Trojan.MacOS.Wildfire
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: | 90 % (High) |
| Infected Computers: | 111 |
| First Seen: | January 4, 2021 |
| Last Seen: | September 19, 2023 |
Trojan.MacOS.Wildfire can be classified as a generic detection for a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP) affecting macOS systems. PUPs often spread out disguised as legit programs that can perform various actions, like system optimization, detection of viruses or other issues, cleaning unnecessary old files, etc. Some PUPs also claim to be browser extensions that can improve user’s online searches, yet, in most cases, tools like Trojan.MacOS.Wildfire end up doing more harm than good to computers on which they have been installed. In the majority of cases, users install PUPs unwillingly through a method known as “bundling” - the undesired scripts are embedded as “optional offers” into the installers of free software.
As the most popular types of PUPs are adware and browser hijackers, Trojan.MacOS.Wildfire most likely aims to alter the browser’s settings, replacing the user’s homepage, new tab URL, and default search provider with a fake search engine’s address. That forces the user to visit the promoted website each time the browser is launched, which redirects traffic and generates advertising revenues for the PUP owner. Displaying countless third-party ads in the form of pop-up messages is the other most common feature of PUPs with adware functionalities.
What the user would not notice, though, is that Trojan.MacOS.Wildfire probably performs other, much more harmful activities in the background. These may include monitoring browsing history, collecting search terms, in extreme cases, even extracting personal details and login credentials stored in the infected browser. PUPs should be removed immediately since many can lead to severe privacy issues and financial losses for unsuspecting Mac users.
