A new piece of malware was discovered this week and has already infected more than 250 million machines.
Fireball
Originating out of China, Fireball changes the default search engine and tracks web traffic. The malware also has the ability to remotely run any code on the victim’s machine, or download new malicious files. It’s potentially serious malware, disguised as something more trivial. It allows attackers to manipulates the browser to surf revenue generating sites.
Am I infected?
To check if you’re infected, first open your web browser.
- Was your home-page set by you?
- Are you able to modify it?
- Are you familiar with your default search engine and can modify that as well?
- Do you remember installing all of your browser extensions?
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘NO’, this is a sign that you’re infected with adware.
I’m infected! What do I do?
- Uninstall the adware by removing the application from the Programs and Features list in the Windows Control Panel.
For Mac OS users:
- Use the Finder to locate the Applications
- Drag the suspicious file to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash.
2. Scan and clean your machine, using an anti-malware/adware cleaner software
3. Remove malicious Add-ons, extensions or plug-ins from your browser
4. Restore your browser to default settings