Help!! Hacked computer !!

[Nate2130]

For about a year now I have been under the impression that my facebook account had been hacked and wasn't sure as to what to do. I was positive something fishy was going on.

My friends were saying things like you need to delete your account or buy a new computer but no one really came out right and said it.

So i started documenting things i would put into my search history (google) and wait for it to come out in public. And sure enough everytime i googled something worth talking about like STD's someone would start talking to me about it on skype 30 minutes later. Or googling outrageous porn and waiting for people would ask me things like do you like teens etc.

This has become a worry now because it is no longer social but is happening at my place of work. I dont care what people think about me socially. if you are a friend you are a friend but at work things are dangerous. im not sure what to do. I have downloaded little snitch and have started documenting any outgoing connections but haven't found anything out of the ordinary.

My firewall has been up as well. Is there any other way people could be looking at my search history. Do you think they have got my supervisor password and are loggin in remotely. Could I check this and how ? Is there anyway of finding them ? if I had logged onto my facebook at a friends place and left it on could he have stolen my password through that and then tried derivatives on to hack into my computer.

Please any ideas would be helpful. Also could i take my computer in to the Mac people.

 

[miles01110]

You probably have a weak password and/or installed a malicious facebook application.

 

[Nate2130]

Yes but i am more worried about if someone is able to log into my computer remotely or if they have a virus installed ?

Then what can i do to check for this and find them....there is no point of changing all my passwords and realising that they have a keylogger or some trojan that transmit everything back to them

 

[wpotere]

Backup your data, wipe the machine and change your passwords. Simple really..

You don't have a virus as none exist for Mac at this time. It is possible that you installed something to let an intruder in but if you have not done this (software from something like a torrent) and your computer is never lent to someone else then it is highly unlikely.

Could it also be that you are being a bit paranoid?

 

[sim667]

check that you dont have screen sharing enabled in your sharing pane of your mac

Whats happening at work, and how do you think its related? Im assuming you have a home computer and a computer at work?

 

[Nate2130]

No its definitely related and not at all paranoid.

I have been testing this out for a year and it was pretty simple stuff. if something happens once or twice its a coincidence ! when it happens almost everytime its a pattern.

I dont really care about the spying on my computer, it is more a reflection on the people who do than me. But i have to ensure that there is no keylogger or something...I have left my computer with friends before and if I had left my facebook open at a friends place they could have extracted my password from it or something along those lines.

I have changed the passwords but if there is a keylogger...then there is no point.

how do i check for something like that ?

 

[Nate2130]

Also could they be just tracking the web pages i surf....if internet providers can do it then why cant anybody else...with or without my passwords.

especially if they have access to my facebook account or something of that sort...could that help.

 

[miles01110]

Also could they be just tracking the web pages i surf....if internet providers can do it then why cant anybody else...with or without my passwords.

especially if they have access to my facebook account or something of that sort...could that help.

You clearly have no idea what you're talking about, and are just thinking of anything that might be remotely possible.

If you're really that worried about a keylogger, reinstall OS X.

 

[GGJstudios]

No its definitely related and not at all paranoid.

Actually, it does sound paranoid. You were NOT hacked. Period.

I have changed the passwords but if there is a keylogger...then there is no point.
how do i check for something like that ?

Here's how you check:

1. Did you actively download and install a keylogger?
2. Did you give someone else physical access to your Mac and give them your admin password?

If the answer to those two questions is No, you don't have a keylogger on your Mac.

Yes but i am more worried about if someone is able to log into my computer remotely

Only if you actively choose to set it up to allow that.

or if they have a virus installed ?

There has never been a virus in the wild that affects Mac OS X since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some education and common sense and care in what software you install:

Mac Virus/Malware Info​

 

[AdrianK]

You clearly have no idea what you're talking about, and are just thinking of anything that might be remotely possible.

If you're really that worried about a keylogger, reinstall OS X.

^Exactly.

If you re-install OS X there is no way a keylogger could remain on your system. After you've done that, change the email address associated with your facebook account (a disposable gmail acct will do) then change your password. Also, disable Google web history (if you use gmail) and clear it.

