Apple Flashback Removal Tool Hits Leopard

The malicious software known as Flashback has been a burden on the Apple world for some weeks now, Apple this week sending out an official Flashback removal tool to those users working with the Apple OS X Leopard operating system. This fix comes in the form of a security update not unlike what we've seen for OS X Lion in weeks past as well, this version coming in under the name Leopard Security Update 2012-003. This package comes aside another download by the name of FlashBack Removal Security Update, both of these downloads available via your own software update page which can be accessed by hitting the Apple in the upper right-hand side of your screen and scrolling down to "Software Update."

This set of two updates is ready to remove all known variants of the malware at hand. If you do use any version of Apple's OS X or Mac OS X software, you should check for a software update immediately. Flashback software has already found its way to thousands of computers across the entire earth, infecting users without their knowledge. The software then works to grab advertisement cash by having your web browsers load webpages without your consent, the creators of the Flashback software netting thousands of dollars in the process.

This software update is now live for both Apple's OS X 10.7 Lion as well as OS X 10.5 Leopard and can, once again, be accessed via a simple check of your Software Updates page from your desktop. This upgrade is not mandatory, but we suggest very much that you install and execute as soon as possible. Have a peek at our timeline below to see the effects of the Flashback software as it spread across the Apple world over the past few weeks.