Get Rid Of Cleaner Virus Software Youll Find

Alternately, you can run a trio of commands in Terminal, a piece of software youll find in the Utilities folder in your Macs Applications folder.

Heres your guide to what it is, whether you have it, and how to get rid of it.

Nowhere is that clearer than with the Flashback Trojan, a gnarly piece of malware designed to steal personal information by masquerading as very mainstream browser plug-ins.

Web said that an estimated 600,000 Macs are now infected as a result of users unknowingly installing the software.

So heres a quick FAQ on the Flashback Trojan, including information on what it is, how to tell if you have it, and steps you can take to get rid of it.

What exactly is Flashback Flashback is a form of malware designed to grab passwords and other information from users through their Web browser and other applications such as Skype.

A user typically mistakes it for a legitimate browser plug-in while visiting a malicious Web site.

At that point, the software installs code designed to gather personal information and send it back to remote servers.

In its most recent incarnations, the software can install itself without user interaction.

The malware evolved to target the Java runtime on OS X, where users visiting malicious sites would then be prompted to install it on their machine in order to view Web content.

More advanced versions would install quietly in the background with no password needed.

How did it infect so many computers The simple answer is that the software was designed to do exactly that.

In its initial incarnation, the malware looked very similar to Adobes Flash installer.

It didnt help that Apple hasnt shipped Flash on its computers for well over a year, arguably creating a pool of users more likely to run the installer in order to view popular Web sites that run on Flash.

In its newer Java-related variants, the software could install itself without the user having to click on anything or provide it with a password.

Instead of simply using Javas current public release, the company creates and maintains its own versions.

As it turns out, the malware writers exploited one particular vulnerability that Oracle patched in February.

Apple didnt get around to fixing its own Java version until April.

What has Apple done about it Apple has its own malware scanner built into OS X called XProtect.

Since Flashbacks launch, the security tool has been updated twice to identify and protect against a handful of Flashback variants.

A more recent version of the malware, however, got around XProtect by executing its files through Java.

Apple closed off the malwares main entry point with a Java update on April 3, and has since released a removal tool as part of a subsequent Java update.

Of note, the Java security fixes are only available on Mac OS X 10.6.8 and later, so if youre running OS X 10.5 or earlier, you will still be vulnerable.

Apple has stopped supplying software updates for these operating systems.

Get Rid Of Cleaner Virus Download Its Flashback

How do I tell if I have it Right now the easiest way to tell if your computer has been infected is to head to security firm F-Secure and download its Flashback detection and removal software.

Security company Symantec offers its own, Norton-branded standalone tool, which you can get here.

How To Get Rid Of Mac Cleaner Virus