Laptop got a virus using Firefox, how do i remove!

[GGJstudios]

Thats actually false, there ARE Mac Viruses in the wild.

Here we go again. Name one. Just one.

Macs CAN get viruses, it's just rare.. instead of common, like on Windows platforms before Windows 7.

I didn't think you could name one! That's because there ARE none. If you took the time to read the information in the link that I posted and you quoted, you would know that when I speak of viruses, I mean viruses, not trojans or other malware. No one is saying that Macs CAN'T get viruses. Read my statement and try hard to comprehend it this time:

There ARE no viruses in the wild that run on current Mac OS X.

READ THIS

Just because it's not long, it doesn't mean malware doesn't exist entirely.

I said virus, not trojans or worms or malware that only ran on ancient versions of Mac OS. There is not a single virus on that list that can run in current Mac OS X. Please read and understand all posts in the thread, including the links posted, before you respond with something that doesn't apply.

Before you randomly post a list in a forum, you might want to do a bit of research to find out how bogus your information is. Here's your list:

The truth about Mac malware. It's a joke​

 

[neteng101]

Just because it's not long, it doesn't mean malware doesn't exist entirely.

Malware is a broader term, but all that you listed are not viruses, they're trojans and such. Requires a user to execute them before they can actually do something.

As for the OP, might I suggest setting up OpenDNS on your router since that will be able to block out bad sites, so you're less likely to get those sorts of pop-ups and phishing sites, etc.

http://www.opendns.com

 

[Penn Jennings]

Here we go again. Name one. Just one.

I do Network Security for a living not Mac security. I can't name any murders or terrorist but I know that they exist. Your statement that there are NO viruses for Macs implies that the security of the Mac OS and ALL applications on Macs is perfect. How stupid is any one to believe that?

Page 76 of the Snow Server documentation...
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/ServerAdmin_v10.6.pdf

Apples official stance is that there ARE viruses.. but YOU know better than Apple?

 

[Penn Jennings]

I said virus, not trojans or worms or malware that only ran on ancient versions of Mac OS. There is not a single virus on that list that can run in current Mac OS X. Please read and understand all posts in the thread, including the links posted, before you respond with something that doesn't apply.

Before you randomly post a list in a forum, you might want to do a bit of research to find out how bogus your information is. Here's your list:

The truth about Mac malware. It's a joke​

I understand that you said virus, my point was that threats go beyond virus.

I wasn't the person making the crazy comment that there are NO virus for Mac OS, when even Apple states that there are.

By the way, how could YOU possibly know that any way?

 

[GGJstudios]

I do Network Security for a living not Mac security. I can't name any murders or terrorist but I know that they exist. Your statement that there are NO viruses for Macs implies that the security of the Mac OS and ALL applications on Macs is perfect. How stupid is any one to believe that?

Page 76 of the Snow Server documentation...
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/ServerAdmin_v10.6.pdf

Apples official stance is that there ARE viruses.. but YOU know better than Apple?

The exact quote from that document is:

Although viruses are less prevalent on the Mac platform than on Windows, viruses still pose a risk.

• Nothing in that quote says that there ARE viruses.
• It says "less prevalent on the Mac platform", which would include all versions of the Mac OS, including outdated versions which did have some viruses.
• It says "viruses still pose a risk." That's because a Mac COULD be affected by a virus, if one were to be created sometime in the future.

If a virus were found that affects current Mac OS X (Leopard or Snow Leopard), you'd be reading about it in the news. No one is saying one can't be created in the future. The fact remains: There are no viruses in the wild that run on current Mac OS X.

I understand that you said virus, my point was that threats go beyond virus.

Trojans can easily be avoided by using common sense when entering the admin password. And the OP wasn't talking about other forms of malware. They specifically said virus.

I wasn't the person making the crazy comment that there are NO virus for Mac OS, when even Apple states that there are.

Apple does NOT state that there are viruses that run on current Mac OS X. See above.

 

[djasterix]

ok, I'm not trying to continue with the "are there or not viruses for mac" thing, but my experience must be useful for someone: almost 3 years with Mac and my laptop has never got a single virus/worm/trojan.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

GGJs this is probably the 10th or 12th thread over the past year where some guy tells us about some mythical creature that they can feel but can't identify; just let it go man.

