TORCH Browser_MALWARE

[DVD9]

My 15" Macbook Pro Retina rebooted while I was out of the room 15 minutes ago. The gray logon screen was waiting (with a backlit keyboard, and while welcome, that's new, usually no lights).

I entered my password and as my programs reloaded up popped the screenshot attached offering me something called the "TORCH" for download.

What is this? Specifically, where did this popup come from? Is Apple now offering the "Windows experience" to its users?

Is my laptop infected with a trojan?

This is not a new laptop, I bought the first edition retina new about six months after initial release. I'm using Mavericks 10.9.2

Also I've determined the popup window is through Firefox 27.0.1

 

[alex0002]

Never heard of it, but as a rule of thumb, if a site is offering you some software that you didn't ask for, it's for their benefit, not yours.

If I were you, I'd make it a priority to upgrade Firefox, because Firefox 28.0 is out now.... and maybe 29.0 will be along soon. Make sure you have the latest.
http://www.mozilla.org/firefox/

While you're at it, make sure your flash and other plugins and addons are up to date.
http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html

Then use the Firefox flashblock plugin, so that flash only runs where you allow it to run.
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/flashblock/

 

[alex0002]

If you do some searches for "torch browser malware" and "torch browser removal" most are for pc. e.g.
http://botcrawl.com/how-to-remove-torch-browser/

But it doesn't sound like something you want on your Mac.

 

[maflynn]

Its a pop up from a website. I'd just close it down and not install or do anything

 

[yjchua95]

My 15" Macbook Pro Retina rebooted while I was out of the room 15 minutes ago. The gray logon screen was waiting (with a backlit keyboard, and while welcome, that's new, usually no lights).

I entered my password and as my programs reloaded up popped the screenshot attached offering me something called the "TORCH" for download.

What is this? Specifically, where did this popup come from? Is Apple now offering the "Windows experience" to its users?

Is my laptop infected with a trojan?

This is not a new laptop, I bought the first edition retina new about six months after initial release. I'm using Mavericks 10.9.2

Also I've determined the popup window is through Firefox 27.0.1

The giveaway is that the title bar of the Torch popup window is a Windows UI. So essentially, the entire popup is clickable, wherever you click it, which will then redirect you to somewhere else you won't want to go to.

 

[zipur]

For peace of mind you should download the BITFinder App from the Apple App Store. Its free and it will make you feel better.

 

[Gav Mack]

Never heard of it, but as a rule of thumb, if a site is offering you some software that you didn't ask for, it's for their benefit, not yours.

If I were you, I'd make it a priority to upgrade Firefox, because Firefox 28.0 is out now.... and maybe 29.0 will be along soon. Make sure you have the latest.
http://www.mozilla.org/firefox/

While you're at it, make sure your flash and other plugins and addons are up to date.
http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html

Then use the Firefox flashblock plugin, so that flash only runs where you allow it to run.
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/flashblock/

What the Kiwi said!