carry out malicious campaigns.
A common way of setting redirect attacks like ImagineReview is the use of email spam messages. They may directly distribute malicious file attachments containing scripts that lead to an infection. Other cases can utilize complex social engineering tricks and hyperlinks that are specifically made to confuse the intended targets into infecting themselves. Two more scenarios that are used in combination with email messages rely on infected files used as payloads ‒ documents and software installers.
- Infected Software Installers ‒ The criminals craft malicious packages made out of legitimate software installers. They are taken from the official vendor download sites, modified and then posted on online sites or attached (either as file attachments) or linked in the email messages.
- Infected Documents ‒ They represent dangerous files that usually come in the form of some of the most popular document types: rich text documents, spreadsheets and databases. When the users open them up a notification prompt will ask them to enable the built-in scripts (macros). If this is done then the malware is installed on the victim computer.
Malicious browser plugins carriers of ImagineReview and other associated programs can be uploaded to hacker-controlled sites and P2P networks like BitTorrent as well. The hacker operators frequently utilize template design, text and images to create portals that look like legitimate download sources. They may also use domain names that are very similar to legitimate sites and advertise them via pop-ups or ad networks.
The undesired program associated with ImagineReview can be found in numerous malware toolbars. They are usually made for the most popular web browsers installed on macOS: Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. They can be distributed on illegal download sites or even on the browsers repositories (such as the Chrome Web Store for Google Chrome) using fake developer accounts.
Impact of ImagineReview Mac PUP
The ImagineReview Mac PUP is an intrusive malware which is configured to display numerous ads onto the contaminated systems. It can also interact with other installed applications and the operating system causing further issues and overall performance problems. Due to the fact that it is spread in coordinated campaigns the different ImagineReview Mac PUP threats can showcase specific malware activity. By default the PUP will limit itself to the installed web browsers however in some cases it can spawn multiple processes of its own.
Possible malware actions related to this particular malware may include the following:
- Application and System Changes — They can range from the modification of system settings to user preferences of individual services and applications.
- Data Theft — The ImagineReview Mac PUP can be used to hijack information of various types depending on the configuration of the virus. This can include machine details, personal information or specific values attributed to the operating system.
- Virus Infections — Other types of malware can be installed via the ImagineReview Mac PUP infection. Popular options are file encrypting ransomware, remote control Trojans or even cryptocurrency miners.
The individual ImagineReview Mac PUP infection campaigns can change at any time, this is why we recommend that the threats are removed as fast as possible to prevent any further damage.
ImagineReview adware Removal Guide
If your system is showing infection symptoms, you should definitely take action and remove ImagineReview adware and related files from your macOS. The sooner the better! Below you can find our step-by-step Mac virus removal instructions that give you the opportunity to get rid of ImagineReview adware either manually or automatically. If you don’t feel comfortable with manual instructions, download a reliable ImagineReview adware removal tool that will scan your Mac system for malware and clean it safely for you. If any questions arise, or additional help is needed leave us a comment.
How to Remove ImagineReview adware on a Mac Manually
Remove ImagineReview adware and related files from OSX.
- 1. Force Quit all suspicious applications.
Go to the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen and choose Force Quit option.
You will see a list of all currently running applications. Go find ImagineReview adware, select it and then navigate to the “Force Quit” button. You can also find the last application you installed on your Mac and stop it as well.
Since software bundling is a common propagation method, the ImagineReview adware may get installed along with the lastly installed application and their activities on the system may be related.
- 2. Remove ImagineReview adware and other related potentially unwanted applications from the Applications folder.
Open the Finder and select the Applications menu. Then search for the unwanted application and drag it to the Trash.
- 3. Мanually look for ImagineReview adware in the Libraries of your Mac.
WARNING! You are about to tamper with Library files on Mac. Make sure that you know the name of the virus file. Deleting the wrong file may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS.
Select Go from the top menu bar and navigate to Go to Folder…
When the window appear start entering the following folder locations one by one:
/Library/Application Support
/Library/LaunchDaemons
~/Library/LaunchAgents
In each 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
Remove ImagineReview adware From Your Browser
Remove suspicious browser extensions that can be responsible for the appearance of invasive pop-ups and browser redirects.
2. Click on the “Extensions” tab. If you see a suspicious or unwanted extension, select it and click “Uninstall“.
3. Reset Safari web browser. Beware that this step will remove the history as well as some of your saved data. Before you proceed we recommend that you make sure to write down all passwords, logins and important details.
If you are using Safari version 9 or higher open the browser and go to “Preferences“. Then select the “Privacy” tab. When the window appears on screen click on the “Remove All Website Data” button.
In case that your Safari web browser is running a version from 5 to 8, then just select Safari on the top menu bar and click on “Reset Safari” option. Choose which data to be cleaned from the browser.
2. Click “Extensions” in the left menu. Then click on the trash bin icon to remove the suspicious extension.
3. Again in the left menu, under Chrome, Click on “Settings“. Go under “On Startup” and set a new page.
4. Afterward, scroll down to “Search“, click on “Manage search engines“.
5. In the default search settings list, find the unknown search engine and click on “X“. Then select your search engine of choice and click “Make default“. When you are ready click “Done” button in the right bottom corner.
1. Start Mozilla Firefox. In the upper right corner, click on the Open menu icon and select “Add-ons“.
2. Inside the Add-ons Manager select “Extensions“. Search the list of extensions for suspicious entries. If you find any, select them and click “Remove“.
3. Click again on the Open menu icon, then click “Options“.
4. In the Options window, under “General” tab, click “Restore to Default“.
5. Select “Search” in the left menu, mark the unknown search engine and press “Remove”.
Remove ImagineReview adware from a Mac Automatically
While the above steps work very well in most of the cases when users’ OSX is infected with PUP or malware, sometimes the Mac virus removal requires the help of a professional application. This anti-malware tool will scan and remove malware from your Mac. It offers an active protection shield and comes with a variety of handy features that will keep your system fast, clean and secure.
DOWNLOAD Antivirus for MacSpyHunter for Mac Scanner feature is free. Other features are paid. Here you can review its EULA and Privacy Policy.
