Antivirus Firms Release Free Tools for Cleaning Macs Infected by Flashback

Yesterday, Apple disclosed for the first time that it is working to develop a software tool to detect and remove the Flashback malware from infected machines. We also previously profiled Flashback Checker, a simple app designed to allow users to easily see if their Macs are infected but which provides no assistance with disinfection.

While Apple works on its own official solution, other parties have continued to develop their own increasingly user-friendly tools for dealing with the threat and cleaning infected machines, with some of those tools making their way into the public's hands.

Russian antivirus firm Kaspersky Lab, which has played a key role in monitoring and publicizing the threat of Flashback, yesterday announced the launch of a free web-based checker where users can simply input the hardware UUID of their Mac to see if it has registered on the firm's servers as an infected machine. The company has also released Flashfake Removal Tool, a free app that quickly and easily detects and removes the malware.

kaspersky flashback tool
Antivirus firm F-Secure has also announced its own free Flashback Removal app. The app generates a log file detailing whether it has found Flashback on a user's system, and if so quarantines it inside an encrypted ZIP file for disposal.

F-Secure also points out that Apple has yet to offer any protection for users running systems earlier than Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Flashback uses a vulnerability in Java to install itself without user authorization, and Apple released software patches for Java on Lion and Snow Leopard last week to close that hole and prevent infection on updated systems. Machines running earlier versions of Mac OS X do, however, remain unprotected. Specifically, F-Secure notes that over 16% of Macs are still running Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, marking a substantial user base that remains vulnerable to the threat.

Update: Kaspersky Lab has informed MacRumors that the Flashfake Removal Tool has temporarily been pulled after the discovery that in some cases it could erroneously remove certain user settings. A fixed version of the tool will be posted as soon as it is available.

Update 2: The patched version of the Flashfake Removal Tool is now available through the Kaspersky Lab site.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Expected This Week With These New Features

Monday May 12, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 18.5 to the general public this week. While the software update is relatively minor, it still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.5. Pride Wallpaper Apple recently announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face,...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
top stories 2025 05 10

Top Stories: iOS 18.5 Release Imminent, iPhone Rumors for 2025 and Beyond, and More

Saturday May 10, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
With Apple's developer conference where it will show off iOS 19 just a month away, the company is wrapping up work on iOS 18.5 ahead of an imminent release to deliver a few new features and updates. This week also saw a number of iPhone-related rumors, encompassing not only this year's iPhone 17 lineup but also Apple's plans for 2026 and 2027, even as Apple's Eddy Cue suggested AI could make ...

Top Rated Comments

Dillenger Avatar
171 months ago
I checked and was not infected. I'm always skeptical about companies doing anything for free. What's the catch with Kaspersky?:rolleyes:

I think in time they will try to get you to open your walletsky so you can spend some of your moneysky on their Mac anti-virusky.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
171 months ago
Interesting that these tools are appearing after Apple announced that a fix of their own is coming....
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wazgilbert Avatar
171 months ago
Make sure all network, email, financial and other important passwords are complex, including upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
themelz Avatar
171 months ago
Kaspersky Lab web page is bogus

A few days ago I did the Terminal commands that F-Secure posted for checking for Flashback trojan (http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojan-downloader_osx_flashback_i.shtml). Redid it today and both times came up negative.

I downloaded and used an app to do the same (https://github.com/jils/FlashbackChecker/wiki) and also the F-Secure Flashback Removal app. They both also came up negative.

I used the web-based checker in this article, put in the hardware UUID of my Mac and surprise, surprise, it came up positive.

I would have thought that MacRumours would've tested them and saw that the Kaspersky Lab web page is bogus!!!!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sedulous Avatar
171 months ago
I still don't believe the 600,000 figure.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AidenShaw Avatar
171 months ago
All Mac antivirus software is a scam. My mom's friend paid a lot of money to get her Mac cleaned of "viruses". Anyway "Mac antivirus" is an oxymoron.

People who don't admit that "virus" and "malware" mean the same thing to most people miss the point.

If your identity and credit card numbers are sent to criminals in the Ukraine - is it "OK" if malware sent the info and "bad" if a virus sent the info?

I'd think that most people would label it as "bad" regardless of minor technical details of the infection.

And add to that the simple truth that viruses aren't really that common anymore - OS changes have made the threat of viruses fairly small. When you get a product like Norton, you're buying "anti-malware" protection - even if the product name contains the word "antivirus" for historical familiarity.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)