SECURITY ALERT! Don’t download/install this software!

[Habakuk]

It’s an iPad application that’s on a sale right now, name: Actions for iPad. Seems to be legit and serious. Link to iTunes iOS App Store (just for information):

https://itunes.apple.com/app/actions-for-ipad/id564645608?mt=8

It needs a compagnion/client app ActionsServer for Macs (or PCs) that can be downloaded from the dev’s website (not available in Mac App Store), seems to be legit and serious as well:

http://getactionsapp.com/

DON’T DOWNLOAD! DON’T INSTALL! DON’T OPEN! DON’T RUN THE APP!!!

I downloaded the Mac file (MacBook Pro Retina 2012, OS X 10.9) ActionsSever.dmg, installed the app Actions Server, startet it, tried both apps for some minutes (what seemed to work fine first)—and soon my MacBook went berserk! The mouse cursor did things from alone and was more or less out of control! I had some hard minutes to reboot the machine, kill the task and delete the app. Three or four hard reboots!

Never seen something like this before (heavy Apple user since seven years). I am still not sure if my MBP is fully okay again (no backup; run TimeMachine for five years or so and never needed it, so I switched it off some months ago).

I tried to contact Apple (they should pull that app from iOS App Store immediately although the culprit seems to be the Mac App) but there is no support today here in Austria. Will contact the dev (send link to this thread) soon.

Edit: Done (via a mail form on dev’s website).

By the way: The iPad app seemed to run fine with the app and nothing bad happened on iPad (4th gen., iOS 7.0.3), but I deleted it as well.

 

[Gav2k]

Wouldn't say it's a security alert as logmein exhibits the same behaviour if I remote into my mac.

 

[Habakuk]

Wouldn't say it's a security alert as logmein exhibits the same behaviour if I remote into my mac.

I lost data (open files) on some hard reboots. The mouse cursor did things from alone—not only wandering around but click and double click. No paranoia: It seemed as if my machine was controlled from outside! I even pulled the power line of my cable modem.

What did you do to stop the strange and erratic behaviour when you run LogMeIn?

 

[Gav2k]

I should have been more specific.

If you were to watch my mac whilst I'm using logmein it looks like my mac is possessed. The app your using does not mirror osx's desktop so depending on how it performs tasks it may look erratic.

 

[simon48]

I just had to chime in and say, you stopped using Time Machine because you didn't need it and you have no backups!?

 

[Habakuk]

it looks like my mac is possessed

It was the same here with Actions Server. Imagine what SHOCK I got! And I am still not sure if my exorcism worked fully. (I am not a security expert.) But good to hear that I’m not the only one who had to experience something like this.

I just had to chime in and say, you stopped using Time Machine because you didn't need it and you have no backups!?

Yes. Sorry. Stupid, I know. But I needed some storage space because the flash space is rare and expensive for rMBPs. And my private machine doesn’t carry secret or very valuable things. A new setup wouldn’t be THAT bad but I would prefer to avoid that. Will switch on Time Machine again when the computer is clean, promised!

I hope the dev will chime in as well and tell how to correct everything.

 

[Crist]

Hi there,

Actions developer here.

Not one of our many thousand of users ever lamented this kind of strange behavior caused by Actions for server.

Actions for server is also certificated by any major software antivirus company and the version currently downloadable from our site is several months old and never caused a problem.

Thus the issue you detected must have been caused by another dependance, or ultimately this is actually some kind of scam, given the advertising in your footer and the strange, seemingly automated, message to our support, arrived after opening the thread with just a link to this page.

Sorry if it's not the case, but everything sounds really, really odd.

 

[Habakuk]

Hi there,

Actions developer here.

Thanks for showing up.

Not one of our many thousand of users ever lamented this kind of strange behavior caused by Actions for server.

Actions for server is also certificated by any major software antivirus company and the version currently downloadable from our site is several months old and never caused a problem.

Well, it caused a problem here. I am not a computer expert, but the problems started immediately after installing and starting your Mac software. It was as described in the OP. Someone with Time Machine and courage should be able to replicate it.

According to your website Actions Server is ready for Mavericks:

http://support.getactionsapp.com/cu...s-x-10-9-mavericks---enable-assistive-devices

BTW those instructions are different slightly from the instructions that are given inside the app (installer).

Thus the issue you detected must have been caused by another dependance,

The only thing I did was opening the OS X settings (assistive devices) as it was demanded (and direct linked) in the dialog window on installing Actions Server. But as far as I remember I didn’t have to change anything inside those settings.

or ultimately this is actually some kind of scam,

No.

given the advertising in your footer

It’s there since five years or so. First I wanted to recommend your app in my blog, I even had a full article ready to post when my machine got crazy.

and the strange, seemingly automated, message to our support, arrived after opening the thread with just a link to this page.

