GrowSupport

Cybersecurity researchers have come across the GrowSupport rogue application. This application functions by orchestrating aggressive advertising campaigns on users' devices. GrowSupport appears to have been designed specifically to target Mac systems.

A closer examination of this rogue application has revealed that GrowSupport falls into the category of adware. Adware, in essence, is software that aggressively promotes advertisements, often in an intrusive manner, to users. Furthermore, GrowSupport is associated with the AdLoad adware family, a group of apps notorious for having intrusive capabilities and carrying out unwanted actions once installed.

Adware Like GrowSupport may Silently Collect Various Data

Adware embodies a category of software deliberately created to generate a barrage of unwelcome and deceptive advertisements once installed. This particular class of software facilitates the presentation of third-party graphical content across a range of online interfaces, including visited websites.

The spectrum of intrusive advertisements propagated by adware encompasses diverse formats, such as pop-ups, banners, overlays, coupons and more. These visual elements have a significant impact on the user's browsing experience, often disrupting their activities. The core objective of these intrusive ads is to promote a range of content that, unfortunately, frequently veers towards online tactics, dubious PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs), and even forms of malware. An alarming aspect of certain ad interactions is their potential to trigger concealed downloads or installations, often without the user's awareness or consent.

It's imperative to acknowledge that while adware-generated advertisements might occasionally introduce users to legitimate products and services, this manner of endorsement is typically not approved by the official developers or distributors. Rather than a genuine endorsement, these promotions are often orchestrated by malicious entities exploiting affiliate programs as a way to earn illegitimate commission fees.

Moreover, the behavior of adware applications such as GrowSupport often extends beyond their intrusive advertising. Many adware applications are capable of collecting private and sensitive information from users. The harvest data may include URLs of visited websites, the content of viewed pages, the queries entered in search engines, the data stored in Internet cookies, login credentials, personally identifiable particulars, credit card numbers and other similar details. The operators of the adware applications could then exploit the obtained information in a variety of ways, including being shared with third parties or even sold for financial gain.

Users are Unlikely to Install Adware and PUPs Willingly

Adware and PUPs are notorious for their reliance on a variety of deceptive and questionable distribution methods to infiltrate users' systems. These methods exploit users' trust, lack of awareness, or negligence to gain unauthorized access. Here are some of the dubious distribution methods commonly employed by adware and PUPs:

• Bundled Software Installers: Adware and PUPs often piggyback on the installation of legitimate software. Users who download software from the Internet may inadvertently install additional adware or PUPs because they are bundled together with the desired program. This is particularly common with free software downloads.
•  Deceptive Advertising: Unsafe or misleading online advertisements, known as malvertising, can lead users to websites that prompt them to download adware or PUPs. These advertisements often masquerade as legitimate content or enticing offers.
•  Phishing Emails and Spam: Dubious emails may contain attachments or links that, when clicked, initiate the download of adware or PUPs. These emails often employ social engineering tactics to manipulate users into interacting with them.
•  Software Update Scams: Users may be tricked into downloading fake software updates. These updates may claim to be essential security patches or improved versions of popular software, but they often lead to the installation of adware or PUPs.
•  File Sharing Networks: Users who download files from peer-to-peer networks or torrents are at risk of unknowingly acquiring adware or PUPs along with the intended content.
•  Misleading Browser Extensions: Some browser extensions, claiming to provide useful features, are actually adware in disguise. Users who install these extensions unknowingly subject themselves to intrusive ads and altered browsing behavior.
•  Fake System Alerts: Bogus system alerts or error messages on websites may trick users into downloading adware or PUPs under the guise of essential software updates or security scans.

To protect against these dubious distribution methods, users should be cautious while downloading software, read installation prompts carefully, opt for custom installation settings, avoid clicking on suspicious ads or links, and use reputable anti-malware software.