Jade Attack Mac OS
A phishing scam has targeted Mac users by redirecting them from legitimate websites to fake websites which tell them that their computer is infected with a virus. The user is then offered Mac Defender 'anti-virus' software to solve the issue.
This “anti-virus” software is malware (i.e. malicious software). Its ultimate goal is to get the user's credit card information which may be used for fraudulent purposes.
The most common names for this malware are MacDefender, MacProtector and MacSecurity.
Jade’s Ascension is a local cooperative adventure – arcade game based on Chinese mythology. The players must coordinate themselves to overcome different rooms using common and unique skills from each character to defeat the creatures. The result was an influx of attacks targeted at PC users and the Windows operating system. However, the times are changing. Mac OS X’s market share is now at eight percent, almost double what it was seven years ago- and as a result, cybercriminals are taking notice and setting their sights on Apple.
Apple released a free software update (Security Update 2011-003) that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants.
The Resolution section below also provides step-by-step instructions on how to avoid or manually remove this malware.
Resolution
How to avoid installing this malware
If any notifications about viruses or security software appear, quit Safari or any other browser that you are using. If a normal attempt at quitting the browser doesn’t work, then Force Quit the browser.
In some cases, your browser may automatically download and launch the installer for this malicious software. If this happens, cancel the installation process; do not enter your administrator password. Delete the installer immediately using the steps below.
- Go into the Downloads folder, or your preferred download location.
- Drag the installer to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash.
How to remove this malware
If the malware has been installed, we recommend the following actions:
- Do not provide your credit card information under any circumstances.
- Use the Removal Steps below.
Jade Attack Mac Os Download
Removal steps
- Move or close the Scan Window.
- Go to the Utilities folder in the Applications folder and launch Activity Monitor.
- Choose All Processes from the pop up menu in the upper right corner of the window.
- Under the Process Name column, look for the name of the app and click to select it; common app names include: MacDefender, MacSecurity or MacProtector.
- Click the Quit Process button in the upper left corner of the window and select Quit.
- Quit Activity Monitor application.
- Open the Applications folder.
- Locate the app ex. MacDefender, MacSecurity, MacProtector or other name.
- Drag to Trash, and empty Trash.
Malware also installs a login item in your account in System Preferences. Removal of the login item is not necessary, but you can remove it by following the steps below.
- Open System Preferences, select Accounts, then Login Items
- Select the name of the app you removed in the steps above ex. MacDefender, MacSecurity, MacProtector
- Click the minus button
Use the steps in the “How to avoid installing this malware” section above to remove the installer from the download location.
Note: Apple provides security updates for the Mac exclusively through Software Update and the Apple Support Downloads site. User should exercise caution any time they are asked to enter sensitive personal information online.
Security researchers have encountered new email-based targeted attacks that exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft Office to install a remote access Trojan horse program on Mac OS systems.
The rogue emails appear to target Tibetan activist organizations and distribute booby-trapped Microsoft Word documents that exploit a known remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Office for Mac, according to malware experts from security firm AlienVault.
“This is one of the few times that we have seen a malicious Office file used to deliver Malware on Mac OS X,” said AlienVault security researcher Jaime Blasco in a blog post on Tuesday.
Security researchers from Mac antivirus vendor Intego believe that the attacks might become more widespread. “This malware is fairly sophisticated, and it is worth pointing out that the code in these Word documents is not encrypted, so any malware writer who gets copies of them may be able to alter the code and distribute their own versions of these documents,” they said in a blog post on Thursday.
“The attack will be very effective on those who have not updated their copies of Microsoft Office, or aren’t running antivirus software,” the Intego researchers said.
If the vulnerability is exploited successfully, the rogue Word files will install a previously unknown Mac OS X Trojan horse. The remote attackers can instruct this malware to download, upload and delete files, or to start a remote shell on the system.
AlienVault believes that this attack was carried out by the same gang that last week distributed a similar Mac Trojan by exploiting a vulnerability in outdated Java installations.
This type of targeted attack, also known as spear phishing, has become common in recent years and is usually associated with government or corporate cyberespionage operations. However, the vast majority of spear phishing emails have so far targeted Windows users.
Jade Attack Mac Os Catalina
“While, in the past, we did not see this type of attack targeting Macs, it is clear that the game has changed, and that we are entering a new period of Mac malware,” the Intego researchers said.
Mac users are advised to keep the software installed on their computers up to date, especially the popular applications, and to run an antivirus program at all times. Several Mac antivirus products are available for free.