isight camera on without authorization
Hi, guys,
I just noticed that my iSight camera is on without authorization. How do I turn it off? How do I clear the malware?
Thank you!
MacBook, Mac OS X (10.7.4)
JSchoolJunkette wrote: ... my iSight camera is on ... How do I turn it off? ...
(1) If you have not already done so, check for and remove Login Items or Widgets that might be using your camera. Then restart Mac and try again.
(2) If the problem continues, use your Mac's Disk Utility to repair permissions.
Then download and apply the latest Combo Update for your OS: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1582
Repair permissions again immediately following the system restart that completes the Combo update.
(3) If you still have problems after properly applying the Combo, try Lion's Recovery feature http://www.apple.com/macosx/recovery/ to repair your hard drive or, if all else fails, reinstall a fresh copy of OS X.
(4) Properly applying the Combo version of updates or repairing/reinstalling OS X may correct software problems. If your trouble continues after trying all the above, you may have a hardware problem. Contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for help.
JSchoolJunkette wrote: ... How do I clear the malware?...
Hacking of webcam control should not be a concern for OS X Macs. If you are using Windows, you are wise to be cautious and take every possible precaution against Windows' security weaknesses, whether running on a PC or on a Mac (and whether via OS X Boot Camp or one of the PC emulators that runs inside OS X.)
For OS X Macs, the only way would be for you or someone else to have access to and modify or somehow damage your Mac or its software. Unless an "administrator" of your particular Mac has installed, activated, and authorized Apple Remote Desktop or some other software for remotely operating your Mac, it is highly unlikely that anyone can be using your cam without your explicit permission and action.
However, if you are convinced that your Mac has unwanted software that you cannot identify, securely erase your entire startup disk. Then reinstall a fresh copy of OS X and all necessary apps and updates. Finally, copy your important user data files to the fresh system from your backup.