Removal instructions for the ActiveEnviroment adware-type application

What kind of application is ActiveEnviroment?

ActiveEnviroment is a rogue app discovered by our research team while inspecting new submissions to the VirusTotal site. After analyzing this piece of software, we determined that it is adware. ActiveEnviroment is part of the AdLoad malware family. This advertising-supported software feeds users with unwanted and potentially dangerous ads.

ActiveEnviroment adware overview

Adware enables the placement of third-party graphical content (e.g., pop-ups, overlays, banners, surveys, etc.) on visited websites and/or different interfaces.

These advertisements primarily promote online scams, unreliable/dangerous software, and even malware. Some of them can be triggered (i.e., by being clicked) to execute scripts that perform stealthy downloads/installations.

Keep in mind that while genuine products/services may be encountered through these ads – they are unlikely to be endorsed by any official parties. It is most probable that this promotion is motivated by the acquisition of illegitimate commissions for scammers undertaking this endorsement.

Advertising-supported software might not deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns if certain conditions are unsuitable (e.g., incompatible browser/system, specific websites not visited, etc.). Regardless of whether ActiveEnviroment displays adverts – the app's presence on a system endangers device and user safety.

It is pertinent to mention that we have previously discovered AdLoad applications with browser hijacker functionalities; however, ActiveEnviroment did not exhibit these traits during testing.

Furthermore, adware usually gathers private information, and data-tracking abilities might be possessed by ActiveEnviroment as well.

Data of interest may include: browsing and search engine histories, Internet cookies, account log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, credit card numbers, and so forth. The collected information can then be sold to third-parties or otherwise abused for profit.

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

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by ActiveEnviroment
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AG [Adw]), Combo Cleaner (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.AdLoad.13), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.G), 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), 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 apps; TrustTriviaLogoff, AdvancedEntry, and DomainQuantity are merely a couple of our latest finds. Advertising-supported software tends to appear ordinary and harmless. It may also offer various "handy" features, which seldom work as promised, and in most cases – they do not work at all.

Keep in mind that even if a piece of software operates as indicated by its promotional material – that is not irrefutable proof of either legitimacy or safety.

How did ActiveEnviroment install on my computer?

Adware can be bundled (packed together) with regular programs. The risk of unintentionally permitting access for bundled content into the system is increased by downloading from untrustworthy sources (e.g., freeware and free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks, etc.) and by rushing through installations (e.g., ignoring terms, using "Easy/Quick" settings, etc.).

Additionally, adware is promoted on legitimate-looking download webpages and scam sites. The majority of visitors access these pages via redirects generated by sites employing rogue advertising networks, intrusive ads, misspelled URLs, spam browser notifications, or installed adware (with browser force-opening capabilities).

Intrusive advertisements are also capable of stealthy downloads/installations. Once clicked on, some of them can execute scripts to perform downloads/installations without user consent. These adverts are used in adware proliferation as well.

How to avoid installation of adware?

We highly recommend researching software before downloading or purchasing it. Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified channels. Installation processes must be treated with caution. Therefore, we advise reading terms, exploring possible options, using the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opting out of all additional apps, extensions, etc.

Another recommendation is to be careful while browsing since fake and dangerous online content usually appears legitimate and harmless. For example, intrusive advertisements may look innocuous – however, they redirect to unreliable and questionable websites (e.g., scam-promoting, gambling, pornography, adult dating, etc.).

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

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

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

Video showing how to remove ActiveEnviroment adware using Combo Cleaner:

ActiveEnviroment adware removal:

Remove ActiveEnviroment-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-displayed advertisements can promote content capable of causing severe issues (e.g., system infections, financial losses, etc.). This software can diminish the browsing experience and system performance. It usually has data-tracking functionalities – therefore, adware is also considered to be a threat to user privacy.

What does adware do?

Adware stands for advertising-supported software. It operates by displaying ads on visited websites and/or other interfaces. Some types can also force-open webpages and collect sensitive data.

How do adware developers generate revenue?

Adware developers generate revenue by promoting various websites, applications, browser extensions, products, services, etc. Most of the profit comes from affiliate programs.

Will Combo Cleaner remove ActiveEnviroment adware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your device and eliminate installed adware-type apps. It must be mentioned that manual removal (performed without security programs) might be ineffective. In some instances, after the adware has been manually removed – various components (files) remain hidden within the system. These remnants might continue to run and cause problems. Hence, thorough removal is essential.

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