How to uninstall ImagineReview adware

What is ImagineReview?

ImagineReview is designed to feed users with various advertisements and promote a fake search engine by modifying browser settings. Therefore, this app functions both as adware and a browser hijacker. Additionally, it promotes the Safe Finder site via akamaihd.net and can read sensitive information.

In most cases, people download and install adware-type apps and browser hijackers inadvertently. Therefore, ImagineReview and other apps of this type are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

Apps such as ImagineReview serve coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups and other advertisements. When clicked, these open dubious websites. In some cases, they execute scripts to download or install unwanted apps. Research shows that ImagineReview can read sensitive information such as passwords, credit card details, telephone numbers and other data.

This information can be misused to steal accounts and identities, make fraudulent purchases and transactions, and for other malicious purposes. Therefore, ImagineReview users might become victims of identity theft, lose access to personal accounts, suffer monetary loss, experience problems relating to online privacy, browsing safety and other serious issues.

Apps such as ImagineReview often collect browsing-related information (e.g., IP addresses, entered search queries, geolocations, addresses of visited pages). As mentioned, ImagineReview promotes a fake search engine.

Generally, search engines of this kind are promoted by changing browser settings such as address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab, so that users are forced to visit a specific address (of a fake search engine) when they open a browser, new tab, or enter search queries into the URL bar.

These search engines are classified as fake, since they do not generate unique results - they simply display those generated by other (usually legitimate) search engines. Some fake search engines display misleading results.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by ImagineReview
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:AdAgent-L [Adw]), AVG (MacOS:AdAgent-L [Adw]), 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 the 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.

ImagineReview is virtually identical to ProgressMatch, StockCommon, TechnologyCustom and many other apps of this type. Generally, their main purpose is to generate revenue for the developers by serving ads, gathering data and promoting fake search engines.

Having these apps installed on browsers and/or computers can cause serious problems. Therefore, never download or install any PUAs.

How did ImagineReview install on my computer?

In most cases, PUAs are distributed by including them into the download/installation set-ups of other programs as 'additional offers'. This distribution method is known as "bundling". Developers use this method to trick people into downloading and installing PUAs together with their required software.

Offers to download or install additionally-included apps can be declined through settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", and "Manual", however, many people leave the settings unchanged when they download or install their programs. In this way, they agree by default with offers to download and install additional PUAs.

These unwanted apps are also downloaded and installed through clicking certain advertisements, which then execute certain scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Software should be downloaded from official, trustworthy websites and via direct links. Other channels are often used to distribute potentially unwanted apps. Some examples of such channels are third party downloaders, Peer to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), dubious websites.

Third party installers are often used to distribute PUAs. Check all download and installation settings such as "Advanced" and "Custom" and decline any offers to download or install unwanted, additionally-included applications before completing the process.

Do not click advertisements that are displayed on untrusted websites, since these can open other pages of this kind or even download/install unwanted software. Do not trust these ads. Remove any unwanted, suspicious extensions, plug-ins and add-ons installed on the browser, and programs of this kind installed on the operating system.

If your computer is already infected with ImagineReview, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Pop-up window displayed once ImagineReview installation is complete:

ImagineReview redirecting users to Safe Finder website via akamaihd.net:

ImagineReview installed on Safari:

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

Video showing how to remove ImagineReview adware using Combo Cleaner:

ImagineReview adware removal:

Remove ImagineReview-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.

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