Apple has finally acknowledged the recent rise of a fake antivirus program for Mac OS X and has promised to deliver a software update to remove the malware.
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A few weeks ago, a piece of malware known as MacDefender started spreading to Mac OS X users. The software, also known as MacProtector and MacSecurity, warns a victim that his or her computer is infected and goes through a complex installation process for the rogue antivirus. The ultimate goal of the malware is to retrieve a victim’s credit card information.
“In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants,” Apple stated on its support page. “The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware.”
Apple also posted instructions on how to avoid installing the Mac Defender malware as well as how to remove it from an affected computer.
Calls to AppleCare about the malware appear to be high. ZDNet estimates that anywhere between 60,000 and 120,000 Mac OS X users could have been affected by the Mac Defender attack.
