Division of Information Technology Help Desk

Information on the Mac Flashback Trojan

Much media attention has recently been focused on the new malware for Macintosh OSX. There are several pieces of malware which take advantage of vulnerabilities in the OSX implementation of Java.

For users running OSX Snow Leopard and Lion: To protect against this threat, users should immediately run Software Update on OSX (click the apple in the upper left-hand corner, select Software Update, then follow instructions) to make sure you are running the latest patches from Apple. Java is recently updated, and includes a tool which removes the infections currently circulating. If you do not see the update when the software runs, you have already been updated; Software Update is scheduled to run periodically by default in current versions of OSX.

For users of OSX Leopard and older: Run Software Update on OSX (click the apple in the upper left-hand corner, select Software Update, then follow instructions) to make sure you are running the latest patches from Apple. Additionally, Apple recommends disabling Java in your browser.

If you suspect a problem go to the Apple site for the Flashback malware removal tool which quickly checks to see if you've been infected with Flashback.

AntiVirus software for OSX is available and recommended. The Help Desk provides the University Supported Antivirus Software free of charge.

If you are having specific problems with your Macintosh, please contact the Help Desk.

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