Q: How to detect and remove Flash Fake malware

Helpful Links Regarding Flashback Trojan and Virus Protection

An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.

A link to a great User Tip about the trojan: Flashback Trojan User Tip.

To check for the trojan: Anti Flashback Trojan 2.0.4.

A Google search can reveal a variety of alternatives on how the remove the trojan should your computer get infected. This can get you started. Or the preferred method is to use Apple's protection tool: Flashback Malware Removal Tool 1.0.

Or, open Software Update. If you do not have the Apple protection software installed it will download and install it via Software Update. If no update appears that means you either already have it installed or it isn't needed for your system. The software is only available for Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Lion versions of OS X.

Also see Apple's article About Flashback malware.

For general anti-virus protection I only recommend using ClamXav.

As for the DNS Changer malware see the following:

DCWG | DNS Changer Working Group

DNS Changer Malware- What to Do If Your Computer's Infected

Sandra Furjanic wrote:

 

I went online to see how to detect and remove the flashback malware. I followed the instructions for the 10.4 system using the terminal commands. Will that work for 10.7 or do I need to search using different commands.

There has not been a Flash Fake installer since early this year. The most recent variants used a Java exploit which has was patched by Apple a couple of months ago. No Terminal commands are either necessary or recommend since Apple provided automatic removal of all common variants of Flashback. As long as you have installed everything recommended by Software Update you have all the protection you need for all known OS X malware.

I have been having Adobe Flash Player keep coming up and asking to install. Presently I have VirusBarrier X6 on my computer.

If it's really from Adobe Flash Player, and it probably is, then you should go ahead and install it or go to the Adobe site and download it from there as there have been recent security issues with it (again). The latest versio will allow you to choose to have it silently update itself and will never bother you again.

I doubt that you need VirusBarrier for today's threats. Although I've owned it for years I don't use it except for testing.

If you have a fully updated 10.7.4 system, you don't have Flashback. "VirusBarrier" is worthless crapware.