# Viruses / infected files on a Mac? Avast found about 100



## JohnG (Sep 3, 2018)

over the weekend my main Mac Pro's performance slowed to that of an unusually overtaxed slug. Even opening the front page of the New York Times or WSJournal crawled.

Downloaded Avast Security and a "full scan" found 99 infected files.

Thought Macs were immune but of course no longer; I'm rescanning my mail, since that's where most of them were.

Hope Avast doesn't wreck DAW performance; would be glad to hear from anyone else who uses it.

John


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## jneebz (Sep 3, 2018)

John I can't remember the exact issue, but Avast did afffect my DAW performance...Cubase Pro + VEP on OSX 10.xx at the time. I had to uninstall it. 

I believe it had to do with sample streaming and some quirky Cubase/VEP hiccups. Sorry I can't be more specific.


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## EvilDragon (Sep 3, 2018)

There are no immune computers, you should be aware of this fact, be it Mac or PC or Linux or whatever.

That said, Avast is a bit shit.


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## ironbut (Sep 3, 2018)

I'm a Logic, Pro Tools, Reaper, Ableton user and I've been using the free version of Avast on my 5,1 Mac Pro with Sierra installed.
I think I started using it a couple of years ago and so far, I haven't had any issues (I know of at least).
It has stopped a few nasties from infecting my machine in the last year (primarily from some idiot clicking on links in emails).
I do have VEP but I haven't used it in a long time.


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## artomatic (Sep 3, 2018)

EvilDragon said:


> There are no immune computers, you should be aware of this fact, be it Mac or PC or Linux or whatever.
> 
> That said, Avast is a bit shit.




Any recommendation(s)?


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## ironbut (Sep 3, 2018)

artomatic said:


> Any recommendation(s)?


I'm interested in this too so I started a dedicated thread "AntiVirus/Malware".


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## JohnG (Sep 3, 2018)

EvilDragon said:


> That said, Avast is a bit shit.



Not sure, when it comes to Macs, what does in fact help. 

For sure, my computer is 100x faster after removing the "infections" Avast found than it was before.

Also, your post made me laugh.


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## C.R. Rivera (Sep 3, 2018)

EvilDragon said:


> There are no immune computers, you should be aware of this fact, be it Mac or PC or Linux or whatever.
> 
> That said, Avast is a bit shit.


How about ESET? I have been using them on my PCs and Mac. Inquiring minds want to know


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## EvilDragon (Sep 3, 2018)

ESET is really good.


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## fiestared (Sep 3, 2018)

JohnG said:


> over the weekend my main Mac Pro's performance slowed to that of an unusually overtaxed slug. Even opening the front page of the New York Times or WSJournal crawled.
> 
> Downloaded Avast Security and a "full scan" found 99 infected files.
> 
> ...


This one. 
https://clamxav.com


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## dzilizzi (Sep 3, 2018)

I use a PC and Windows defender. I have few problems, but I am also careful where I go and what ads/links I hit. That said, I run Malwarebytes free about once a month just to check it out. I am careful with what I delete out of its findings though because some music programs look like viruses to some of these virus checkers. Although it has happened less and less. Malwarebytes free is great when you are having a problem. And if you want to pay for the full version, it is good, but you don't need it.


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## JohnG (Sep 3, 2018)

Macworld has a review that gives AVAST top marks, followed by Sophos, Norton for Mac, and Trend Micro.

Tom's Guide ranks Kaspersky best for Mac in part because of low hit (their evaluation) to performance, with AVAST the best free program. https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-antivirus,review-2588-6.html

PC Mag.com seems to give a tie for Bitdefender and Kaspersky: https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/355173/the-best-mac-antivirus-protection


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## Geoff Grace (Sep 3, 2018)

I'm far from an expert on Mac AntiVirus software, but a Google search came up with two sources that may be worth a look:

Macworld UK | The best Mac antivirus of 2018

TopTenReviews | The Best Mac Antivirus Software of 2018

TopTenReviews picked Kaspersky Lab and Macworld UK picked Intego as the best. Both sites raised security concerns about Kaspersky's Russian origins, but they acknowledged the quality of the software. TopTenReviews was also impressed with its performance, noting "Kaspersky doesn’t significantly, or even noticeably, slow your computer while it runs, even during full virus scans." Macworld UK noted Intego's performance hit, but added, "we found that Intego did its core job better than any other antivirus apps we reviewed here: it caught all 10 of our viruses."

Best,

Geoff


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## WindcryMusic (Sep 3, 2018)

fiestared said:


> This one.
> https://clamxav.com



This is the one I use. I just run manual scans with it on occasion for peace of mind, since I am pretty careful about where I go on the Internet and what emails I open, so it doesn’t impact DAW performance in the slightest. It has only ever found phishing attempts in my email inbox, and in every case they’ve been something that I’d already seen coming in and had moved right into the Junk folder.

Also, I’d advise to avoid Kaspersky. They were once perceived as a quality offering, but have since been revealed as a potentially bad actor.


