How to remove Tiny FUD Trojan (Mac)

What is Tiny FUD Trojan

Tiny FUD Trojan is a sophisticated piece of malware that specifically targets macOS users, employing stealthy tactics to infiltrate systems undetected. The acronym FUD stands for Fully Undetectable, highlighting its capability to bypass traditional security measures. This Trojan disguises its malicious processes to appear as legitimate system activities, effectively evading detection by antivirus software. It employs techniques like DYLD injection to manipulate how macOS loads certain libraries, further concealing its presence from monitoring tools. Once embedded in the system, Tiny FUD connects to a remote command-and-control server, granting attackers the ability to execute commands remotely, steal sensitive data, and capture screenshots of the victim’s activities. This level of access can lead to serious privacy breaches, financial losses, and identity theft. Removing this malware is crucial to protect personal information and maintain system integrity.

How Tiny FUD Trojan infected your system

Tiny FUD Trojan is a sophisticated piece of malware that primarily targets macOS systems, utilizing various deceptive techniques to infiltrate and compromise computers. One common method of infection is through phishing emails, where cybercriminals send emails with malicious attachments or links that, once opened, download the Trojan onto the system. Additionally, Tiny FUD can be distributed via malicious ads on compromised websites, which exploit vulnerabilities in the user’s browser to silently install the malware. Another prevalent vector is through pirated software downloads or cracking tools, which often come bundled with the Trojan, tricking users into installing it alongside the desired application. The Trojan is also known to exploit software vulnerabilities, taking advantage of unpatched systems to gain unauthorized access. Once inside, Tiny FUD leverages advanced techniques like process name manipulation and DYLD injection to remain undetected while connecting to a remote command-and-control server, allowing attackers to execute commands and steal sensitive information without the user’s knowledge.

Remove Tiny FUD Trojan from macOS manually

Removing Tiny FUD Trojan from macOS requires a systematic approach that involves a combination of built-in tools, safe computing practices, and sometimes third-party software. Here’s a comprehensive guide to identifying and removing viruses from your Mac, ensuring your system’s integrity and security.

Step 1: Disconnect from the Internet

1. Disconnect your Mac from the Internet. This prevents the virus from sending data to its creator or downloading more malicious software. Turn off Wi-Fi and unplug any Ethernet cables.

Step 2: Enter Safe Mode

2. Restart your Mac in Safe Mode. Safe Mode performs a check of your startup disk and restricts certain software from automatically loading or opening.
   • For Intel-based Macs: Restart your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login window.
   • For Apple Silicon Macs: Turn off your Mac, press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window, select your startup disk, press and hold the Shift key, then click Continue in Safe Mode.

Step 3: Use Built-in Tools for Malware Removal

3. Use Finder to identify and remove suspicious applications.
   • Open Finder, go to the Applications folder, and look for any applications you don’t recognize or didn’t intentionally download.
   • Right-click the suspicious application and select Move to Trash, then empty the Trash.
4. Use macOS built-in malware removal tool (MRT). macOS automatically runs MRT in the background, but you can manually run a malware scan by updating your software.
   • Go to System Preferences > Software Update.
   • Install any available updates, as these often include the latest security improvements and malware definitions.

Step 4: Check and remove Tiny FUD Trojan from Login Items

Note: Tiny FUD Trojan may set up to start on macOS startup. Therefore, before starting the removal, perform these steps:

1. Open System Preferences, choose Users & Groups.
2. Choose your account (set up as Current User).
3. Click Login Items tab.
4. Find suspicious entries. Select it, and click the “-“ (minus) button to remove them.

Step 5: Check and remove Tiny FUD Trojan Malicious Device Profile

Important update: Tiny FUD Trojan can install malicious Device Profile called AdminPrefs or similarly on MacOS, that won’t allow users to make changes to browser search engine and homepage settings. Follow instructions below to remove this profile.

Remove Tiny FUD Trojan profile

1. Go to System Preferences and click on Profiles.
2. In the list of profiles on the left side, choose AdminPrefs or other profile and click on “-” button to remove it.
3. In your case it can be named differently, in this case remove all visible profiles. Check the picture below to see how it looks like.

Step 6: Reset Your Web Browsers

Reset Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Go to the Privacy section of Safari’s preferences.
3. Click Remove All Website Data button.
4. In the opened window, click Remove Now button to remove data stored by websites in Safari.
5. Go to the Advanced section of Safari’s preferences.
6. Click the Show Develop menu in menu bar option.
7. In the menu, click Develop and select Empty Caches from this menu.
8. Again, go to Safari menu and choose Clear History….
9. Choose to clear all history and click Clear History button.

Reset Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://settings.
3. Scroll down and find Show advanced settings link.
4. Click on it and scroll down to the bottom again.
5. Click Reset settings button and click Reset to confirm.

Reset Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:support.
3. Click Refresh Firefox… button.
4. Click Refresh Firefox to confirm.

Step 7: Restore from a Backup

8. If the issue persists, consider restoring your Mac from a backup.
   • Use Time Machine or another backup system to restore your Mac to a state before it was infected.
   • Ensure the backup you choose predates the malware infection.

Prevention Tips

• Keep your macOS updated. Regularly check for and install macOS updates to ensure you have the latest security patches.
• Be cautious with downloads and attachments. Only download software from trusted sources like the Mac App Store or official websites.
• Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where possible.
• Consider enabling the macOS firewall in System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
• Regularly back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup solution to ensure you can recover your system if needed.

Following these steps should help you remove most viruses from your Mac. If you continue to experience issues, consider seeking help from Apple Support or a professional cybersecurity service.