Two New Free Flashback Malware Removal Tools Released

F-Secure Issues Free Flashback Removal Tool for Mac

F-Sexcure has released a free tool that automates detection and removal of the Flashback Mac OS X malware. The tool creates a log file (RemoveFlashback.log) on the user’s Desktop, and if any GFlashback Trojan infections are found, they are quarantined into an encrypted ZIP file (flashback_quarantine.zip) to the current user’s Home folder. The ZIP is encrypted with the password ‘infected’.

F-Secure Corporation protects consumers and businesses against computer viruses and other threats from the Internet and mobile networks. F-Secure’s award-winning solutions are available as a service subscription through more than 170 Internet service providers and mobile operator partners around the world, making F-Secure a global leader in this market.

You can download the Flashback Removal Tool for Mac via CNET Secure Download here:
http://cnet.co/HyuSAM

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Kaspersky Lab Offers Free Kaspersky Flashfake Removal Tool Utility to Identify and Disinfect Mac OS X Flashback/Flashfake Malware

Kaspersky Labs experts recently analyzed the Flashfake botnet and found a total of 670,000 infected computers worldwide, with more than 98% of those computers most likely running Mac OS X. It is anticipated that the other 2% of machines running the Flashfake bot are very likely to be Macs as well. This is the largest Mac-based infection to date, with the largest number of victims targeting developed countries. The United States had the most infected computers (300,917) followed by Canada (94,625), the United Kingdom (47,109) and Australia (41,600). Other infected countries include France (7891), Italy (6585), Mexico (5747), Spain (4304), Germany (4021) and Japan (3864).

Users can check if they’re infected with Flashfake by visiting Kaspersky Labs’ safe verification site, and can remove it using the Kaspersky Flashfake Removal Tool.

On April 6 Kaspersky Labs researchers reverse-engineered the Flashfake malware and registered several domain names which could be used by criminals as a C&C server for managing the botnet. This method enabled them to analyze the communications between infected computers and the C&Cs. By connecting to Flashfake, Kaspersky Labs experts are able to continuously monitor the botnet’s communication with active bots and have published their findings.

Throughout last weekend Kaspersky Lab experts saw a decline in the number of active bots: on April 6 the total number was 650,748. At the conclusion of April 8 the number of active bots was 237,103; however, the decrease in infected bots does not mean the botnet is rapidly shrinking. The statistics represent the number of active bots connected to Flashfake during the past few days it is not the equivalent of the exact number of infected machines. Infected computers that were inactive during the weekend would not be communicating with Flashfake, thus making them not appear as an infected bot.

Since connecting to the botnet for analysis, Kaspersky Labs’ sinkhole server has registered all the data sent by bots from the infected computers and recorded their UUIDs in a dedicated database. Based on this information, Kaspersky Labs experts have created an online resource where all users of Mac OS X can check if their computer has been infected by Flashback / Flashfake.

How to determine if your computer is infected:
• Visit Kaspersky Labs site at http://www.flashbackcheck.com to determine if youre infected.
• This dedicated site is safe for users to visit and enter their UUID, which will be checked in Kaspersky Labs Flashfake database of infected computers. Instructions for entering user UUIDs are included as well.

How to disinfect your computer:

If your UUID is found in the database, you need to disinfect your Mac. Here are three recommendations to do this:
• Use a free special utility, the Kaspersky Flashfake Removal Tool. It will automatically scan your system and remove Flashback if it is detected. This is a free-to-download and free-to-use program.
• Download a trial version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 for Mac. This program offers comprehensive protection against all known malicious programs for Mac OS X, including Flashback.
• Detect and remove Flashback manually. Please follow the instructions provided on the following page:
http://flashbackcheck.com/

For more information on the Flashfake botnet and the Flashfake Trojan, please visit Kaspersky Labs’ FAQ sheet:
http://flashbackcheck.com/whatis.html

For further information about the company, visit:
http://www.kaspersky.com/