All PCVARK apps flagged?

[dialabrain]

Are all PCVARK apps being flagged by default? Duplicates Cleaner from the App Store is being quarantined as a PUP.

TIA.

[Porthos]

https://blog.malwarebytes.com/threat-analysis/2016/08/pcvark-plays-dirty/

https://blog.malwarebytes.com/detections/pup-optional-pcvark/

Edited March 23, 2019 by Porthos

[dialabrain]

I had read the first link from 2016. One has to wonder if everything PCVARK has or will ever create is a potential threat. There was no evidence Duplicate Cleaner installed anything other that what was expected. Thanks for responding.

Does Apple knowingly allow PUPs in the Apple Store if you know.

[alvarnell]

Not really "threats". PUPs are Potentially Unwanted Programs. PCVARKs are packed full of adware which is annoying to most of us and their software is over hyped with some promises it can't possibly perform properly and still adhere to App Store rules. 

And yes, Apple does allow most any app that follows their rules, whether it's an annoying PUP or not.

[dialabrain]

Thanks. FWIW, I was checking because of a post on ASC. I installed Duplicates Cleaner without running it and scanned it with MWB and it was flagged. I suppose I should have tried running it to see if it inserted any adware.

Thanks again.

[treed]

PUPs are not necessarily involved with adware... if they are, they'd likely be labeled as adware instead of PUP.

As for PCVARK, they've not only created something that we classify as outright malware, but they also have literally dozens of identical clones of Advanced Mac Cleaner floating around out there, and that's only a part of their portfolio of junk apps. Advanced Mac Cleaner itself is so bad that the domain is blocked by Google Safe Browsing.

And yes, the Mac App Store is absolutely loaded with PUPs, especially in certain categories, such as antivirus software, "cleaning" software, "duplicate cleaners," etc.

[dialabrain]

Thanks Thomas. I understand PCVARK has a history. I was just wondering if Duplicates Cleaner in particular was a PUP because of a users post on ASC. He also posted a sha256 checksum for no particular reason. Just me being overly curious.

Thanks again.

[treed]

At this point, no software from PCVARK should be considered trustworthy. They've shown such a consistent and egregious pattern of behavior that it would be wise to consider everything they make to be a PUP, or worse. It's definitely not a PUP because of a post on ASC.  With the new UI changes there, I haven't even been lurking on Apple's forums lately. They've made it too hard find and monitor the posts I'm interested in.

[dialabrain]

6 minutes ago, treed said:

With the new UI changes there, I haven't even been lurking on Apple's forums lately. They've made it too hard find and monitor the posts I'm interested in.

Understandable. You did seem MIA. Personally PCVARK makes nothing I have an interest in even if they were clean as a whistle.

Enjoy your day.