Apple Addresses 'Mac Defender' Threat With Security Update 2011-003 for Snow Leopard

macdefender
Apple today released Security Update 2011-003 (Snow Leopard), a new software update that addresses the "Mac Defender" malware that has been afflicting Mac users over the past month.

- Malware removal

Available for: Mac OS X v10.6.7, Mac OS X Server v10.6.7

Impact: Remove the MacDefender malware if detected

Description: The installation process for this update will search for and remove known variants of the MacDefender malware. If a known variant was detected and removed, the user will be notified via an alert after the update is installed.

The update weighs in at 2.36 MB and requires Mac OS X 10.6.7.

Seed notes for the most recent developer build of Mac OS X 10.6.8 had indicated that the update will identify and remove known variants of Mac Defender, but Apple apparently wanted to push the anti-malware portions of the update as quickly as possible before incorporating it directly into Mac OS X 10.6.8 for future updaters.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
iphone 17 pro max techwoven

Here Are The Best Cases You Can Buy for Your New iPhone 17 and iPhone Air

Friday September 19, 2025 6:46 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhones launch today, and there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to protecting your new device from drops and scratches. In this article, we're taking a look at some of the best options for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air cases, as well as a few charging accessories. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 17 Pro Max Teardown Reveals Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 Modem for 5G

Friday September 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone Air is equipped with Apple's custom C1X modem for cellular connectivity, all of the iPhone 17 models are outfitted with Qualcomm modems still. A teardown video shared on Chinese platform Bilibili today (via Reddit) appears to confirm the iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem in particular. The same modem is likely used in the iPhone 17 and iPhone ...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design Draws Criticism From Users

Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected. Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update. Complaints There are a long...
iphone 17 pro inside

iPhone 17 Teardowns Confirm SIM and eSIM-Only Battery Capacities

Friday September 19, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
YouTube channel REWA Technology today shared an iPhone 17 Pro teardown video, offering a closer look inside the model with a SIM card tray. We are still waiting for repair website iFixit to share a more comprehensive teardown of the latest iPhone models, but this video provides a good look in the meantime. The device features various internal design changes, including larger rear camera...

Top Rated Comments

Cougarcat Avatar
187 months ago
While i dont know the actual threat of his particular 'malware', I think apple needs to do a lot better than this in future. Such hot fixes need to be available within a couple of days max. If i wanted to use a virus/malware prone PC for weeks, i'd have simply opted for a windows machine instead of the mac!

And it should be available for 10.5 as well.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacMan86 Avatar
187 months ago
While i dont know the actual threat of his particular 'malware', I think apple needs to do a lot better than this in future. Such hot fixes need to be available within a couple of days max. If i wanted to use a virus/malware prone PC for weeks, i'd have simply opted for a windows machine instead of the mac!
Apple have just made the very sensible step of allowing auto-updating of their malware definitions list. Future malware shouldn't require a formal Software Update:

"File Quarantine

Available for: Mac OS X v10.6.7, Mac OS X Server v10.6.7

Impact: Automatically update the known malware definitions

Description: The system will check daily for updates to the File Quarantine malware definition list. An opt-out capability is provided via the "Automatically update safe downloads list" checkbox in Security Preferences. Additional information is available in this Knowledge Base article: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4651"
From http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4657
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chris Grande Avatar
187 months ago
This security update also makes the system automatically and in the background update the File Quarantine definitions daily.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
benthewraith Avatar
187 months ago
Nope. Just Windows ME.

It's not that you find viruses on Windows ME computers. It's that Windows ME IS a virus.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tkermit Avatar
187 months ago
Nice! :)

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blackburn Avatar
187 months ago
There are exploits for mac os x, linux and windows. It's just a gamble, and you might get hacked in either systems. If the mac user base continues to grow we should expect more malware.

The best protection is to be smart, and be careful to with the sites you visit.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)