 

[GGJstudios]

GGJs this is probably the 10th or 12th thread over the past year where some guy tells us about some mythical creature that they can feel but can't identify; just let it go man.

You're absolutely right. It's usually those who are new to the forum and haven't taken the time to use MRoogle to search and find the dozens of threads where this topic has been beaten to death. They blindly copy a bogus malware list that they likely got from a vendor whose motive is to sell AV apps, believing that it's all true and current.

If they choose to be naive and uninformed, that's fine. My concern is when they post misinformation in the forum, leading others who are new to Mac to believe they have a virus, when 100% of the time, their problems stem from something else.

 

[mikeo007]

ok, I'm not trying to continue with the "are there or not viruses for mac" thing, but my experience must be useful for someone: almost 3 years with Mac and my laptop has never got a single virus/worm/trojan.

15 years running windows and I have gotten exactly 1 malware infection, 7 years ago with Windows XP, and it was due to my college's brutal firewall (ms blast worm).

If you're not a dumbass, you won't have to deal with malware. But guess what...more and more dumbasses are moving to the Mac platform. There aren't any self proliferating viruses on modern versions of OSX, but with more and more fools making the switch, you're going to start seeing a lot more complaints.

"OOH free Mac pornz?? Just have do download and type in my admin password?? COOL!!"

 

[djasterix]

15 years running windows and I have gotten exactly 1 malware infection, 7 years ago with Windows XP, and it was due to my college's brutal firewall (ms blast worm).

If you're not a dumbass, you won't have to deal with malware. But guess what...more and more dumbasses are moving to the Mac platform. There aren't any self proliferating viruses on modern versions of OSX, but with more and more fools making the switch, you're going to start seeing a lot more complaints.

"OOH free Mac pornz?? Just have do download and type in my admin password?? COOL!!"

Good point, so we just have to keep those dumbasses out of the MAC enviroment, lets say, not making gaming machines... Thanks Steve...

 

[mikeo007]

Good point, so we just have to keep those dumbasses out of the MAC enviroment, lets say, not making gaming machines... Thanks Steve...

A simple IQ test would do the trick.

Which of these buttons should you click?

If you answered: none of the above, you may be smart enough to operate a computer. Sadly, 90% of the population will fail this test instantly, likely clicking on both links

 

[Penn Jennings]

The exact quote from that document is:

• Nothing in that quote says that there ARE viruses.
• It says "less prevalent on the Mac platform", which would include all versions of the Mac OS, including outdated versions which did have some viruses.
• It says "viruses still pose a risk." That's because a Mac COULD be affected by a virus, if one were to be created sometime in the future.

If a virus were found that affects current Mac OS X (Leopard or Snow Leopard), you'd be reading about it in the news. No one is saying one can't be created in the future. The fact remains: There are no viruses in the wild that run on current Mac OS X.


Trojans can easily be avoided by using common sense when entering the admin password. And the OP wasn't talking about other forms of malware. They specifically said virus.

Apple does NOT state that there are viruses that run on current Mac OS X. See above.

OK, lets try this a different way..

We know that there were Mac OS X viruses in the past (Which technically invalidates your statement).

http://www.scmagazineus.com/second-mac-virus-in-the-wild/article/32987/

Are you saying that there are NONE now?
You can state that everyone is current on all their updates?
None of Microsoft office exploits work?
None of the Javascript, Flash or PDF exploits work on a Mac?
Even though Mac OS has Unix underneath, although every other *nix has vulnerabilities, Mac's don't?

I will freely admit that, strictly speaking, OS X, is a very good and secure OS. I personally wouldn't use it if it wasn't. Macs have not had the widespread outbreaks that Windows has but there have been some. Also, there is never 100% reporting of anything security related. It's crazy to think that there are NONE now. I doubt that you'd get any Mac Security professionals to state "THERE ARE NO MAC VIRUSES IN THE WILD".

As far as the Snow Leopard Doc, Apple is rarely up front about ANYTHING. Apple could know of dozens of virus and I have no doubt that although they would patch it quickly, they would never openly admit to it. Admitting the risk is the most that you'll get unless you crush Steve Jobs in the forehead with an infected Mac.

