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My MSN got hacked

Tennyo

Tennyo

macrumors member
Original poster
May 10, 2008
76
1
I hope I chose the right section for this. If not feel free to move or whatever.

Long story now, please bare with me. :(

Recently I got a message via MSN from a friend with a link. I clicked it and it took me to what I stupidly thought was the Windows Live website with a message that my friend had uploaded pictures and I needed to log in to see them. I very idiodicially did so, but it didn't work and I thought for a bit that maybe my connection went bad. But my friend had logged off without saying anything else. Then not long later a second friend messaged me with the same link and was instantly offline. Now today I was told on another forum I post at that my MSN was sending people messages with links to "bad sites" while I was offline.

The person who alerted me to this said I had a Trojan and suggested that I download a program called Malwarebytes. However that program is only for Windows. I did, however, change my password. Will this be enough or do you think I really have a Trojan or something on my Mac?

I know Trojans on OSX are supposed to be nonexistent but I'm just really paranoid. :/
 
I don't think it would be a trojan.. more like you got phished.

When you entered your account details on that fake website, it may of recorded your account information and the remote computer now logs into your account to send out messages to everyone on your contact list.

Changing your password should be sufficient enough to stop this. I remember my friend having this problem as well and all he needed to do was change the password and that stopped the bot from logging into this account and sending spam messages to all the contacts.

However, if it is a trojan then you can try giving www.clamxav.com a try. It's a free antivirus for Mac.
 
Yeah, doesn't sound like a trojan. Phishing sites are becoming more and more a problem in the Facebook/MySpace world nowadays, and that extends to services like MSN and Yahoo. It doesn't have anything to do with security on a Mac or a PC -- it has to do with security on the Internet in general.

Often they work by posing as a legitimate site, asking for your login information and password, and then their database of information just uses your credentials to send out spam. By changing your password, their system won't be able to log you in, and so you should be fine.

I'd wait a couple days, see if you hear anything back from your friends. I think you'll be alright though.
 
Thanks for the reassurance. I feel better now. :)

And thanks for the link to the Mac virus software. I'll give it a try. I've always been curious about what I would find with such a program, if anything at all. :D
 
As well as changing your password, you need to change your password reset question. It will be something like "Mothers Maiden Name". Because using the old password the phisher/hacker found out they will be able to use the password reset question to still gain access to your windows live account.
 
Tennyo said:
The person who alerted me to this said I had a Trojan and suggested that I download a program called Malwarebytes. However that program is only for Windows.
Click to expand...

Lmao, that person doesn't know anything about Mac I guess.
Don't worry, it was just phishing website. Changing your pass will be enough. There is no drive-by-download in the website (since it's usually made by "n00bs"), but even if there was it would be Windows-only.
 
Ah, the reset question as well? I never thought of that. But there has been to issue since I changed my password so maybe the phishers didn't think of that?

Also if ClamXAV can't detect any then what program will, if I even need it?
 
Tennyo said:
Thanks for the reassurance. I feel better now. :)

And thanks for the link to the Mac virus software. I'll give it a try. I've always been curious about what I would find with such a program, if anything at all. :D
Click to expand...

For what? Virus? Trojan? LOL.

There NO widespread malware available for Mac, and there won't by for a long time. What you would do is throw away a bunch of money for a license for a antivirus that would eat your resources while doing absolutely nothing.
 
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