ExploreService

ExploreService is an intrusive application designed to monetize its presence on the users' Mac systems through various means. More specifically, the application has been equipped with both adware and browser hijacker capabilities. ExploreService also is classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) due to the underhanded methods involved in its distribution.

The vast majority of PUPs try to hide their installation from being noticed by the user. That is why they rely on tactics such as bundling or fake software installers/updates predominantly. The bundling scheme is extremely popular and users should always check the settings of all applications they install. Hidden in some of the menus, such as 'Custom' or 'Advanced' may be other intruder applications that have already been selected for installation.

Adware applications are designed to generate monetary gains for their operators through the delivery of annoying and unwanted advertisements to the user's computers or devices. The advertisements could impact the user experience on the device significantly. They may appear in various forms - pop-ups, in-text links, banners, etc., and may even be injected into unrelated third-party websites. It is important to remember that the ads should not be trusted. Clicking on them could trigger redirects to suspicious and potentially unsafe websites. ExploreService also is tasked with the promotion of a fake search engine. To achieve this task, it will assume control over the user's web browser and modify its homepage, new tab page and default search engine settings.

Users should avoid keeping PUPs on their Mac or devices. These unwanted applications are notorious for possessing data-tracking capabilities that allow them to collect various information. Typically the targeted data includes the browsing history, search history, clicked URLs, IP address, geolocation and more.