| Mac Malware |
|
 |
| In the News |
You may have heard reports online or in the news about a “virus” called Flashback affecting more than 500,000 Macs worldwide. (Technically, it’s malware designed to incorporate Macs into a botnet, not a “virus.”) |
| What is Flashback? |
Flashback is a piece of malicious software, or malware, that attacks Macs that visit any of a variety of malicious websites. It relies on a security gap in Java, a piece of software used widely across the internet for interactive and multimedia websites. Apple has released an updated version of Java to secure this vulnerability. |
| How do I protect my Mac from Flashback? |
Perform a software update to install the latest, most secure version of Java.
- Click on the Apple on the top left corner of your screen.
- Click Software Update.
|
| How do I know if my computer is already affected? |
First, launch Terminal from /Applications/Utilities on your Mac. Then individually type or paste these three lines into the Terminal:
defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
If you receive a response similar to the following, your Mac is not infected with Flashback.
The domain/default pair of (/Users/JohnDoe/.MacOSX/environment, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES) does not exist
|
| What if my Mac is already infected with Flashback? |
NGT can assist you with removing Flashback from an infected Mac.
If you feel up to the technical challenge, security firm F-Secure has detailed instructions:
http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojan-downloader_osx_flashback_k.shtml
Additional technical information comes from tech news site Ars Technica and security firm F-Secure.
|
|
