How to Deal With Mshelper, the Latest Mac Malware
It took a lot of time with as long as Apple could argue that its computers do not contain viruses. Even powerful Mac owners have to keep an eye on the latest vulnerabilities and malware like everyone else, and there are some new Mac malware you should be aware of.
Reddit user BackwardsBinary noticed that “mshelper” is malware designed to overload your Mac’s resources, resulting in drastically reduced battery life (and your laptop will probably get a little warmer and louder). It is unclear where this malicious code came from and what it does, but one popular theory is that it is cryptojacking software designed to mine cryptocurrency on your computer without your knowledge. Ugh.
Cryptojacking can push your processor into overdrive, which can cause permanent damage to your computer or mobile device. So, if this is what we are dealing with, you need to clean up your Mac as soon as possible. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to identify and root mshelper.
The first thing you need to do is confirm if mshelper is installed on your Mac. To find out, open Activity Monitor and go to the CPU tab. You should see a list of all applications and software running on your computer. Make sure they are organized by resource usage (% CPU). If present, mshelper should appear at the top of the list. If it doesn’t appear, you can also reorder the list by name in alphabetical order to double check if it really isn’t there.
If you do find malware on your Mac, you’ll have to go in and delete a few files on your system to remove it. Open Macintosh HD (if you can’t find it, just search in Spotlight). Then go to Library, click LaunchDaemons, find the file labeled “com.pplauncher.plist” and delete it. Then go back to the library, click on “Application Support” and delete the file that says “pplauncher”. Finally, restart your Mac.
Thus, you must be protected from the latest Mac malware. Just be careful not to upload suspicious files in the future to avoid horrible software.