Every time I use Safari, "fake" software tries to launch / install itself. How can I get rid of the security issues in Safari so it isn't susceptible to these attacks? I also want the "fake" software to stop attempting to install/launch itself. Safari thinks its program is up to date & I can't find where to download new Safari software/new version that may be more secure.
Help, please...
Thanks!
Mac OS X (10.7.4)
It sounds like you have adware software installed on your Mac, try http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php
It sounds like you have adware software installed on your Mac, try http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php
Remove Browser Pop-up Problems
remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac
Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems
If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide and AdwareMedic. If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.)
Open Safari, select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on Extensions icon in the toolbar. Disable all Extensions. If this stops your problem, then re-enable them one by one until the problem returns. Now remove that extension as it is causing the problem.
The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123. I have made minor changes to adapt to this presentation.
Fix Some Browser Pop-ups That Take Over Safari.
Common pop-ups include a message saying the government has seized your computer and you must pay to have it released (often called "Moneypak"), or a phony message saying that your computer has been infected, and you need to call a tech support number (sometimes claiming to be Apple) to get it resolved. First, understand that these pop-ups are not caused by a virus and your computer has not been affected. This "hijack" is limited to your web browser. Also understand that these messages are scams, so do not pay any money, call the listed number, or provide any personal information. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.
Quit Safari
Usually, these pop-ups will not go away by either clicking "OK" or "Cancel." Furthermore, several menus in the menu bar may become disabled and show in gray, including the option to quit Safari. You will likely have to force quit Safari. To do this, press Command + option + esc, select Safari, and press Force Quit.
Relaunch Safari
If you relaunch Safari, the page will reopen. To prevent this from happening, hold down the 'Shift' key while opening Safari. This will prevent windows from the last time Safari was running from reopening.
This will not work in all cases. The shift key must be held at the right time, and in some cases, even if done correctly, the window reappears. In these circumstances, after force quitting Safari, turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect Ethernet, depending on how you connect to the Internet. Then relaunch Safari normally. It will try to reload the malicious webpage, but without a connection, it won't be able to. Navigate away from that page by entering a different URL, i.e. www.apple.com, and trying to load it. Now you can reconnect to the Internet, and the page you entered will appear rather than the malicious one.
KGPALMER wrote:
Every time I use Safari, "fake" software tries to launch / install itself.
Sorry, but I'm not at all clear on what you mean by this. Please post a screenshot of exactly what you are seeing. I don't understand what "fake" software is. Launching and installing are two very different things. You may have adware or some other persistent pop-up.
If you are actually still running OS X 10.7.4 then you haven't updated your software since at least 2012. You should be running OS X 10.7.5, several security updates through Sep 2014 and Safari 7.1.4 released this month. If you are fully up-to-date, to include XProtect updates and have not disabled GateKeeper then there shouldn't be any malware / viruses on your computer.
Thank you, Allan. That worked!
Thank you, Kappy, for taking time to answer my call for help! There weren't ads popping up, it was software that kept trying to install itself when I'd restart the computer. This only happened if I used Safari since my last reboot. I was able to resolve the issue with AdwareMedic. Thanks again!
Hey MadMacs0... by "fake software" I mean software I didn't install & that wasn't legit. Thanks for your suggestions on how to improve the security on my Mac. I appreciate it!.
OK, well as long as you solved the problem, but there hasn't been any software that installed itself for several years now. That was an infection known as Flashback which used an unknown Java vulnerability to accomplish just that. Anything installed on your Mac these days was installed by you (or someone who had physical access to your Mac). You many not have realized that you did and possibly weren't even warned about it, but most of the Adware Trojans do have some words to explain about it and give you the ability to opt-out. You just need to make sure you read all the fine print whenever you run an installer.
Which reminds me that AdwareMedic will not find or remove the original installer that was used. There are way too many of them, most containing legitimate third party software. These come mostly from C|Net's download.com, Softonics and most BitTorrent sites. A few are "Fake" Flash Player or Video Codec installers. So if you still have some of those around, be extra careful should you have to use them again.
John Galt has written a great piece explaining this and how to avoid it in the future in How to install adware.
Is there a security update/new software for Safari Malware/Viruses?
