AllocateType

Infosec researchers have identified another intrusive application belonging to the prolific AdLoad adware family. Tracked as AllocateType, the application follows the typical AdLoad behavior. It is designed specifically to target Mac users and then deliver annoying and unwanted advertisements to their devices.

Adware applications could have a significant impact on the user experience on the affected devices. The generated advertisements may appear as banners, pop-ups, notifications and more. A far more troubling characteristic of the displayed advertisements is that they are highly likely to promote questionable or even unsafe websites, software products or services. Typically, the advertisements will lead users to fake giveaways, phishing tactics, technical support schemes, shady adult platforms, betting/gambling portals, etc. By interacting with the delivered advertisements, users also may inadvertently trigger forced redirects that could take them to similarly untrustworthy sites.

Keeping adware, browser hijackers, or PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) in general active on your computer also may lead to other unintended consequences. For example, these applications are notorious for having data-harvesting capabilities. Users risk having their browsing activities monitored, with the collected data being transmitted to a remote server. However, the intrusive application may not stop there, as many also include device details or even sensitive information taken from browsers' autofill data in the exfiltrated details. Users often rely on autofill to automatically populate their account credentials, banking details, payment data, credit/debit card number and other important, personal details.