ProType
Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecard
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are assessment reports for different malware threats which have been collected and analyzed by our research team. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards evaluate and rank threats using several metrics including real-world and potential risk factors, trends, frequency, prevalence, and persistence. EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards are updated regularly based on our research data and metrics and are useful for a wide range of computer users, from end users seeking solutions to remove malware from their systems to security experts analyzing threats.
EnigmaSoft Threat Scorecards display a variety of useful information, including:
Ranking: The ranking of a particular threat in EnigmaSoft’s Threat Database.
Severity Level: The determined severity level of an object, represented numerically, based on our risk modeling process and research, as explained in our Threat Assessment Criteria.
Infected Computers: The number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular threat detected on infected computers as reported by SpyHunter.
See also Threat Assessment Criteria.
| Threat Level: | 50 % (Medium) |
| Infected Computers: | 8 |
| First Seen: | January 25, 2019 |
| Last Seen: | September 20, 2022 |
| OS(es) Affected: | Windows |
ProType is a browser hijacker app targeting Mac users. It advertises itself as a useful tool but its main goal is to drive artificial traffic towards a sponsored address by taking over the user's web browser. These types of applications also are classified as PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) due to the deceptive marketing methods they rely on for distribution. After all, few users are going to install ProType willingly, and instead, the app is dropped onto their computer systems either through a technique called bundling or being hidden inside fake software installers/updaters.
No matter how ProType managed to sneak itself onto the user's computer, it will immediately proceed to establish control over the homepage, new page tab and the default search. If the browser is Google Chrome, the PUP will further limit the options available to the user by exploiting the legitimate 'Managed by your organization' feature. The end result is that whenever the affected browser is simply opened, a new tab is started or a search is initiated in the URL bar, it would open the sponsored address. ProType has been observed to promote search.82paodatc.com, a fake search engine.
Fake search engines lack the functionality to produce search results on their own. Instead, they take the user's search query and redirect it to a legitimate engine. The search.82paodatc.com engine redirects to either Yahoo or Google. Using such dubious engines, not to mention having PUPs present on your computer, would almost always mean that your browsing activities are being spied on. PUPs are known for harvesting data such as browsing history, search history, clicked URLs, ISP, IP address and more.
