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Malware in iMacs

A

alex1313

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 3, 2009
8
0
Hello everyone.

I have an iMac with OSX Yosemite 10.10.3. I was checking Google analytics for my website using Safari and I saw a strange referral there. I clicked on it and it turn out to be a porn site. I immediately closed it because I know that just by opening a site malware can be downloaded and steal your information. A similar thing happened with a windows laptop I have and my credit card info got stolen. Should I be concerned that my Mac got a malware? How likely is this to happen in Macs? How could I find out if I got infected with a malware? I have heard that macs are more protected for viruses and malware (or better said, malware developers don't usually write them for OSX) so I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not. Thanks.
 
alex1313 said:
Hello everyone.

I have an iMac with OSX Yosemite 10.10.3. I was checking Google analytics for my website using Safari and I saw a strange referral there. I clicked on it and it turn out to be a porn site. I immediately closed it because I know that just by opening a site malware can be downloaded and steal your information. A similar thing happened with a windows laptop I have and my credit card info got stolen. Should I be concerned that my Mac got a malware? How likely is this to happen in Macs? How could I find out if I got infected with a malware? I have heard that macs are more protected for viruses and malware (or better said, malware developers don't usually write them for OSX) so I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Download and install AdwareMedic from here http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php and run it.
 
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You should not be concerned. Nevertheless as one our distinguished members used to say: practice safe computing.
What concerns some applications:

1. AdwareMedic - (free) finds and cleans adware.
2. ClamXav - (used to be free, it has a trial now) finds and cleans malware.
3. AdBlock - blocks ads, like those aggressive pop-ups with MacKeeper etc.
 
alex1313 said:
I have an iMac with OSX Yosemite 10.10.3.
Click to expand...
Thanks for telling us exactly which version you're using. Now go update to 10.10.4. Keeping your software current is good security practice.

alex1313 said:
I know that just by opening a site malware can be downloaded and steal your information.
Click to expand...
I don't think this is possible on a Mac. We have a permissions system built into the foundation of the system. Software cannot be installed without your permission. Apps and Safari tabs are sandboxed.

alex1313 said:
A similar thing happened with a windows laptop I have and my credit card info got stolen.
Click to expand...
It's good to be security conscious. I'm sorry your info was taken, but Windows problems don't carry over to the Mac.

alex1313 said:
Should I be concerned that my Mac got a malware? How likely is this to happen in Macs?
Click to expand...
It's not wrong to be concerned, but you really have nothing to worry about. OS X is now about 15 years old and there has never been a virus for it in the wild. Trojans do exist, but you have to explicitly install those. Don't install stuff without thinking, or just because a web page asks you to.

alex1313 said:
How could I find out if I got infected with a malware? I have heard that macs are more protected for viruses and malware (or better said, malware developers don't usually write them for OSX) so I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not.
Click to expand...
I second the recommendation for AdwareMedic.
 
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chabig said:
I don't think this is possible on a Mac. We have a permissions system built into the foundation of the system. Software cannot be installed without your permission. Apps and Safari tabs are sandboxed.
Click to expand...
You must have missed the very recent brouhaha about three very serious exploits in flash (CVE-2015-5119, CVE-2015-5122, CVE-2015-5123). All are exploitable in three different operating systems, all are labeled as 'critical' meaning the exploit is remotely exploitable without user intervention and without any visible feedback to the user. All are actively used to infect internet users.

You have updated flash by now (or uninstalled it) so that one doesn't matter anymore but there's more coming..
 
burne said:
You must have missed the very recent brouhaha about three very serious exploits in flash (CVE-2015-5119, CVE-2015-5122, CVE-2015-5123). All are exploitable in three different operating systems, all are labeled as 'critical' meaning the exploit is remotely exploitable without user intervention and without any visible feedback to the user. All are actively used to infect internet users.

You have updated flash by now (or uninstalled it) so that one doesn't matter anymore but there's more coming..
Click to expand...
Good point. Flash is just full of hurt. I don't have it installed on my system, and I don't recommend anyone else should either. If I really want to use a website that requires flash, I run it in Chrome because it has flash built in and it automatically updates. That keeps my system as free from flash as possible.
 
chabig said:
That keeps my system as free from flash as possible.
Click to expand...

Why are you so certain flash is the only problem? Java and Quicktime are equally bad, and many of the much less used plugins might be much worse but aren't use enough to register on the exploit-radar.

