Flashback malware should i change passwords

The advantage of Java is that most code just needed to be written once, and then could be run on many different platforms. Oracle is currently responsible for the development of the Java virtual machines, although Apple creates their own versions for use on Macs.

Apple is trying to end that arrangement, making Oracle solely responsible for future versions of Java and not installing Java by default on the system. Mac OS X And it is important to note that Java and JavaScript are two completely different and unrelated things.

JavaScript is not the issue in this case. There are a variety of possible symptoms. One common symptom is that certain apps, such as Safari and other web browsers, or even all apps, will start crashing out of the blue. This is apparently especially common on older PowerPC Macs, where one variant of the malware accidentally injects Intel code into those apps. The file name varies, and usually ends in.

Another symptom is seeing strange codes in menus and other interface elements. Some examples are shown. That was caused by a buggy variant of Flashback. Some variants of Flashback have also been documented to redirect to scam websites.

This is generally used for phishing, by causing attempts to load legitimate sites to be redirected to scam sites that look similar. Of course, there are many other reasons that you might see these kinds of redirects, so this is not a guarantee that you have been infected with Flashback.

Unfortunately, though, for many people, there are no symptoms. You might very easily be infected and have absolutely no clue. The first is for users of Lion who have Java installed, the second for users of Lion who do not have Java installed and the third is for users of Snow Leopard.

The correct update for your machine will also show up in Software Update accessible through the Apple menu , and each one will remove Flashback if you happen to be infected. Note that the updates themselves remove the malware, they do not install a tool that needs to be run separately to remove the malware.

They will also ensure that you have the most recent version of Java if it is installed , and will modify some of your Java settings to ensure that your computer is a bit safer in the future from any other potential Java exploits that may be discovered at a later date. I recommend installing these updates immediately. If you are really paranoid, you could reinstall your system from scratch. I definitely do not recommend that at this point. Still, if you choose to go that route, the first thing you will want is a backup of anything you want to keep.

The best approach would be to clone your entire hard drive to an external drive, using a tool like Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper. If you are using Mac OS X Once the installer appears, select your language and then choose Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.

Disable Java in Safari and other Web browsers. Unlike Flash, you rarely need it these days. Uninstall Flash and use Google Chrome as your browser. Google Chrome includes an embedded, sandboxed version of Flash that reduces the chances an attacker can infect your system. Download the Flash uninstaller , then install Google Chrome. Be careful, though: Some programs such as CrashPlan which I use require it.

That said, the current programs are far less intrusive and performance-impairing than they used to be; some of them including Sophos and ClamXav offer free versions. Many Windows users learn this lesson the hard way on a daily basis.

Web to measure the infection are plausible: Using one called sinkholing , Dr. Web redirected command-and-control traffic to its own analysis server. Since each infected Mac provides its unique device ID when connecting to the server, this allows Dr. We also have anecdotal evidence supporting the claim.

In linking to a report on Ars Technica about Flashback, John Gruber asked his readers at Daring Fireball to check their Macs and let him know if they were infected. Over the course of six hours, John received positive reports from about a dozen of his readers—who are generally experienced Mac users. Flashback is the first widespread drive-by malware to attack Macs. This is one of the most pernicious attack techniques, which has long troubled Windows users, and it does represent a major advance.

Most Mac malware hides itself inside software programs—such as pirated software, obscure games, or non-standard video players—that the average users is unlikely to install. Because it can infect a vulnerable computer without user interaction, Flashback is far more serious. Intego says it has detected dozens of new variants in the past few days, which means the malware authors are working hard to extend the life of the infection.

This could, in principle, involve modifying all of the software including the Operating System that you use. So in theory, once your computer is taken over, there is pretty much nothing that can protect you. Fortunately, practice is much different than theory. In practice, malware tries to remain small. It makes only the minimal changes to your system that are required for its specific job, and most of those changes are attempts to cover its tracks.

Because we know the kinds of things that malware—in practice—does, we have been able to design 1Password to protect your data against those sorts of attacks. Flashback, for the most part, opens a back door that allows its operator to install or modify things on the infected computers later.

That is, computers that are infected become part of what is called a botnet. These are often used to relay or to launch certain attacks on more high-value targets.

By using machines in a botnet, the attackers can cover their tracks and leverage huge numbers of machines to make their attacks more powerful. It inserts itself into web browsers to hijack certain advertisements and clicks, so ad revenue that would otherwise go to Google goes to the operators of Flashback. Even with our better understanding of what the Flashback operators were after, we still have to ask what the operators of a botnet could, in practice, do with an infected computer.

One thing is that malware can install software that would scan your computer for lists of passwords. The other point of concern is that is can install malicious software into browsers that try to capture passwords as you use them. One thing that can be installed through the backdoor is a system that searches your computer for lists of passwords. There is a history of this in Windows malware, so we should assume that those who have a back door into your computer have the same capabilities and interests.

They are not at all prepared for a well-designed system like 1Password. Many people, faced with the problem of remembering lots of passwords, develop their own password management system. Often people will simply list their passwords in a word processor document, such as Microsoft Word, or in a spread-sheet. It is those files that this sort of malware goes after.

Even when people encrypt those files, the password that they use to encrypt that data is often not protected by measures to resist automatic password cracking tools.

Furthermore, when people decrypt those files to work with them, often temporary files are created with the data decrypted.