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Suspicious Folder

I am helping someone clean up after some malware called MacCleanUpPro found its way onto her MacBook. I have removed all the usual detritus associated with this sort of infection - files in LaunchAgents etc.


The malware had installed the MacCleanUpPro application in the ~/Applications folder rather than the /Applications folder - so we removed that. Next to malware app in ~/Applications was folder called SecuremacUpdates. In that folder there were two executable files called "SecuremacUpdates" and "enc_file". See below for a screenshot.


I was fairly confident, but not absolutely certain that this was also part of the malware. So rather than delete it altogether I moved the folder elsewhere and compressed it into a zip.


So my questions are:

  • has anyone come across this "SecureMacUpdates" folder in ~/Application?
  • If so was it associated with MacCleaner/MacDefender/MacCleanUp type malware?
  • Or is it associated with some legitimate software?


Thanks for any feedback.


Posted on Apr 8, 2019 5:36 AM

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Posted on Apr 8, 2019 5:46 AM

SecureMacUpdates is not a default Mac OS folder, so my guess would be that is associated with the MacCleanupPro. What you can do is run Malwarebytes to check the drive for malware to be sure you are clean.

Malwarebytes was developed by one of our own colleagues here in ASC and is about the most proven anti-malware software for Mac.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Apr 8, 2019 5:46 AM in response to grow on Apple Discussions

SecureMacUpdates is not a default Mac OS folder, so my guess would be that is associated with the MacCleanupPro. What you can do is run Malwarebytes to check the drive for malware to be sure you are clean.

Malwarebytes was developed by one of our own colleagues here in ASC and is about the most proven anti-malware software for Mac.

Suspicious Folder

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