 

[hypebeast]

There are a few antivirus apps for Mac that will detect Windows viruses, such as ClamXav. However, that won't protect your sister from viruses from other sources. The best approach is for each Windows system to have its own AV protection.

So if I download the program, it will detect a windows virus on my files if it is present? Do I have to do anything special? I understand that she can get a virus from somewhere else, but at this point, I am only worried about whether or not she obtains it from me. I do not want to deal with that, as it would be my fault. Thank you GGJstudios, you're really helping me out.

 

[cmaier]

A worm is not a virus. There have been no documented instances of malware spreading without user intervention on OS X. Your "knowing" that there must be some doesn't make it so.

OK, lets try this a different way..

We know that there were Mac OS X viruses in the past (Which technically invalidates your statement).

http://www.scmagazineus.com/second-mac-virus-in-the-wild/article/32987/

Are you saying that there are NONE now?
You can state that everyone is current on all their updates?
None of Microsoft office exploits work?
None of the Javascript, Flash or PDF exploits work on a Mac?
Even though Mac OS has Unix underneath, although every other *nix has vulnerabilities, Mac's don't?

I will freely admit that, strictly speaking, OS X, is a very good and secure OS. I personally wouldn't use it if it wasn't. Macs have not had the widespread outbreaks that Windows has but there have been some. Also, there is never 100% reporting of anything security related. It's crazy to think that there are NONE now. I doubt that you'd get any Mac Security professionals to state "THERE ARE NO MAC VIRUSES IN THE WILD".

As far as the Snow Leopard Doc, Apple is rarely up front about ANYTHING. Apple could know of dozens of virus and I have no doubt that although they would patch it quickly, they would never openly admit to it. Admitting the risk is the most that you'll get unless you crush Steve Jobs in the forehead with an infected Mac.

 

[GGJstudios]

So if I download the program, it will detect a windows virus on my files if it is present?

Yes.

We know that there were Mac OS X viruses in the past (Which technically invalidates your statement).

You don't read well, do you? How many times must I repeat the same statement before you comprehend it?
There ARE no viruses in the wild that run on current Mac OS X.

http://www.scmagazineus.com/second-mac-virus-in-the-wild/article/32987/

Are you saying that there are NONE now?

Yes. That worm cannot run on current Mac OS X. I've already stated that previous versions of Mac OS had viruses. Those old viruses and worms do not run on Leopard or Snow Leopard.

​

It's crazy to think that there are NONE now.

No, what's crazy is to continue misquoting my statement or stating only parts of it.

I doubt that you'd get any Mac Security professionals to state "THERE ARE NO MAC VIRUSES IN THE WILD".

From Fortune.CNN.com:
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2009/09/02/why-are-there-no-mac-viruses/

There are, as far as we know, no Mac OS X viruses in the wild.

From Cnet.com:
Apple deletes Mac antivirus suggestion

There are no known viruses in the wild that exploit a vulnerability in the Mac OS

From Mac OS X: Viruses and Security on Symantec.com:

Simply put, at the time of writing this article, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X.

You don't seem to understand that if a virus did exist in the wild that could affect current Mac OS X systems, I and others would be posting links to information about it and how to remove it. There simply ARE none at this time.

 

[neteng101]

We know that there were Mac OS X viruses in the past

Sorry but wrong again, its a proof of concept virus that got fixed before it ever got anywhere...

http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/inqtana_a.shtml

http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2006-021715-3051-99

And the virus that supposedly was before it, was not a virus either...

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/Apple_Leap-A_is_Not_a_Virus/

You should know better than to believe everything you read on a rag magazine. They need to make stories after all.

 

[hypebeast]

One last question GGJstudios. If I download a file with a Windows virus, can it spread to the rest of my files? If I find that there is a Windows virus on the file and I delete it, will it get rid of the virus all together? I hope you don't mind these questions, I'm new to Apple and just want to get all the information as I can, and you seem to be VERY knowledgeable about this subject. Thanks again.

