HonkBox

HonkBox is adware that may generate unwanted advertising content or redirect your browser to other sites. It uses non-consensual startup methods and may reinstall some of its components for evading uninstall routines. Affected users should remove HonkBox through compatible cyber-security products and check their Web-browsing settings for any remaining issues.

Seeing What's in a Box isn't Always a Good Thing

For the macOS, security is under a very different philosophy than that of Windows or Linux – a top-down basis of software governing that cedes less control to users and individual programs. Most detection statistics from cyber-security products rate genuine threats – Trojans, RATs, viruses, and similarly-illicit software – as an extreme minority in the macOS environment. Making up a much larger percentage of the pie are programs just like HonkBox: Potentially Unwanted Programs, browser hijackers and adware.

HonkBox is part of the adware sub-division of the PUP 'genre' of programs, a product that provides questionable or no user benefits, but delivers advertising content for monetization purposes. Additionally, malware experts point out some particularly-suspicious behavior on HonkBox's part that indicates it might skirt the boundaries into being classifiable as a Trojan, as some computer security businesses consider it. The latter largely focuses on HonkBox's predisposition for auto-generating randomly-named components for its startup routine and stopping users from removing the program. For macOS users, these files are in the normally-hidden TMP folder.

Besides its invasive startup method, HonkBox includes features that malware experts normally associate with adware. It may generate pop-up windows, inject content such as hyperlinks or banners into Web pages, or redirect users' searches and home pages to unwanted, third-party content. Advertising content from poorly-vetted ad servers can endanger users with drive-by-download attacks and Exploit Kits, tactics ranging from non-authentic updates to fake prize giveaways and other attacks.

Closing Up the Clamor of HonkBox

Users can avoid most unwanted HonkBox installers by keeping to traditionally-safe browsing protocols. For example, malware experts see some versions of HonkBox with components related to unofficial and cracked Logic Pro downloads (an audio workstation program). As usual, software and media pirates place themselves at great risk of receiving 'extra' software than they want, including adware and even high-level threats like rootkits.

Users should assume that HonkBox is active in the background unless they take steps for terminating it, such as rebooting in Safe Mode or opening a utility like the macOS's Activity Monitor and closing unwanted processes. Although malware analysts only verify HonkBox issues for macOS users in the past twelve months, other adware is active for Windows, Android and Linux users with comparable dangers.

Users of all major operating systems have their pick of cyber-security programs that will delete both illicit software and legally-gray ones like adware. As a precaution for its reinstallation exploits, any automated removal of HonkBox should include rebooting and scanning the system again for additional HonkBox components.

HonkBox operates on being more annoying for removing than most users can handle. Proving it wrong would be wise for everyone since it forces HonkBox's developers into more honest programming than trafficking unwanted advertisements automatically.