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User profile for user: iminthehouse
iminthehouse Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

just got my macbook pro a month ago. i don't know what security/antivirus system i have on here. and i just had a virus or malaware attack my computer. i think removed but not 100%

just got my macbook pro a month ago. i don't know what security/antivirus system i have on here. and i just had a virus or malaware attack my computer. i think removed but not 100% and how do i prevent it.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Dec 30, 2013 8:34 PM

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23 replies
User profile for user: Linc Davis
Linc Davis
User level: Level 10
209,649 points

Dec 30, 2013 11:52 PM in response to iminthehouse

1. This is a comment on what you should and should not do to protect yourself from malicious software ("malware") that circulates on the Internet. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.

If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only sections 5, 6, and 10.

OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.

2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.

The following caveats apply to XProtect:

  • It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
  • It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
As new versions of OS X are released, it's not clear whether Apple will indefinitely continue to maintain the XProtect database of older versions such as 10.6. The security of obsolete system versions may eventually be degraded. Security updates to the code of obsolete systems will stop being released at some point, and that may leave them open to other kinds of attack besides malware.

3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated " Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)

Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:

  • It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
  • A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
  • An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.

For the reasons given above, App Store products, and other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. Sandboxing security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.

4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is effective against known threats, but not against unknown ones. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.


5. The built-in security features of OS X reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. The first and best line of defense is always going to be your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called " Trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.

That means, in practice, that you always stay within a safe harbor of computing practices. How do you know what is safe?
  • Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is unsafe.
  • 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. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
  • Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
  • Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
  • Software that purports to help you do something that's illegal or that infringes copyright, such as saving streamed audio or video for reuse without permission, is unsafe. All YouTube "downloaders" are outside the safe harbor, though not all are necessarily harmful.
  • Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe. For instance, if a web page warns you that Flash is out of date, do not follow an offered link to an update. Go to the Adobe website to download it, if you need it at all.
  • Even signed applications, no matter what the source, should not be trusted if they do something unexpected, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
  • "FREE WI-FI !!!" networks in public places are unsafe unless you can verify that the network is not a trap (which you probably can't.) Even then, do not download any software or transmit any private information while connected to such a network, regardless of where it seems to come from or go to.
6. Java on the Web ( not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.

Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.

Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it — not JavaScript — in your browsers.

Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
Follow the above guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself.

7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. Any database of known threats is always going to be out of date. Most of the danger is from unknown threats. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free anti-virus products in the Mac App Store — nothing else.

Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
  • Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
  • In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
  • To recognize malware, the software depends on a database of known threats, which is always at least a day out of date. Most of the real danger comes from highly targeted "zero-day" attacks that are not yet recognized.
  • By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.

8. An anti-malware product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.

An anti-virus app is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.

A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe

Anti-virus software may be able to tell you which particular trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use the software unless an institutional policy requires it.

The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.

9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.

10. As a Mac user you don't have to live in fear that your computer may be infected every time you install software, read email, or visit a web page. But neither should you assume that you will always be safe from exploitation, no matter what you do. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.
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User profile for user: thomas_r.
thomas_r.
User level: Level 7
32,001 points

Dec 31, 2013 4:31 AM in response to iminthehouse

i just had a virus or malaware attack my computer.


What makes you believe that you had malware attack your computer? This is almost certainly not the case, but if you can provide the details of what happened, we can advise you better.


As for your question, see my Mac Malware Guide. The section titled How does Mac OS X protect me? details the built-in anti-malware technologies in Mac OS X.

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User profile for user: etresoft
etresoft
User level: Level 9
50,956 points

Dec 31, 2013 9:06 AM in response to iminthehouse

iminthehouse wrote:


just got my macbook pro a month ago. i don't know what security/antivirus system i have on here. and i just had a virus or malaware attack my computer. i think removed but not 100% and how do i prevent it.

If this is a new machine, then it comes with Apple's XProtect that will protect you against the handful of actual known Mac malware examples. It also comes with Apple's Gatekeeper to protect you again future threats and trojans.


What most Mac users think are virus attacks are just Javascript pop-up windows. The greatest danger with them is that they trick users into downloading and installing antivirus scamware that will actually destabilize your machine more than most actual Mac malware.


I'm curious about how you think you removed it. That is the only part that has me worried. You may have installed some software worse than any Mac malware.

