Flash mail virus for Mac ngc

[steven c]

 I down load the free AVG program and picked up this Flash mail virus instead. I'm on a Mac OS X, anyone know how to get rid of it? Haven't found much on the web.

[fotoguzzi]

feeling sorry for you.. did you have stuff backed up? re-instal the OS after you wipe it clean.

[rboe]

When you get it sorted, try Sophos free anti-virus instead. I've have been using it trouble free for a couple years now. One of the few anti-virus programs vetted by our city's IT team for us VPN users.

[steven c]

 Well that sucks. Thanks for the info.

[LowRyter]

Road Kill just a big thread warning folks about this.  You might search it.  He only started a day or two ago.

You might just PM him.

[LowRyter]

locked

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=75470.0

[rodekyll]

Downloading software (antivirus or anything else) from anywhere else except the mfgr's website is a good way to pick up germs.  I suspect the download -- if that is what infected the computer -- was from a 3rd party site.

Which begs the question -- how do you know the download was infected if you didn't already have antivirus on the computer?

[steven c]

 I'm good now, Had a Mac excerpt (through my Mac club) go through it by a remote connection and pick it out of my MacBook took about an hour. He was able to get it all except in Fire Fox where it is disabled. And he found a few other things while he was looking. So no more pop ups chocking my system.
 

[fotoguzzi]

I'm good now, Had a Mac excerpt (through my Mac club) go through it by a remote connection and pick it out of my MacBook took about an hour. He was able to get it all except in Fire Fox where it is disabled. And he found a few other things while he was looking. So no more pop ups chocking my system.
 

If you go to Firefox drop menu help> Troubleshooting Information, in the upper right corner you can re-set Firefox..

[bad Chad]

Maybe you get what you pay for when it comes to free software?

[rodekyll]

Except that the virus grays out the reset box -- can't access it.  If it's a reset-level fix, it must be done manually.  

You have to shut off all your network adapters, restart, go to finder/go to folder (type in) ~library/preferences, find the safari/firefox/whatever plist and the extension plist for the browser and trash them.  If you have never cataloged any extensions, then you will not have an extensions plist.  Then restart.  

With adapters still off, start the browsers and try to access the reset box.  If you can, you probably got it.  
Another test is if you have control over typing into the web address box.  If you can't, it's still not working.  If you can it will return a 'not connected to a network' error.  We like that error.  Restart.  

Re-enable network adapters and try the browsers.  They should come up with welcome screens as though they had never been used.  If you're lucky you didn't lose your bookmarks.  If you're not lucky, the problem persists and this was not a reset-level fix -- you've got real problems.

If successful to this point, you're still infected, but the active internet component ought to be in a coma.  it's probably safe to go to the mfgr's website for a legitimate antivirus and install.  As long as you start from the official website, there should not be a problem with infected  program downloads.  Once the antivirus of choice is installed (you need your master password), it will find another 4 - 20 bits of malware on the computer, depending on what flavor of the bug you got.  Some are pop-up conduits, some are beacons, and some are tracking you on the internet.  I delete them all.  So far nobody has complained that a necessary opsys file was nicked in the eradication process.

Oh -- wait.  I'm imagining all this.  Probably confused it with some spoofed website.  nevermind.

[oldbike54]

 RK , I have tried to warn you about those funny looking mushrooms  :o

  Dusty

[steven c]

 My geek send me an email telling me what to do, mainly trash Firefox and reinstall, he thinks my version of firefox may not be legit. I mainly use Safari so no big deal. No more free down loads for me on less they are fully vetted, though the AVG was but somehow I got a bogus site, first one on Google.

[charlie b]

Frequently when using Google the first two or three sites are NOTthe official sites for the product searched for.  Have to go down the list until you find the right web address.

Sometimes it is hard to tell.  The third party sites will even list themselves as the "official xxx site" or xxx's home site" to get you to enter them.

And buttons labeled "download" may not be for the product shown.

Horrible that you have to be so careful on the web, but, you do.  Always check the web address of the button you are selecting before going there.

[nikwax]

there's irony for you, download something to protect your computer and it infects your computer  :(


I did an extensive test of Sophos Antivirus and I think it is a very good choice for many users. It will monitor web sites that you visit and warn of dodgy sites, as well as scan and protect your system. It is one of the two AV suites approved by the large computer company that I work for, and it is free:

https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools.aspx



I also highly recommend blocking trackers in your browser. Ghostery does a great job and is free:


https://www.ghostery.com/en/

[rodekyll]

there's irony for you, download something to protect your computer and it infects your computer  :(


[snip]


https://www.ghostery.com/en/

If that's what happened it would be irony, but the download was made from a bogus site.  The irony is that he was trying to protect the computer when he got distracted and brought down and installed a virus instead.  What we're trying to learn from this is that we need to be sure of our download source, not that downloading antivirus software is a bad thing.

I agree that Sophos is a good antivirus.  I'd rate it in the top 5.