I have a big problem: how do I get rid of a persistent keylogger?

Question

I have a big problem: how do I get rid of a persistent keylogger?

I did a reinstall of OS Snow Leopard and that totally solved my keylogger problem:

1. My computer was no longer slow, it didn't keep making constant noises as if there was a process in the background when I wasn't using my computer

2. All websites loaded super quickly and there wasn't this horrible 5 second lag when I typed something or a skip in videos when I watched something...

but then,,,,,2 days later....

as I was in gmail, MY SCREEN WENT TOTALLY WHITE

and I had to restart my computer...and now THIS ANNOYING KEYLOGGER problem has returned.

How do I get rid of the a*hole who is targeting my computer? I don't have time to reinstall Snow Leopard again and again. How can I get rid of this annoying keylogger that is making my computer SUPER SLOW?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 2.66 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo 2

Posted on Mar 20, 2015 8:05 AM

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Answer 1

Kurt Lang

Level 9

57,840 points

Mar 20, 2015 9:38 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

The only way to get a keylogger on your Mac is to install it. They can't come from out of nowhere. Something is making your computer slow, and that's not it. It sounds much more like a hardware issue to me.

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Answer 2

Mar 20, 2015 9:40 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

Please download and install EtreCheck from http://www.etresoft.com/etrecheck

Run it and post the report here

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Answer 3

Mar 20, 2015 10:06 AM in response to Kurt Lang

It's not a hardware problem because when I use a VPN, then my computer acts normally without a horrible 5sec lag etc.

It's only when I connect to the internet that this happens. And there is nothing wrong with my internet connection because the 4 other computers I have work normally under the same connection.

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Answer 4

Mar 20, 2015 10:07 AM in response to Allan Eckert

I have to note here that when I launch Activity Monitor- for some reason this computer has loads of inactive processes running ALL THE TIME, when my other computers do not have this problem.

Here is the EtreCheck:

EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)

Report generated March 21, 2015 2:00:51 AM GMT+09:00

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: ℹ️

iMac (20-inch, Early 2008) (Verified)

iMac - model: iMac8,1

1 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core

2 GB RAM

BANK 0/DIMM0

1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM1

1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Video Information: ℹ️

ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro - VRAM: 256 MB

iMac 1680 x 1050

spdisplays_display_connector

System Software: ℹ️

Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549) - Time since boot: 4:12:32

Disk Information: ℹ️

Hitachi HDT721032SLA380 disk0 : (298.09 GB)

- (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

venus (disk0s2) / : 319.73 GB (216.84 GB free)

USB Information: ℹ️

Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

Apple, Inc. Keyboard Hub

Primax Electronics Apple Optical USB Mouse

Apple Inc. Apple Keyboard

Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Kernel Extensions: ℹ️

/Library/Application Support/Hotspot Shield

[not loaded] com.anchorfree.tun (1.1.1 - SDK 10.8) [Click for support]

Problem System Launch Daemons: ℹ️

[not loaded] org.samba.winbindd.plist [Click for support]

Launch Agents: ℹ️

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

Launch Daemons: ℹ️

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

[running] com.anchorfree.ajaxserver.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.cyberghostsrl.CyberghostPrivilegedHelper.plist [Click for support]

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

[failed] com.sec.faxdb.plist [Click for support] [Click for details]

User Launch Agents: ℹ️

[not loaded] com.spotify.webhelper.plist [Click for support]

User Login Items: ℹ️

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

Google Chrome Application (/Applications/Google Chrome.app)

Hotspot Shield Application (/Applications/Hotspot Shield.app)

Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Unknown Check version

FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 11.3.300.257 [Click for support]

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.6.6

Flash Player: Version: 11.3.300.257 Outdated! Update

o1dbrowserplugin: Version: 5.38.6.0 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

googletalkbrowserplugin: Version: 5.38.6.0 - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

Silverlight: Version: 4.1.10329.0 [Click for support]

iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0

Audio Plug-ins: ℹ️

DVCPROHDAudio: Version: 1.3.2

iSightAudio: Version: 7.6.6

3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️

Flash Player [Click for support]

Time Machine: ℹ️

Time Machine information requires OS X 10.7 "Lion" or later.

Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️

2% Google Chrome

1% WindowServer

0% activitymonitord

0% ps

0% fontd

Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️

99 MB Google Chrome

37 MB Google Chrome Helper

30 MB WindowServer

30 MB Finder

21 MB mds

Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️

102 MB Free RAM

1.28 GB Active RAM

482 MB Inactive RAM

278 MB Wired RAM

3.64 GB Page-ins

1.37 GB Page-outs

Diagnostics Information: ℹ️

Mar 20, 2015, 09:45:49 PM Self test - passed

Mar 19, 2015, 01:21:16 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Keynote_2015-03-19-012116_[redacted].hang

Mar 19, 2015, 01:21:13 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/iDVD_2015-03-19-012113_[redacted].hang

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Answer 5

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,195 points

Mar 20, 2015 10:12 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

Your computer is slow because you don't have enough RAM. It's swapping out to disk almost constantly. Install more RAM. Preferably up to the maximum your system can accommodate.

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Answer 6

Kurt Lang

Level 9

57,840 points

Mar 20, 2015 10:24 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

Anything from Google are massive resource hogs. Get rid of Chrome. Use Firefox if you don't care for Safari.

You have a lot of garbage installed in the attempt to "protect" yourself. This is the Mac OS, not Windows. You've created more problems than help with Cyberghost and the Anchor hotspot shield. The latter is known to be much better at gathering info on you so they can sell it to advertisers than protecting you from anything. Get rid of both of them. They are likely the reason for most of the extra activity you see.

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Answer 7

Mar 20, 2015 10:28 AM in response to Kurt Lang

I don't have Cyberghost installed. I deleted it and reinstalled my Snow Leopard....how is it still functioning?

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Answer 8

Mar 20, 2015 10:29 AM in response to KiltedTim

It was working fine when I reinstalled my Snow Leopard. Then as I mentioned TODAY, my screen went WHITE BLANK- and I had to restart my computer- and then same problems cropped up again.

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Answer 9

Kurt Lang

Level 9

57,840 points

Mar 20, 2015 10:36 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

Since it's difficult to tell what you may still have installed, or incorrectly (or not fully) uninstalled, I would suggest this:

1) Backup your personal data to another drive.

2) Boot to your Snow Leopard DVD, erase the drive and reinstall the OS. Apply all available updates.

3) Reinstall only truly useful third party software. Do not reinstall any garbage software such as anti-virus, supposed cleaning or performance enhancing apps such as MacKeeper, CleanMyMac or other such junk.

4) Manually restore your personal data. DO NOT restore any type of backup from Time Machine. You'll just end up dragging garbage back in.

5) Increase the RAM to a minimum of 4 GB. 8 would be better.

If after that you see the same type of video issue, it's hardware related.

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Answer 10

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,195 points

Mar 20, 2015 10:36 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

3.64 GB Page-ins

1.37 GB Page-outs

You have 2 GB of RAM. The disk is apparently thrashing almost constantly trying to make up for it. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to, but you've pushed it beyond its limit...

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Answer 11

Mar 20, 2015 10:47 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

I only use this computer for browsing the internet? Is GChrome responsible for all that data?!

Also, as I mentioned my computer was working fine until TODAY, when my screen blanked WHITE and I had to restart when the problems cropped up again- are you saying that this is SOLELY related to RAM?

Before today my computer was working normally without any lag. I didn't do anything unusual.

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Answer 12

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,195 points

Mar 20, 2015 10:59 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

Aphrodite_on_Mars wrote:

I only use this computer for browsing the internet? Is GChrome responsible for all that data?!

More than likely, yes. Chrome is a serious resource pig. It also updates itself without bothering to notify you of the fact that it's doing so.

If Safari won't cut it for you, then try firefox. It's a pig too, but much less so than Chrome.

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Answer 13

Mar 20, 2015 11:07 AM in response to Aphrodite_on_Mars

In addition to all the points that Tim make against Chrome which I do agree with by the way, I find my biggest objection to Chrome is the way that Google mines their users' data for their profits. I personal stay away from Google as much as I can on those ground alone.

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Answer 14

Mar 20, 2015 6:40 PM in response to Allan Eckert

Hi Allan,

Thanks for your suggestion! Strangely, after I ran the EtreCheck- I no longer have the slow computer problem- no more lags in typing and videos no longer skipping....

Odd, no?

I realise I need more RAM but now my computer works the way it was working before the strange keyboard lag occurred.

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Answer 15

Mar 20, 2015 6:42 PM in response to Allan Eckert

Well...if we are to talk about corporations, they basically all mine our user data. 😮 Google Chrome happens to be convenient for me because I can store and access my data all in one place.

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