Apple Releases Security Update To Remove Mac Defender

Apple has released a software update that is able to automatically find and remove known variants of the MacDefender malware. The company added a “OSX.MacDefender.A” definition to the malware check  and while installation the malware should be find and removed, then users should be notified that the MacDefender is removed.

Apple maintains a list of known malicious software that is used during the safe download check to determine if a file contains malicious software. The list is stored locally, and with Security Update 2011-003 is updated daily by a background process.

Security Update 2011-003 provides additional protection by checking for the MacDefender malware and its known variants. If MacDefender malware is found, the system will quit this malware, delete any persistent files, and correct any modifications made to configuration or login files. After MacDefender is identified and removed, the message below will be displayed the next time an administrator account logs in.