Question about possible security compromise of Win 7 bootcamp partition.

[Phrygian]

Mac Pro 3,1 user here:

In the midst of a drunken internet argument (yes I am ashamed ), I clicked on a link I shouldn't have which downloaded a pdf file. The person I was arguing with then claimed that he had penetrated my computer with a reverse shell made with metasploits software. Well I got what I deserved for arguing with a stranger on the internet. Maybe he is lying or maybe my system was compromised but either way I'd like to take a few precautions.


At the time, I was using windows 7 in bootcamp.

I have already removed the bootcamp partition (I don't keep anything requiring backup on it besides a few pictures i put on a usb stick). From my minimal understanding, a reinstall of windows would remove any rootkits and malicious software generally. There is a chance something could remain in a bios, but Macs have Efi so that shouldn't be an issue. The only thing that has bios on it is my graphics card.

I use a SSD harddrive (and have a second HDD drive HFS+ formated which holds mp3 files) and at this point the only other thing I can think of doing to ensure my mac/pc are secure except doing a clean reinstall of os x mavericks using a USB bootdisk.

Is a clean OS X install even necessary or am I being overly cautious? Are there other steps i should take (checking my router for example?). If I do a clean re-instal of OS X, should I most likely be secure?

Thanks.

 

[yjchua95]

Mac Pro 3,1 user here:

In the midst of a drunken internet argument (yes I am ashamed ), I clicked on a link I shouldn't have which downloaded a pdf file. The person I was arguing with then claimed that he had penetrated my computer with a reverse shell made with metasploits software. Well I got what I deserved for arguing with a stranger on the internet. Maybe he is lying or maybe my system was compromised but either way I'd like to take a few precautions.


At the time, I was using windows 7 in bootcamp.

I have already removed the bootcamp partition (I don't keep anything requiring backup on it besides a few pictures i put on a usb stick). From my minimal understanding, a reinstall of windows would remove any rootkits and malicious software generally. There is a chance something could remain in a bios, but Macs have Efi so that shouldn't be an issue. The only thing that has bios on it is my graphics card.

I use a SSD harddrive (and have a second HDD drive HFS+ formated which holds mp3 files) and at this point the only other thing I can think of doing to ensure my mac/pc are secure except doing a clean reinstall of os x mavericks using a USB bootdisk.

Is a clean OS X install even necessary or am I being overly cautious? Are there other steps i should take (checking my router for example?). If I do a clean re-instal of OS X, should I most likely be secure?

Thanks.

I'll assume that your Boot Camp partition is using an MBR map, which is used by Boot Camp on older Macs

Anyway, since your OS X partition is GPT, I doubt the virus can infect the OS X side. Windows viruses can get passed into a Mac, but only if it was obtained through the Mac side, and it still won't infect a Mac because it just can't run in OS X.

Since you obtained the virus through the Windows side, it still can't get into your OS X side because Windows cannot write to HFS+ partitions without special software like Paragon HFS+.

Remove your Boot Camp partition and reinstall Windows. And also buy a decent antivirus like Norton 360 Premier (which I use myself).

You don't have to reinstall OS X. That said, if you still feel uneasy, go download ClamXav from the Mac App Store to give your OS X side a complete virus scan.