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Virus problem this morning

M

mike97208

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 12, 2008
36
0
I'm having some virus problems with my MacBook. This morning my computer started honking repeatedly and telling me that I have viruses and then I started to get pornographic websites showing up one after the other.

I immediately purchased online and installed Kaspersky 2011 Anti-Virus and it is doing a "full scan" as I write this, but I'm still getting the porn websites. How can I block these and what else should I be doing?

I'm running Mac OS 10.5.8, 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM.

Thanks.
 
mike97208 said:
I'm having some virus problems with my MacBook. This morning my computer started honking repeatedly and telling me that I have viruses and then I started to get pornographic websites showing up one after the other.

I immediately purchased online and installed Kaspersky 2011 Anti-Virus and it is doing a "full scan" as I write this, but I'm still getting the porn websites. How can I block these and what else should I be doing?
Click to expand...
It's not a virus and you don't need antivirus software to protect your Mac. There has never been a virus in the wild that affects Mac OS X since it was released 10 years ago. The handful of trojans that exist can be easily avoided with some education and common sense and care in what software you install:
Read the section "Why am I being redirected to other sites?" in the link above.
 
Sounds like you were one of the users that were duped into installing MACDefender, MacSecurity, MacProtector, or whatever name it is using at the moment.

You had to enter your password to install it.

Honestly, I installed it on purpose just so I would be randomly surprised with pornography while I browse the web. It is great.

I wasn't worried about installing it because I heard it can only get your credit card number if you actively enter it into the rogue AV software's GUI.
 
Mac Virus?

r.j.s
Right before this all happened I was looking at a website comment section and uploaded a comment myself. Then all of the loud honking started.

I haven't installed any applications recently. I installed MacSign about a year ago to operate a sign making machine but I haven't used it.

I unchecked the "Open "safe" files after downloading" in my Safari Preferences just now. Thanks for the link, GGJstudios.

I'll try to attach a jpg with this email to show you what I received this morning.

I know this is a Mac forum but as long as I am here I want to mention that I have a year old Toshiba laptop in the other room that I use to operate the sign making machine. It's a Windows 7 system and I have Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 installed on it. Is there anything I need to do on that computer, like with the Preferences or something? I use the same Verizon USB 727 aircard on that computer to access the Internet.
 

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mike97208 said:
I'll try to attach a jpg with this email to show you what I received this morning.
Click to expand...
That's the MacDefender/MacSecurity/MacProtector scam. Read the first part of the Mac Virus/Malware Info link I posted. It will tell you all you need to know about this. If you didn't install it, you have nothing to worry about.
 
GGJstudios said:
That's the MacDefender/MacSecurity/MacProtector scam. Read the first part of the Mac Virus/Malware Info link I posted. It will tell you all you need to know about this. If you didn't install it, you have nothing to worry about.
Click to expand...

It only redirects to porn sites if it has been installed, AFAIK.


mike97208 said:
I know this is a Mac forum but as long as I am here I want to mention that I have a year old Toshiba laptop in the other room that I use to operate the sign making machine. It's a Windows 7 system and I have Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 installed on it. Is there anything I need to do on that computer, like with the Preferences or something? I use the same Verizon USB 727 aircard on that computer to access the Internet.
Click to expand...

The same web pages will redirect you to a spoofed Windows-esque scan site that uploads Windows malware to your PC.

Don't install anything downloaded from links that spoof virus scans on any OS.
 
munkery said:
Honestly, I installed it on purpose just so I would be randomly surprised with pornography while I browse the web. It is great.

I wasn't worried about installing it because I heard it can only get your credit card number if you actively enter it into the rogue AV software's GUI.
Click to expand...
Were you able to fully install it without giving your credit card info? Is it one of those apps that you can install the baseline version free, then optionally enter your CC info to upgrade to an advanced version?
munkery said:
It only redirects to porn sites if it has been installed, AFAIK.
Click to expand...
The other (remote) possibility is the OP's DNS servers have been compromised from another source, which would account for redirection. That's why I first suggested that, before they revealed the info about the MacDefender.

OP: If you actually installed MacDefender, remove it from your system. The only effective method for complete app removal is manual deletion:
 
munkery said:
It installs a "trial" version that needs your credit card number to deactivate itself to stop the issues it is causing.
Click to expand...
LOL! Basically, "Now that you've been foolish enough to install me, it's gonna cost you to get rid of my annoying habits!" Genius! :rolleyes:
 
GGJstudios said:
LOL! Basically, "Now that you've been foolish enough to install me, it's gonna cost you to get rid of my annoying habits!" Genius! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I think the redirection to porn is much more genius! Why would anyone want to deactivate that feature? Seems self-defeating, IMHO.

Too bad it is not open source. Someone could strip out all the other functionality but leave the porn redirection intact.
 
Last edited:
Virus?

I forgot to mention that as the Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 for Mac software program was scanning my MacBook it alerted me to the problem of MacDefender app, provided some information about it and gave me the option of deleting it, which I did.
 
mike97208 said:
I forgot to mention that as the Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 for Mac software program was scanning my MacBook it alerted me to the problem of MacDefender app, provided some information about it and gave me the option of deleting it, which I did.
Click to expand...

How long have you had that installed?
 
I installed the Kaspersky this morning, but after the phoney virus thing appeared.
 
mike97208 said:
I installed the Kaspersky this morning, but after the phoney virus thing appeared.
Click to expand...

Geez, my memory is getting bad. I didn't even remember that since reading your first post.

How am I ever going to remember to not enter my password in an installer right after something is downloaded from a shady looking website.
 
I'm sure the Apple store employees are going to love it when people start coming in with floods of Macbook's that are infected with virus' :rolleyes:

If Apple doesn't stop this yesterday, they're going to have to have an official way of dealing with threats in-store now.
 
As I write this the Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 for Macintosh software is doing a full scan on my MacBook. After deleting the MacDefender I have not had any more porn websites pop up and everything seems to be running smoothly.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
I'm sure the Apple store employees are going to love it when people start coming in with floods of Macbook's that are infected with virus' :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Oh, Jaded, you silly monkey. Always popping up with your well timed one liners.

Hey, wait! You ruined my post by adding another line?
 
Last edited:
thejadedmonkey said:
If Apple doesn't stop this yesterday, they're going to have to have an official way of dealing with threats in-store now.
Click to expand...
It's not up to Apple to stop it. Apple has no control over user actions, which is the only issue at work here.
 
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