 

[Nate2130]

of course i don't know what im talking about. Thats why I am asking for help.

Yes I have given people access to my computer. But without the administrator password and I have left my facebook open on other peoples laptops.

if people have access to my facebook can they get access to my password ?
if so then they could easily login to my supervisor account via since my all my passwords are just derivatives of the first one.

Can i not go into terminal and check to see if there have been logins to my computer remotely through an SSH etc ?

Can i not check for something malicous installed on my computer by running a search on the running programs etc.

Thank you for your advice guys! I would rather not go through the trouble of reinstalling if it is just someone who has access to my password.

 

[DeaconGraves]

Thank you for your advice guys! I would rather not go through the trouble of reinstalling if it is just someone who has access to my password.

If you think someone has your password, change it!

And if you are super paranoid that you have a keylogger on your computer (you probably don't), then use your phone to change your password.

And if you think you have a virus/malware/etc. read GGJstudios post in this thread. Then read it again. Then click on the link at the bottom and read that twice.

And if you're still freaked out, then reinstall OS X. You will have a clean computer and nothing to be concerned about.

And if you're still freaked out after that, sell all your electronics and move to the mountains.

 

[GGJstudios]

if people have access to my facebook can they get access to my password ?

No, not your administrator password, unless it's the same as your FB password, which would be foolish to do.

all my passwords are just derivatives of the first one.

Not a good idea! You should have significantly different passwords for your admin account, online banking, emails, social networking, etc. That way, if someone gets access to one, they can't easily guess the others.

Can i not check for something malicous installed on my computer by running a search on the running programs etc.

Again, the only malware that could infect your Mac is malware that you actively install, giving your admin password. You can look at Activity Monitor to see what's running, but it's highly unlikely that you have any malware on your Mac.

I would rather not go through the trouble of reinstalling if it is just someone who has access to my password.

Yet, because you continue to worry about this, despite all the assurances given in this thread, that's probably your best option.

 

[miles01110]

Again, the only malware that could infect your Mac is malware that you actively install, giving your admin password. You can look at Activity Monitor to see what's running, but it's highly unlikely that you have any malware on your Mac.

And even if you had malware, you aren't likely to be able to identify it.

 

[AdrianK]

miles, do you use gmail? It sounds like google web history is most likely to be the cause of people finding out what you're searching. Do you have a gmail account?

 

[munkery]

So i started documenting things i would put into my search history (google) and wait for it to come out in public. And sure enough everytime i googled something worth talking about like STD's someone would start talking to me about it on skype 30 minutes later. Or googling outrageous porn and waiting for people would ask me things like do you like teens etc.

This could just be random. I know I like to spend a lot of time talking about STDs and outrageous porn. So, maybe it's normal. Hopefully, it's normal.

My firewall has been up as well. Is there any other way people could be looking at my search history. Do you think they have got my supervisor password and are loggin in remotely. Could I check this and how ? Is there anyway of finding them ? if I had logged onto my facebook at a friends place and left it on could he have stolen my password through that and then tried derivatives on to hack into my computer.

Many employers install keyloggers to make sure employees are not wasting time. Are you doing "those" activities at work.

Also could they be just tracking the web pages i surf....if internet providers can do it then why cant anybody else...with or without my passwords.

especially if they have access to my facebook account or something of that sort...could that help.

Based on what you described across several posts, I have some questions.

1) Are you using a wireless network when this stuff occurs?
2) If yes, are other people you know in range of the wireless network?
3) If yes to #2, is the network secured?
4) If yes to #3, have you ever allowed anybody to connect to the wireless network so that they may have the network credentials still on their computer.

Everything you are explaining could be done with using a packet sniffer. A packet sniffer used in this manner can only occur if the wireless network is not properly secured or you allowed the individual onto the network.

Can i not check for something malicous installed on my computer by running a search on the running programs etc.

"Activity Monitor" does not show every running process. Some processes are only revealed using the "ps -ax" command in terminal.

This is most likely a wireless network security issue.