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All replies
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Helpful answers
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Feb 19, 2012 4:28 AM in response to terrythurstonby eww,What does this mean? I have no idea what you are referring to as "button labels in my folders."
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Feb 19, 2012 6:21 AM in response to terrythurstonby Linc Davis,Did you recently install a Flash update, or what you thought was a Flash update?
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Feb 19, 2012 7:18 AM in response to Linc Davisby terrythurston,Yes, actually I did just do a Flash update.
Terry Thurston
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Feb 19, 2012 7:16 AM in response to terrythurstonby Linc Davis,It was the Flashback trojan, or a variant of it. Do you have a complete backup from before the installation?
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Feb 19, 2012 7:33 AM in response to Linc Davisby terrythurston,Yes. On an External drive.
Terry Thurston
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Feb 19, 2012 7:34 AM in response to terrythurstonby Linc Davis,★HelpfulFirst, please stop posting your email address. That will only get you on spam lists.
I suggest you erase your boot volume and restore from the backup. Check that the issue is resolved, then (and only then) change every password you have and check all your online financial accounts for unauthorized activity. Consider canceling all credit cards and requesting new ones.
When that's done, you need to learn the basics of safe computing.
Mac OS X versions 10.6.7 and later have built-in detection of known Mac malware in downloaded files. The recognition database is automatically updated once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders. In most cases, there’s no benefit from any other automated protection against malware.
The most effective defense against malware is your own intelligence. All known Mac malware takes the form of trojans that can only operate if the victim is duped into running them. If you're smarter than the malware attacker thinks you are, you won't be duped. That means, primarily, that you never install software from an untrustworthy source. How do you know a source is untrustworthy?
- Any website that prompts you to install software, such as a “codec” or “plug-in,” that comes from that same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy.
- A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim.
- “Cracked” versions of commercial software downloaded from a bittorrent are likely to be infected.
- Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. No intermediary is acceptable.
Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can reasonably be.
Never install any commercial "anti-virus" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use ClamXav -- nothing else.
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Feb 19, 2012 9:29 AM in response to terrythurstonby thomas_r.,Linc is probably right. Did you see something like what is described in Flashback.A seen in action!?
If you did see that, I'd be very curious to find out where you found it. Please don't post any links here, contact me off these forums instead. I'd like to find out why this got past the built-in anti-malware protection in your system!
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Feb 19, 2012 12:49 PM in response to terrythurstonby MadMacs0,And if you still have the FlashPlayer installer package, don't throw it away. It can't hurt you unless you launch the installer again. I've got a couple of places for you to upload it to in order for the AV software folks to get definition updates out. Evidently Apple isn't aware of this version, either as it apparently didn't warn you and they haven't updated XProtect for several weeks.
