My Mac is hacked! Help!

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My Mac is hacked! Help!

I purchased my MacBook Pro back in 2010 and I have never really had any problems with it before. Lately, I have been having incessant problems. It runs slow, my user accounts for Netflix or the iTunes store, AppStore or iCloud will log me out and will ask me to keep logging in, even though I am not by any means signing myself out. The mouse has taken to moving on it's own and making seemingly correct moves, a "Guest User" had popped up when I had not allowed it, and Find my Mac was already on for quite some time without the guest user popping up. I got frustrated and spoke to two separate Apple Support customer service reps via phone/remote in to my computer and looking around. One told me I was okay and that nothing looked out of sort, the other had me download something to get adware off my computer.

Finally, today I was incredibly frustrated and took my computer into the Apple store and they had me replace the hard drive and update to El Capitan 10.11.2, the memory is 4GB. I was hoping this would fix my problem. When I got home I plugged in my external hard drive to my computer to set it up again - my computer is still running slow, my mouse is still moving on it's own and I have been redirected to a certain website a couple times even after searching google using different phrases. I am beside myself, I do not know what to do but I do know something is wrong with my Mac yet I don't know how to fix it. Has anyone else had similar problems? If so, what did you do to fix it? What should I look for etc - any advice or knowledge would be really helpful!

MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2010), OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Dec 22, 2015 6:47 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 22, 2015 6:52 PM in response to E0415

Who was it that you gave remote access to? Was it a pop up that warned you of a problem with your computer? Did you call the number in a pop up? What did the remote user install on your computer? How do you know you were talking with real Apple support reps?

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,535 points

Dec 22, 2015 7:06 PM in response to E0415

There are several possible causes for this behavior. Please take each of the following steps that you haven't already tried until it's resolved. Some may not apply in your case.

1. Follow the instructions in this support article, and also this one, if applicable. A damaged or defective AC adapter could be the cause, even if it's the right kind.

2. Press down all four corners of the trackpad at once and release. If there's any effect, it's likely to be temporary, and in that case the unit must be serviced or replaced.

3. Disconnect or power off each Bluetooth or USB pointing device, one at a time, testing as you go. You may be able to identify one that's malfunctioning. By a "pointing device," I mean a peripheral that moves the cursor, such as a trackpad, mouse, trackball, or graphics tablet. A plain keyboard is not a pointing device. If you have a desktop model without a built-in trackpad, at least one external pointing device must be active at all times.

4. If your model has an infrared receiver for use with an Apple Remote, disable it.

5. Start up in safe mode and test, preferably without launching any third-party applications. If you don't have the problem in safe mode, but it comes back when you restart as usual, stop here and post your results. Do the same if you can't start in safe mode. If there was no difference in safe mode, go on to the next step.

6. Reset the System Management Controller.

7. If you're using a Bluetooth trackpad or mouse, investigate potential sources of interference, including USB 3 devices.

8. A swollen battery in a portable computer can impinge on the trackpad from below and cause erratic behavior. If you have trouble clicking the trackpad, this is likely the reason. The battery must be replaced without delay.

9. A defective peripheral device or a damaged cable can cause the built-in trackpad of a MacBook to behave erratically. If you're using any wired peripherals, disconnect them one at a time and test.

10. There's also a report of erratic cursor movements caused by an external display that was connected but not turned on.

11. If you use Handoff, disable it in the General pane of System Preferences.

12. If AirPlay mirroring to a TV is on, turn it off.

13. If none of the above applies, or if you have another reason to think that your computer is being remotely controlled, remove it from the network by turning off Wi-Fi (or your Wi-Fi access point), disconnecting from a Bluetooth network link, and unplugging the Ethernet cable or USB modem, whichever is applicable. If the cursor movements stop at once, you should suspect an intrusion.

14. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine and/or external trackpad tested.

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