Just had an Apple software update for Java that said it removed malware.
Was that bogus?
swordmaker may be able to help.
My bet is that it was legit. OSX is being torn up by java malware right now.
The problem is not exploit of the Apple's OS X but the Java that also runs on OS X that is being over hyped. Leo Laporte said you can actually disable Java!
Run the software update. Apple has addressed this problem in software updates.
“Just had an Apple software update for Java that said it removed malware.
Was that bogus?”
Nope, it was aimed at the Flashback malware. The Java update also removed the vulnerability, so attacks like Flashback won’t work.
This Cnet article was fairly worthless, as they didn’t make it clear that the latest Java patches remove the vulnerability.
There is apparently another variant that targets Microsoft Word for Mac, but you’re fine if you either don’t run Office, or simply don’t open documents from unknown sources. I didn’t see anything about a patch for this yet, it might be worth check Microsoft’s site for one.
I’ll also link a decent article on maximizing Mac security. It’s a bit overly paranoid in my view (I have Java and Flash installed, though I may get rid of standalone Flash). I guess at this point I’d recommend installing an anti-malware solution. I’m using Sophos, which is free and seems pretty lightweight.
http://www.securelist.com/en/blog/208193448/10_Simple_Tips_for_Boosting_The_Security_Of_Your_Mac