Do you know all installed plugins and do you trust them?

Edit: sadly the forum software insists on badgering the link. Choose 'Help -> Installed Plug-ins' for a list. I found three plugins I did not expect.
 
chabig said:
Of all the plugins, Flash is by far the least secure and most compromised in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Almost all computers have flash installed. It's nice to find an insecurity in Gofor-It for IE, but you're going to have a hard time finding a computer with that plugin installed. So, instead they focus on the things people do have installed. Flash and Java.
 
Right, and after years of updates and vulnerability fixes, Flash seems no closer to achieving a trusted status. Even this week, the security chief of Facebook called on Adobe to give up on it. It's beyond fixing.
 
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chabig said:
Right, and after years of updates and vulnerability fixes, Flash seems no closer to achieving a trusted status. Even this week, the security chief of Facebook called on Adobe to give up on it. It's beyond fixing.
Click to expand...

So, you just uninstall flash and you are safe? Nothing left to worry about?
 
cincygolfgrrl said:
Flash and Java are unnecessary apps. My iMac runs marvelously without either. I too keep an updated copy of Chrome around incase a site I need still requires Flash.

Delete Flash and Java.
Click to expand...

Flash as in the flash a lot of streaming services use like Hulu and HBO? I wish that was unnecessary.
 
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cincygolfgrrl said:
Chrome! Use Chrome. That will allow you to get rid of Flash for good.
Click to expand...
How does that help? AFAIAA, Chrome can't run flash content without the Flash Plugin. So if you have no flash installed, you still wouldn't be able to watch Hulu for example.
 
burne said:
You must have missed the very recent brouhaha about three very serious exploits in flash (CVE-2015-5119, CVE-2015-5122, CVE-2015-5123). All are exploitable in three different operating systems, all are labeled as 'critical' meaning the exploit is remotely exploitable without user intervention and without any visible feedback to the user. All are actively used to infect internet users.

You have updated flash by now (or uninstalled it) so that one doesn't matter anymore but there's more coming..
Click to expand...
Just because there are some exploits in flash doesn't mean that they have been used on the mac. As of today the only known malware for OS X are a handful of trojans, and you have to type in your admin password to get them.
 
cincygolfgrrl said:
Chrome! Use Chrome. That will allow you to get rid of Flash for good.
Click to expand...

Chrome still requires Flash. If you disable it (chrome: plugins without the space) or uninstall it.

Screen Shot 2015-07-20 at 2.15.58 AM.png


Besides I find Safari w/ flash to be more convenient for me personally with handoff and integration with iOS devices that default to Safari. Chrome is becoming more and more tempting though. Be nice if Apple just got Safari to the same level as Chrome.
 
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mrkramer said:
Just because there are some exploits in flash doesn't mean that they have been used on the mac. As of today the only known malware for OS X are a handful of trojans, and you have to type in your admin password to get them.
Click to expand...
The material leaked by the breach of Hancking Team shows otherwise.

A friend is playing with that and currenty has two malware-droppers that install without any prompt and leave a solid foundation for further compromise of the system in question.
 
burne said:
The material leaked by the breach of Hancking Team shows otherwise.
Click to expand...

Please provide a link. I'm not doubting you. OTOH, if you know this with certainty, then a link to the exact story should be trivial for you to provide. Thanks!
 
From memory there has only ever been one Mac specific virus and that was the worm or early bird virus about 15 years ago. Even that was totally harmless and easily cleaned off.
People just don't bother with Macs as the effort involved against the amount of people to cause grief to is too small.

Windows was an easy target as early versions positively encouraged viruses with people cashing in on monthly subscriptions to remove the viruses. Not a good time to have windows.
 
FloatingBones said:
Please provide a link. I'm not doubting you. OTOH, if you know this with certainty, then a link to the exact story should be trivial for you to provide. Thanks!
Click to expand...

You've missed the three CVE's I gave earlier? (CVE-2015-5119, CVE-2015-5122, CVE-2015-5123)

On top of those now comes a local root escalation vulnerability. Which makes for a complete set of exploits. All I need is to manoeuvre somebody with anything but the latest flash to a specific webpage. Hé Presto! P0wn3d.

(The local root escalation works with anything that allows you to run local code. Flash, Java, and a ******** of old, vulnerable non-popular web plugins.)

It will be gone in a few days, but my point stands: your Mac (nor mine) is not a magic coat of armour. You are vulnerable, you need to use your brain and some caution.
 
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