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## JohnG (Sep 3, 2018)

fiestared said:


> This one.
> https://clamxav.com



I have seen only review that mentions this one, oddly.


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## fiestared (Sep 3, 2018)

JohnG said:


> I have seen only review that mentions this one, oddly.


You can try it for free one month. I did and I must say it's light, and reliable, very Mac ish if you see what I mean, not that heavy Windows thing.


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## Morning Coffee (Sep 3, 2018)

artomatic said:


> Any recommendation(s)?



Limit the use of your 'composing' computer online. Use another computer for online activities. That is the best solution I have found.


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## Mornats (Sep 4, 2018)

Avast caused latency issues on my Windows 10 PC so I switched to ESET Nod 32 and it's nice and resource light and unobtrusive. So +1 for that.


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## jcrosby (Sep 4, 2018)

ironbut said:


> I'm interested in this too so I started a dedicated thread "AntiVirus/Malware".


Malwarebytes... Apple support told me it's the only one they'll recommend users run if they call in with adware/malware concerns... The free version is totally fine unless you want something that runs in the background all the time... (It still updates definitions, you just run it manually.) Run it every few months and you should be fine. (Obviously if things seem off though run it asap... It's also super fast. Never had it take more than 30-60 seconds to scan...

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/


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## JohnG (Sep 4, 2018)

As it turns out, it looks like almost all the infections were attachments in junk mail. 

I was receiving for quite some time, out of the blue, a lot of spam for an auto body shop with a return email far away -- out of the country. I clicked on "unsubscribe" for that and I think my computer's slowing down started around that time.

So don't do that!


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## JohnG (Sep 4, 2018)

anyone using Sophos? Gets a top review from Macworld but I'm wondering if you have to be always on the Internet for it to work?

Review: https://www.macworld.com/article/3268786/software/sophos-home-premium-for-mac-review.html


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## Geoff Grace (Sep 4, 2018)

jcrosby said:


> Malwarebytes... Apple support told me it's the only one they'll recommend users run if they call in with adware/malware concerns... The free version is totally fine unless you want something that runs in the background all the time... (It still updates definitions, you just run it manually.) Run it every few months and you should be fine. (Obviously if things seem off though run it asap... It's also super fast. Never had it take more than 30-60 seconds to scan...
> 
> https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/


Apple recommended Malwarebytes to me too, a couple of months ago when I called tech support. It found and eliminated several pieces of malware on the first scan and none on any subsequent scans, which I suppose is to be expected as Mac-based malware and viruses aren't exactly rampant.

I hadn't mentioned Malwarebytes before now because I think it only combats malware and not viruses.

Best,

Geoff


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## jneebz (Sep 4, 2018)

Malwarebytes does protect against viruses, according to their website:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/


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## Geoff Grace (Sep 4, 2018)

How about that? Good to know. Thanks, @jneebz!

Best,

Geoff


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 4, 2018)

John's post inspired me to run Avast, which found about 100 pieces of little bit shit.

I've been running Malwarebytes all the time, and it's never found anything.


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## jcrosby (Sep 5, 2018)

EDITED: Misread something... 

Some useful links below, and an excerpt from one of the articles... The short answer to the initial post is that if any macOS software says it found 100 threats it's flat out lying, and intended to scare you into paying for it. Nuke it...

Excerpt from the second article....

_Apple goes to great lengths to protect you from malware by making it almost impossible for you to download it in the first place. The company has built anti-malware protection into macOS. For example, before you can open a file, your Mac will check it against a list of malware, and even if there is no reason for concern it will not allow you to open an application from a developer that it hasn’t already approved.

The Mac's malware scanning tool, Xprotect, works invisibly and automatically in the background and requires no user configuration. Apple has a list of malicious applications that it checks against when you open downloaded applications. Updates happen invisibly too. This is similar to having antivirus software from another software developer running on your Mac, with the bonus of being written into the operating system and therefore it doesn't hamper the speed of your Mac._

https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/mac-software/mac-viruses-malware-security-3668354/
https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/mac-software/can-macs-get-viruses-3454926/
https://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/osxcoldroot-and-the-rat-invasion/


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 5, 2018)

Update: I ended up removing Avast. It blocked every site that doesn't have a certificate, including Mozilla.

I can't say my system runs any better or worse after it moved all that stuff to its holding area. It's impressive that it found all those bad files, but it's too invasive and too busy trying to sell upgrades for my liking.


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## Geoff Grace (Sep 5, 2018)

jcrosby said:


> EDITED: Misread something...
> 
> Some useful links below, and an excerpt from one of the articles... The short answer to the initial post is that if any macOS software says it found 100 threats it's flat out lying, and intended to scare you into paying for it. Nuke it...
> 
> ...


Thanks for those links, @jcrosby. Good to know!

Unfortunately, this part doesn't bode too well for DAW users who are still waiting for plugin compatibility before upgrading to High Sierra (from Macworld UK):



Macworld UK said:


> On the basis that Apple addresses flaws and vulnerabilities with the Mac by issuing updates to the Mac operating system, it is important to keep your Mac up to date. We advise checking regularly for OS updates remains a key part of a sound security strategy.