Exactly. What’s strange with that? Nothing automated, I pasted the URL by hand. I thought I needed to warn the community first, especially because your iPad app is on sale. I’ve never seen such an alarming and worrying behaviour of one of my both MaBook Pros before. That’s absolutely not the „action“ I’m after.

Sorry if it's not the case, but everything sounds really, really odd.

Sorry but English is not my native language.

For me it was not only odd but shocking what my MBP did after running your software. Please, Crist, tell me how to uninstall the Mac software Actions Sever with ALL traces from my system (otherwise I’m afraid having to setup my system from the scratch).

After several reboots I managed it to remove (kill) the ActionsServer task from Activity Monitor and to put the app itself and the *.dmg into the recycle bin. There were some unintentional mouse cursor movements even after that (that’s what’s worrying me), but now after some hours the machine seems to run normal.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Crist]

Hi Habakuk,

sorry for presuming this was a scam.

I was tricked by the unlikely alarming report, but I now understand your concerns.

I'm still sure that the problem can't be caused by Actions Server, because there is nothing in our library which leverages on mouse functions, so it can't be related.
In fact we are doing without any accessibility service from the last 2 versions, and we are going to remove the request in the new Server update, out in a couple weeks.

If you want to remove Actions Server anyway, you can use a system cleaning software such as AppZapper or Cleanmymac, although there are many more.

Anyway, we are contacting you thru the support to assist you further.

P.s. Actions has gone free for today because we are celebrating our first year on AppStore.

 

[blueroom]

As an aside to the OP, don't turn off backups just because you've been fortunate enough to have not needed them.

 

[Shrink]

OP...just a suggestion for completely removing an app.

I have used AppCleaner and when using the method above, found that AppCleaner can still leave stuff behind.

 

[Marco Usefool]

Hi Habakuk

here Marco from the Actions support.
Thank you for your replies, i am sending you via support my reply.

I just want to spot some important points about Actions security:

#1 - Actions is on the Appstore since one year now. It's used and trusted by thousands of happy customers for their work and their personal life. We are still a very small team but we pay a lot of attention on their privacy and security

#2 - Actions Server is continuously checked by the major antivirus companies and you can see that it's 100% safe using online tools like virustotal.com. You will see that the amongst the main 47 antivirus companies in the world, currently no one thinks Actions Server is a threat for your computer.

#3 - Please download Actions Server only from our website getactionsapp.com. Every other file in the web hosted by other subjects is completely out of our responsibility and we cannot guarantee for its integrity.

If any user of this forum has some concern or doubt, i am available here or at support.getactionsapp.com to reply and give further information.

Marco

 

[simon48]

Yes. Sorry. Stupid, I know. But I needed some storage space because the flash space is rare and expensive for rMBPs. And my private machine doesn’t carry secret or very valuable things. A new setup wouldn’t be THAT bad but I would prefer to avoid that. Will switch on Time Machine again when the computer is clean, promised!

I hope the dev will chime in as well and tell how to correct everything.

I'll be holding you to that in spirit.

 

[Habakuk]

OP...just a suggestion for completely removing an app.

I have used AppCleaner and when using the method above, found that AppCleaner can still leave stuff behind.

Thanks, Shrink!

#3 - Please download Actions Server only from our website getactionsapp.com.

Hi Marco Usefool!

That’s exactly what I did and what I can’t recommend to anybody with my tech specs. Maybe it runs better on Windows computers.

Every other file in the web hosted by other subjects is completely out of our responsibility and we cannot guarantee for its integrity.

I've downloaded the ActionsServer.dmg from your very website getactionsapp.com. 5,359,651 Bytes according to Finder (confirms the download location). I didn’t download or install any other programs or apps within the latest ten days (maybe even more) onto my Mac which is online about 12 hrs a day. My Mac didn’t show such abnormalities ever before—as right after installing and running your software. It was out of control and the mouse cursor had a behaviour if it would be controlled from outsides. I know it sounds like some paranormal event but I am not paranoid and I know what I saw and what I experienced. The machine runs now still normal as reported btw. I am pretty sure (without being a computer or security expert) that it’s a fault of programming/coding the Mac software (compagnion/client app for an iPad app, some kind of an iPad remote control of a Mac/PC) and not a virus or malware or something like that.

But it scared me anyway.