After the recent debacle surrounding a piece of malware that has infected somewhere around 600,000 Macs worldwide, Apple has pushed out a software update to fix the issue.
A quick and easy to install Java update will pop up on all Macs running OS X within the next few days, or for those who want an instant fix you can simply click the Apple in the top left corner of your screen followed by Software Update.
The 66MB download updates the Java application within OS X, removing most common versions of the Flashback Trojan Downloader in the process, says Apple.
Apple’s notes along with the software update read as follows:
“This update also configures the Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets. Users may re-enable automatic execution of Java applets using the Java Preferences application. If the Java web plug-in detects that no applets have been run for an extended period of time it will again disable Java applets. This update is recommended for all Mac users with Java installed.”
So it looks as though Apple is killing two birds with one stone; removing the problem on any affected Macs and updating Java to prevent such an issue happening again in the future.
Several security firms, including Kaspersky Labs, have tracked Flashback and estimated that around 600,000 Macs are infected, ranging from the iMac desktop to Apple’s portable MacBooks. While it may look large, the total number of Macs infected represent around 1% of all Mac computers worldwide.
If you’re wary of infections, tell your Mac to find the update now by heading to the Apple icon followed by Software update. The update shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes to download, and after a quick reboot you should be good to go again.
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