Best,

Geoff


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 7, 2018)

Dept. of F Me In The Neck:

https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...e-doctor-utility-is-stealing-user-information


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 7, 2018)

&*##F!!!!!

^ That's Malwarebytes.

If you have it installed, remove the f out of it.

&*##F!!!!!&*##F!!!!!&*##F!!!!!&*##F!!!!!&*##F!!!!!&*##F!!!!!&*##F!!!!!&*##F!!!!!&*##F!!!!!


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 7, 2018)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomas...-browsing-history-away-to-china/#3d1e59ad448f


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## Geoff Grace (Sep 7, 2018)

Are you sure, *Nick*? I don't see the connection. In fact, the Forbes article below contains a quote from someone at Malwarebytes and no connection is made between them and Adware Doctor:

Apple Slammed As Massively Popular Mac App Steals Browsing History Away To China

It also posts an update below the article stating that Adware Doctor has been removed from Apple's App Store.

Best,

Geoff


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## Geoff Grace (Sep 7, 2018)

There's an article warning users on Malwarebytes' site:

Mac App Store apps are stealing user data

Best,

Geoff


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 7, 2018)

They were developed by the same person, but you may be right:

https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...-in-mac-app-store-that-are-stealing-user-data


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## Geoff Grace (Sep 7, 2018)

After reading the Apple Insider article, I'm more troubled as an Apple user than as a Malwarebytes user. It seems that the makers of Malwarebytes are reporting the bad actors and fighting against distribution of the exfiltrating software.

Apple, on the other hand, seems to be slow to act.

As the pirated software is a clone of a copy of a different product from the makers of Malwarebytes, I'm not sure that means there's reason to distrust Malwarebytes itself.

Best,

Geoff


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 7, 2018)

Let's hope you're right, because I've been running Malwarebytes for quite a while, and I don't want some Chinese server to know I visit music software porn sites.


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## Geoff Grace (Sep 7, 2018)

LOL! 
_
(Homer Simpson impression) "Gaaahghh, Komplete 12... (drool)."_

Best,

Geoff


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## jcrosby (Sep 8, 2018)

Geoff Grace said:


> After reading the Apple Insider article, I'm more troubled as an Apple user than as a Malwarebytes user. It seems that the makers of Malwarebytes are reporting the bad actors and fighting against distribution of the exfiltrating software.
> 
> Apple, on the other hand, seems to be slow to act.
> 
> ...


Yeah, looked like the opposite from the article. That said, always felt this way about AV software in general... You see the same thing with Chrome extensions. Anti-malware extensions eventually being classified basically as malware...

It's a grey market, hard to know what's what with absolute certainty, that's for damn sure...
(Case in point, Kaspersky AV allegedly gathering intel for the FSB...) https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/court-document-points-to-kaspersky-labs-cooperation-with-russian-security-service/2017/12/13/14ba9450-df42-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7f51693e164a

Looks like the only safe solution is to wear a condom while on the internet


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## PaulBrimstone (Sep 16, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Update: I ended up removing Avast. It blocked every site that doesn't have a certificate, including Mozilla.


I dumped Avast, too, from my studio machines when it failed to work properly — then found it had left malware on one of my older Macs, which took a whole afternoon to track down and kill. Avoid like the plague, I say...


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## jcrosby (Sep 18, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> &*##F!!!!!
> 
> ^ That's Malwarebytes.


A straw man indeed


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## NYC Composer (Sep 18, 2018)

There are two things I wish.

I wish I had never run email through my website back in 2006. I have a great Spam blocker on my Mac, but not the iPhone.

2. I wish Stormy Daniels would stop emailing me 20 times a day.


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## Fab (Sep 18, 2018)

stop going on dodgy sites mate!

It is annoying though, to be reminded of this. I don't use any anti virus software on my internet computer (OSX Sierra). Probably I have many viruses but who knows...damn, I have to re-learn this stuff.

I guess I can recommend what has worked for me for internet browsing purposes, in case you don't already do something like this;

I like a few useful browser extensions (mine is Firefox, with a combination of 'Ghostery' and 'Ublock') to speed up / make browsing better on most sites.

For my main email stuff I like it to be in my browser (mine is gmail), which seems to catch annoying spam, then I have a few other emails which I use for things which aren't friends, work or family.

I also use DuckDuckGo as my search engine..just personal preference and It's pretty lean which I like.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 18, 2018)

jcrosby said:


> A straw man indeed



I think you're the person who argued that room size does too have an effect on room acoustics, or something like that? It was a straw man argument because nobody claimed otherwise!

You do know what a straw man argument actually is, right? An argument you set up that nobody is actually making, but that you then proceed to attack?


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 18, 2018)

NYC Composer said:


> 2. I wish Stormy Daniels would stop emailing me 20 times a day



Did you tell her you prefer text messages?


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