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User profile for user: rccharles
rccharles
User level: Level 6
12,969 points

Nov 2, 2015 11:43 AM in response to sundar83

Could be a DNS Server got hacked [ somewhere on the internet things have done wrong. ]


DNS
What is a DNS? DNS stands for Domain Name Server.


When you enter an Internet address such as google.com into a web browser, your system needs to translate the character string into a numeric value. The address google.com translates to 72.14.204.103. A DNS server does this translation. There is a hierarchical series of DNS servers. The first DNS servers starts on your machine.


When using DHCP to set up your Internet connection, your ISP's DHCP server will provide you with an address of a DNS server.


You may configure your own DNS server address or addresses if you wish. *Try Google* Google Public DNS is a free, global Domain Name System (DNS) resolution service, that you can use as an alternative to your current DNS provider. To try it out: Configure your network settings to use the IP addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as your DNS servers


http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/


I recommand Google's


8.8.8.8

8.8.4.4


http://www.plus.net/support/software/dns/changing_dns_mac.shtml

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User profile for user: Converted2iMac
Converted2iMac
User level: Level 1
21 points

Nov 4, 2015 5:22 AM in response to Linc Davis

Linc Davis wrote:


The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product.


It would be helpful if you could clarify something: the ClamXAV developer now says, on the site https://www.clamxav.com/:


"Existing users: please note that ClamXav is now a commercial product. Find out my reasons for this, and how the change affects you."


Is this genuine then? I recently paid - via the site - to use the product I had formerly used for free. I assumed that the name hadn't been hijacked.

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User profile for user: JimmyCMPIT
JimmyCMPIT
User level: Level 7
29,258 points

Nov 4, 2015 5:56 AM in response to Converted2iMac

The CLAMXAV claim appears to be real, it is no longer free, the developer still writes the code but he sold the package, he want's to get paid and thats anyone's choice to make something free or not if they make it, so it appears to be legit (the site, not the need for the software.)

He also points out if you had CLAM before 06/15 you are eligible to continue using it free.

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User profile for user: sundar83
sundar83
User level: Level 1
4 points

Nov 4, 2015 11:11 AM in response to Csound1

Here the report


EtreCheck version: 2.6.3 (223)

Report generated 05/11/15, 12:37 AM

Runtime 1:26

Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck


Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.

Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.


Hardware Information: (What does this mean?)

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)

[Click for Technical Specifications]

[Click for User Guide]

MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro11,2

1 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core

16 GB RAM Not upgradeable

BANK 0/DIMM0

8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM0

8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported

Wireless: en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 220 - SN = D864387Y00EF9CPAY


Video Information: (What does this mean?)

Intel Iris Pro

Color LCD 2880 x 1800


System Software: (What does this mean?)

OS X El Capitan 10.11.1 (15B42) - Time since boot: about 6 hours


Disk Information: (What does this mean?)

APPLE SSD SM0512F disk0 : (500.28 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB

Macintosh HD (disk1) / : 499.08 GB (169.47 GB free)

Encrypted AES-XTS Unlocked

Core Storage: disk0s2 499.42 GB Online


USB Information: (What does this mean?)

Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller


Thunderbolt Information: (What does this mean?)

Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus


Gatekeeper: (What does this mean?)

Mac App Store and identified developers


Kernel Extensions: (What does this mean?)

/Applications/HMA! Pro VPN.app

[not loaded] com.Privax.AppFirewall (1 - SDK 10.10) [Click for support]


/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] foo.tap (1.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] foo.tun (1.0) [Click for support]


/System/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.wdc.driver.1394.64.10.9 (1.0.1 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.wdc.driver.USB.64.10.9 (1.0.1 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]


Startup Items: (What does this mean?)

tap: Path: /Library/StartupItems/tap

tun: Path: /Library/StartupItems/tun

TuxeraNTFSUnmountHelper: Path: /Library/StartupItems/TuxeraNTFSUnmountHelper

Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite


Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_desktop.plist [Click for support]


Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)

[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.skype.skypeinstaller.plist [Click for support]

[failed] com.symantec.nis.uninstall.English.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.teamviewer.Helper.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_service.plist [Click for support]


User Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.bittorrent.uTorrent.plist [Click for support]