 

[mikeo007]

One last question GGJstudios. If I download a file with a Windows virus, can it spread to the rest of my files? If I find that there is a Windows virus on the file and I delete it, will it get rid of the virus all together? I hope you don't mind these questions, I'm new to Apple and just want to get all the information as I can, and you seem to be VERY knowledgeable about this subject. Thanks again.

An infected file needs to be something executable (although there are a few old exceptions), meaning it has to be a program or a script. If you download an executable which is infected with windows malware, you won't be able to execute it in OSX anyway, so it will do nothing. The only real way to infect windows is to execute malware while running windows (VMWare or Bootcamp).

If you have an infected file while running Windows, deleting it will remove the threat, assuming the file wasn't executed. If it was executed, then the malware would likely spread and embed itself into the system. This is generally the behaviour of trojans. Any other malware won't likely be a single file, but rather a bunch of scripts, registry keys (windows only) and modified system files.

 

[neteng101]

Just a story to share since it wreaked total havoc...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126168997

Not only are there viruses on PCs, your anti-virus software can be worse than a virus!

But on the serious side - that caused some serious damage, it hit Intel and other big companies, school districts, police, etc.

 

[hypebeast]

But I meant like if I download a .rar file. If I open it and there is a virus, what do I have to do to get rid of it? Just delete the file? Will it spread to my other files, such as documents and media?

 

[Eddyisgreat]

If microsoft was smart it would detect McAfee as a virus in Microsoft Security Essentials and remove it immediately from the system. That and norton.

 

[mikeo007]

But I meant like if I download a .rar file. If I open it and there is a virus, what do I have to do to get rid of it? Just delete the file? Will it spread to my other files, such as documents and media?

Opening a Rar file does not execute anything within the file, therefore no malware can act. If there's an infected windows executable within the RAR file, then yes, deleting it will remove that particular file and prevent any possible infection (which could only happen by executing the file within windows anyway). Viruses and malware are a pretty confusing thing at times. If you have some spare time, reading up on these things could really help you understand them a bit better and help to alleviate some of your fears.

 

[GGJstudios]

But I meant like if I download a .rar file. If I open it and there is a virus, what do I have to do to get rid of it? Just delete the file? Will it spread to my other files, such as documents and media?

No. You could open a .rar file filled with virus-laden files. You could even intentionally try to launch a Windows virus on Mac OS X, but it wouldn't run. Windows executable files (.exe files) cannot run on Mac OS X. They can't spread to other files or affect your system in any way. If you delete the file, that's all there is to it.

And you're welcome to ask any and all questions you have. That's what the forum is for.

If microsoft was smart it would detect McAfee as a virus in Microsoft Security Essentials and remove it immediately from the system. That and norton.

I agree! Both are resource hogs, but McAfee has the added distinction of not catching everything that Norton AntiVirus does. I had a client several years back who was running McAfee with everything current, and had their PC basically turned into a paperweight by a rather nasty virus (I don't recall which one... it's been several years). Norton was detecting and stopping that virus with no problems, but it just zipped right by McAfee like it wasn't there.

Most recently, I've used AVG for Windows and it works pretty well, with minimal impact on performance.

 

[hypebeast]

Thanks, you two. I will read up more on this. I was just worried that if I had a file, such as a document or media with a Windows virus on it, it can spread to the rest of my documents. Also, as GGJstudios has answered, I can find if a virus if I have one using the program that he linked. My biggest worry is that I will send a document or media to friends or family that will have a virus in it, and that it would be my fault that something happens. Thank you

 

[Bibin]

Mac noob here. I understand that you cannot get a virus on a Mac, however I do have a question about it. Let's say if you downloaded a file with Windows and obtained a virus. If I download that exact same file with a Mac and send that file over to a Windows computer, will the computer running Windows get the virus? Or does the Mac somehow kill it? I'm asking this because I want to send my sister some files, but I am not sure if they have viruses on them and do not want to infect her computer. Thank you.

This is a horribly dangerous belief... there ARE mac viruses in the wild and the mac system is ANYTHING but secure against attacks. It's not as common because it's not nearly as widely used. There is little to no security against them, though. The Mac OS is anything but revolutionary and wildly different from any other UNIX system.