KextViewr For Mac

Kernel extensions are modules loaded directly into the OS kernel that run at the highest privilege level and perform a variety of tasks. Keeping tabs on them is important, but performing this task from the command console is a bit tricky.

KextViewr aims to make your job a lot easier, as it displays all loaded kernel extensions, complete with their file path, signing status and VirusTotal malware reports.

As soon as you launch KextViewr, it begins gathering kext data and displays it in a list that can be filtered if you are trying to find a specific item. You can search for an entry by name, as well as include or exclude items based on their signing status.

The icon displayed next to each entry indicates whether the kext belongs to Apple, a third party or is unsigned. Following that, you can view the extension’s name, hash, size and timing information.

The list of loaded kernel extensions can be refreshed at any time, and you can also save the results to a JSON file.

KextViewr offers full VirusTotal integration, as the service is automatically queried with a hash of the binary to retrieve existing reports. If they are not available, you can submit the file yourself. When an extension is reported to contain malware, its name and the VirusTotal button will be highlighted in red.

Pressing the ‘Show’ button opens the item’s containing folder in a Finder window, so there is no need to search for it yourself.

KextViewr is a fairly straightforward app that does its job well, is very easy to use and puts all the available kext data at your fingertips. It also offers VirusTotal detection reports, so you can keep track of malware and deal with potential infections.