User Login Items: (What does this mean?)

iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)

Google Chrome UNKNOWN (missing value)

WDDriveUtilityHelper Application (/Applications/WD Drive Utilities.app/Contents/WDDriveUtilityHelper.app)

WDSecurityHelper Application (/Applications/WD Security.app/Contents/WDSecurityHelper.app)

Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)

Remote Mouse Application (/Applications/Remote Mouse.app)

uTorrent Application (/Applications/uTorrent.app)

CrossOver CD Helper Application (/Applications/CrossOver.app/Contents/Resources/CrossOver CD Helper.app)

Skype Application (/Volumes/Skype/Skype.app)

Viber Application Hidden (/Applications/Viber.app)

Skype Application (/Applications/Skype.app)

LINE Application (/Applications/LINE.app)


Other Apps: (What does this mean?)

[running] com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x10000002.Skype

[running] com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x10000004.LINE

[running] com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x10000005.Viber

[running] com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x10000025.EtreCheck

[running] com.codeweavers.CrossOverCDHelper.73632

[running] com.getdropbox.dropbox.6432

[running] com.remotemouse.remotemouseserver.51872

[loaded] com.skype.skype.80032

[loaded] com.viber.osx.79072

[running] com.westerndigital.WDDriveUtilityHelper.72992

[running] com.westerndigital.WDSecurityHelper.73312

[loaded] jp.naver.line.mac.80352


Internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 19.0.0.226 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.13 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.13 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Flash Player: Version: 19.0.0.226 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Default Browser: Version: 601 - SDK 10.11

o1dbrowserplugin: Version: 5.41.0.0 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

googletalkbrowserplugin: Version: 5.41.0.0 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]


3rd Party Preference Panes: (What does this mean?)

Flash Player [Click for support]

Tuxera NTFS [Click for support]


Time Machine: (What does this mean?)

Time Machine not configured!


Top Processes by CPU: (What does this mean?)

9% Skype

8% com.apple.WebKit.Networking

6% WindowServer

2% fontd

2% hidd


Top Processes by Memory: (What does this mean?)

1.03 GB kernel_task

852 MB Skype

459 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(3)

311 MB mdworker(15)

295 MB Viber


Virtual Memory Information: (What does this mean?)

6.64 GB Free RAM

9.35 GB Used RAM (2.78 GB Cached)

0 B Swap Used


Diagnostics Information: (What does this mean?)

Nov 4, 2015, 06:52:50 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Skype_2015-11-04-185250_[redacted].cpu_resource .diag [Click for details]

Nov 4, 2015, 06:14:22 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Skype_2015-11-04-181422_[redacted].crash

Nov 4, 2015, 06:14:05 PM Self test - passed

Nov 4, 2015, 02:45:23 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Skype_2015-11-04-144523_[redacted].crash

Nov 4, 2015, 02:35:26 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SymDaemon_2015-11-04-143526_[redacted].cpu_reso urce.diag [Click for details]

Nov 4, 2015, 02:25:51 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Skype_2015-11-04-142551_[redacted].crash

Nov 4, 2015, 02:23:44 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Norton Management Installer_2015-11-04-142344_[redacted].hang

Nov 4, 2015, 12:31:30 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SymDaemon_2015-11-04-123130_[redacted].cpu_reso urce.diag [Click for details]

Nov 4, 2015, 10:46:56 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Skype_2015-11-04-104656_[redacted].crash

Nov 3, 2015, 03:08:49 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SymDaemon_2015-11-03-150849_[redacted].cpu_reso urce.diag [Click for details]

Nov 3, 2015, 10:35:42 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Skype_2015-11-03-103542_[redacted].crash

Nov 3, 2015, 06:14:17 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SymDaemon_2015-11-03-061417_[redacted].cpu_reso urce.diag [Click for details]

Nov 2, 2015, 11:50:00 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/LookupViewService_2015-11-02-235000_[redacted] .crash

Nov 2, 2015, 10:28:12 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Skype_2015-11-02-102812_[redacted].crash

Oct 30, 2015, 06:02:06 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Kernel_2015-10-30-060206_[redacted].panic [Click for details]

Reply

just got my macbook pro a month ago. i don't know what security/antivirus system i have on here. and i just had a virus or malaware attack my computer. i think removed but not 100%

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