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cellophane

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 6, 2009
2
0
I think I have unwittingly installed a virus/trojan/whatever. I accidentally ran a less than respectable program that asked for my password (which I stupidly provided), and Littlesnitch started popping up alerts that "divx" wanted to connect to a bunch of Russian servers all of a sudden. Sure enough I have a divx app running on start up now. After force quitting it, I tried to run a divx video and it seemed to work fine, so I'm guessing it's just using the name. I don't think it does anything nefarious since it's blocked by Littlesnitch, but if there's any way I can get rid of it for good or prevent it from running on log on (it's not on log on items), please let me know. Its parent app is launchd if that provides any further insight.
 
Please search the forums before posting. No viruses exist that run on Mac OS X. If you installed a program with a trojan, uninstall it.
 
I searched for the particular problem I am having, and nothing came up. I know a clean reinstall would fix the problem, but I was hoping to avoid that. If you don't know how to solve something, being aggressive and belittling doesn't make you sound smarter.
 
I searched for the particular problem I am having, and nothing came up. I know a clean reinstall would fix the problem, but I was hoping to avoid that. If you don't know how to solve something, being aggressive and belittling doesn't make you sound smarter.

No one was aggressive and belittling. I made a suggestion that you search before posting, as is recommended by Forum Rules and FAQ. I also gave you a solution, namely, to uninstall the program you installed. I did not suggest a clean reinstall. Take time to read the posts offering help and don't be so quick to criticize those who offer the help that you asked for.
 
I think I have unwittingly installed a virus/trojan/whatever. I accidentally ran a less than respectable program that asked for my password (which I stupidly provided), and Littlesnitch started popping up alerts that "divx" wanted to connect to a bunch of Russian servers all of a sudden. Sure enough I have a divx app running on start up now. After force quitting it, I tried to run a divx video and it seemed to work fine, so I'm guessing it's just using the name. I don't think it does anything nefarious since it's blocked by Littlesnitch, but if there's any way I can get rid of it for good or prevent it from running on log on (it's not on log on items), please let me know. Its parent app is launchd if that provides any further insight.

Best to stay away from any of those porn sites that automatically download something and ask you for your password.
 
like.......Please don't list any OS 9 and older viruses.
Here's where ggjstudios should have suggested searching the forums or just google. Here is sort of a list... Really, once a month there is a new "rare" one it seems...

To the OP:
Appzapper might help do the trick, it's shareware and you can remove up to five apps. The other option would be to start fishing around user/library; as that's where it would likely be, but that could get dangerous and what not. Or you could get an actual anti-virus software like Norton (gasp).


Try this, as well. It might get it.

[the gasp was not to mock you, just my disgust of Norton]
 
I think I have unwittingly installed a virus/trojan/whatever. I accidentally ran a less than respectable program that asked for my password
We might be able to verify this if you tell us what you downloaded.
um there are indeed mac viruses

Dude, let's not start that again.
Best to stay away from any of those porn sites that automatically download something and ask you for your password.

Name one.
 
ggjstudios said:
No one was aggressive and belittling. I made a suggestion that you search before posting, as is recommended by Forum Rules and FAQ. I also gave you a solution, namely, to uninstall the program you installed. I did not suggest a clean reinstall. Take time to read the posts offering help and don't be so quick to criticize those who offer the help that you asked for.
You have not helped in any way. You gave a useless solution to a problem you don't know how to solve. Once a user types in their password, there's no telling what it did. You can't just "uninstall" a trojan if you don't know what it added or modified.



cellophane said:
I searched for the particular problem I am having, and nothing came up. I know a clean reinstall would fix the problem, but I was hoping to avoid that.
In order to solve this problem, we need to know what trojan was installed.

See if this helps: http://www.dnschanger.com/

If that doesn't work, try looking in these folders:

~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
/System/Library/LaunchAgents
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons

Those contain configuration files for launchd, which manages startup processes for the system. Removing the trojan's startup configuration should stop it from starting up, but that won't remove any files the trojan might have installed elsewhere.
 
Um, name us some, then.

There is the potential for viruses and trojans on any OS. However most common people refer to trojans as viruses because they don't know any better and its market that way. Even on windows there are not nearly as many viruses as there are trojans. Heck if I had the time and ability to, and the lack of moral judgement I could write a Mac Virus, but I don't like viruses and wouldn't want to hurt other users. Theres not code in OS X that makes it immune to viruses. Theres just not many because of market share.
 
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