How to check for—and get rid of—a Mac Flashback infection

[iPanik]

So you're a Mac user who has heard that more than half a million Macs have been infected by the recent Flashback malware. When the news began to spread about how the malware took advantage of a previously unpatched Java vulnerability on the Mac, the the horror stories began pouring in. "My dad heard about the Flashback malware and subsequently deleted his Java folder. Now his Mac won't boot," a friend told me.

Needless to say, this is not the way to properly nuke a possible Flashback infection or prevent yourself from catching one. Still, there is a reasonable level of concern out there. Maybe you haven't been keeping up on your antivirus software (and let's be honest, most Mac users don't), or perhaps you simply have suspicions about your Mac acting funny. How do you check if you have Flashback, and if you do, how do you (properly) get rid of it?

Ars Technica

 

[Jack]

Ouch...Not so easy to follow this removal instructions - http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojan-downloader_osx_flashback_k.shtml ....... Surely this is a publicity nightmare for Apple and at the same time a very profitable news for the security companies as now all the 'over confident' MAC users are scared and will start looking for a antivirus...
I'm wondering why cyber criminals would waste their resources and time in developing malware for MAC's when the very popular Windows platform is so easy to exploit....hmm......... anyhow it's good to be a MAC security developer these days.....

 

[jamescv7]

From the words of "Prevention is better than cure" if an AV was running and prevented the way it infects the time consumes makes it lesser.

Cure operation could really take knowledge and time consume in order to clear off the infection.

Mac is now similar to Windows to be most targeted OS by cyber criminals.

 

[Jack]

Mac is now similar to Windows to be most targeted OS by cyber criminals.

Don't know if that's the case because by default MAC's run on limited accounts so it's very hard to actually manage to infect a system...
Unlike Windows where there a lot of possible ways to attack the system mostly because they are running with Full Administrative rights on a MAC it need it a very well engineered attack to actually be successful ... the guys who created it must be real pro's.
I still wonder how on earth 600.000 people manage to stumble upon this exploit and allow it run ....
One thing this is sure.. Mac users are as careless as Windows users......

 

[iPanik]

Don't know if that's the case because by default MAC's run on limited accounts so it's very hard to actually manage to infect a system...

You sure about that? i am fairly certain that the account you create when you first launch a new mac has full admin privileges (not root). However when you do something iffy on a mac it requires the admin password, which would be your own.

 

[pcjunklist]

I never wish harm to anyone's computer but, I know many mac users who everyday like to tell me that they will never get a virus or a piece of malware on their computer. Well I guess it happens and before you know it Apple will be releasing weekly update like windows and will offer more AV apps. More market share = more problems, moe money moe problems yo!

 

[Gnosis]

It is actually fairly easy to get rid of that infection; SELL YOUR MAC.

MAC owners are doomed, for the most part. They are ignorant about security and they have taught themselves to be naive, while feeling that their MAC's are bullet proof, thus setting themselves up for failure.

 

[jamescv7]

Surely from the time it widespread of infection and infect those Mac Computers, the customer support were bombarded of calls and complaints.