My mac keeps automatically downloading weird files

Thanks Thomas, the downloads only happen when I'm on the internet. It may be linked to a website I go to watch TV shows on, that's definitely when I notice it the most, but it happens other times too (like when browsing other sites) when I haven't opened that website.

My hotmail password was fairly strong but I have changed it since the spam was sent.

I'll try doing the scan tonight and hopefully that'll work.

No viruses were found on the scan, does that mean the downloads are linked to a website I'm viewing then?

That would be my guess. What I would assume is going on is that some site you are visiting has a banner ad that rotates through ads from one or both of those sites using JavaScript. The script keeps trying to load a new ad for the banner every so many seconds, but something is wrong with those sites (or that script) and the result is that the page gets downloaded to your Downloads folder instead of loaded in the banner. If that assumption is correct, there's nothing malicious going on here, just a combination of a poorly-made web site loading ads from another poorly-made site.

I'd start paying close attention to what sites you have open in your web browser when this happens. Try not to keep too many windows/tabs open in your browser at the same time, as that makes it harder to figure out which one is causing the problem. Stick to one at a time, so that you only have one page loaded at any time, for a while. When you find the site that causes these files to start appearing, make a note of it, and don't visit that site again.

Commercial "anti-virus" software is worse than useless on the Mac. If you have any, uninstall it.

Open the Accounts preference pane in System Preferences and check your login items. Are there any you don't recognize? If so, what are they?

Please connect your computer to your router using an Ethernet cable, if you don't already do so. Turn off WiFi/AirPort. Check that the Ethernet connection is working, then boot in safe mode. Log in, but don't launch any applications. Do the files still download?

If not, launch your browser. Do the files download now?

After carrying out these tests, please reboot as usual (not in safe mode) and restore your usual network connection.

Mac OS X: Starting up in Safe Mode

Thanks so much Thomas, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions and for your good advice. I've avoided using the site that I think has been causing the downloads and I haven't had any issues. When I first noticed the downloads appearing I stupidly opened one of the files and it took me to a webpage with a banner on it - so I think you're right.

I also recently noticed this as well. I wasn't too worried about it since the site that gives me bucketloads of these things is IGN.com. Just to be safe I did a scan, and surely enough nothing out of the ordinary was found. If it was, that would be a super lame way to go about inserting viruses into people's machines.

I hope Safari gets a patch for this sort of thing sometime soon, it is annoying to have to clean out my download box manually after visiting ign.com.

This has been happening to me for almost a month now. Almost immediately I got the clamxav but it didn't show anything bad. It doesn't just happen on particular cites, I get it while streaming, even when I'm on rogersondemand.com, and it happens a lot if I'm reading manga, every page and 2 more download... But it does only happen while I'm using my web browser.

One important step to take in self defense is to get off the default Admin account created when you first start up your first Mac.

Create a new Admin account, use it only for Administration, and demote your daily-use account to a "regular User" account using:

System Preferences > Accounts

Then if something bad comes in and tries to install itself, you get the "enter an Admin username and password" and you are tipped off.

That [unexpected downloading] behavior used to happen to me long ago in Netscape Navigator when (I think) the table that held all the mime codes got messed up. The Browser forgot how to display some kinds of files, so instead of displaying stuff, it downloaded it.

I've returned here after reading this thread earlier tonight.Nothing here seemed to do the trick but on further investigation, I found that installing the AdBlock for safari extension stops the problem completely. I'm an avid Safari user - chrome had too many issues with bookmark bugs and firefox still doesnt cut it IMO, so sorting this annoyance (rather then actual problem) out needed to be done. Excuse my casual tone, I'm not a regular at giving advice, but here's to the beginning.

Hi Guys,

I also seem to be getting this strange file downloading on my Macbook. It only happens when i visit warez-bb.org. I tried installing AdBlock as suggested but it seems to make Safari freeze halfway through loading pages so i've uninstalled it. It did the job but made Safari unusable for that particular site. Its rather annoying and i like to use that site. Has anybody managed to find another solution...?

I know nothing about that site, but the term "warez" is typically used to refer to pirated software. That site is, in fact, blocked by OpenDNS as a "file sharing" site, which most of the time really means "software stealing." If you are downloading software illegally, you are putting your security in a dishonest hacker's hands.

I would say your problem could well have to do with the fact stated by Thomas A Reed about that site being blocked by Open DNS, but I must reply to your comment that since the date of my previous post, I have not experienced the automatic downloading issue at all due to my installing of Adblock. I have researched your point, and it seems that unfortunately it doesn't seem to work for !00% of users, but it does for most. Sorry I cant help you more.

I have this question too. There is no virus, I have already scanned my computer, and it started today, at a website which I used to log on before (9gag). What have you done to solve it? I read all the replys but it did not help me.

I KNOW THE REASON FOR HIGH NETWORK ACTIVITY :
IT'S APPLE'S MAIL APP.
TRY IT to close it and analyze the speed difference with a tool like istatmenus or something like that.