Safe Download Version Adds Manual Definitions Update

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Jeff Gamet

3:39 PM, Jun. 5th ET, 2011

Articles by Author Jeff Gamet on Twitter Contact Author Bio

Comments (10)

The Mac Observer’s code wizard Adam Christianson has been hard at work making Safe Download Version even better, and this latest update adds the ability to update to the most recent definition list file from within the application. Safe Download Version is a Mac OS X application that shows the version number for Apples safe files definition list, along with when the list was last updated on user’s computers.

Safe Download Version

Snow Leopard users that installed Apple’s Security Update 2011-003 can get daily safe file updates Safari uses to help make sure malware doesn’t find its way onto their Macs. Apple doesn’t, however, offer an easy way to tell when your definitions list was last updated, or what list version number is installed, so The Mac Observer whipped up Safe Download Version to handle that task for you.

Safe Download Version is a Mac OS X application that shows which safe downloads definition list version is installed, along with the date and time the definition list was last updated on your computer. The brand new version 0.4.1 update added the ability to manually update to the latest version of Apple’s definitions list.

Apple released Security Update 2011-003 in response to a trojan horse malware threat called MacDefender. The trojan horse looks like a legit application that scans your Mac for viruses.

MacDefender displays dialogs claiming it found malware, and then asks users for their credit card account information. To help reinforce the illusion that it found viruses, it forces Web browser windows to open to porno Web sites.

As new variants of MacDefender hit the Web, Apple will continue to update its safe download list with new malware definitions. Macs with Security Update 2011-003 installed will auto-check for the new definitions daily.

Safe Download Version 0.4.1 is free and available for download at the TMO Web site.

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10 Observer Comments

Lee Dronick

said on June 5th, 2011 at 7:39 PM (Edited: 10/18/2011 6:20 PM):

Thanks Jeff, Adam, et all. I appreciate you creating and offering this app.

Ronald Lanham said on June 6th, 2011 at 10:20 AM:

You can force an update of the definitions by unchecking the box “Automatically update safe downloads list” in the System Preferences Security pane > closing System Preferences > reopening the Security pane and _check_ the box again. Just remember to end up with it being checked.

I mention this for someone that may check and find that the definitions haven’t been updated for some time.

Lee Dronick

said on June 6th, 2011 at 10:31 AM (Edited: 10/18/2011 6:20 PM):

I mention this for someone that may check and find that the definitions haven’t been updated for some time.

I am thinking that it updates on a restart and some people leave their Macs running for days.

Ronald Lanham said on June 6th, 2011 at 12:07 PM:

In testing DP3, etc. I end up restarting SL at least once a day and yet the definitions don’t update sometimes for days.

It may just be that Apple doesn’t update them daily.

Lee Dronick

said on June 6th, 2011 at 12:12 PM (Edited: 10/18/2011 6:20 PM):

It may just be that Apple doesn’t update them daily.

Good point. OSX may check for updates on a startup, but there may not be a new version. Apple may have just threw this into the breech while working on a more sophisticated defense.

abedard said on June 15th, 2011 at 9:45 AM:

Beware!

Using the Safe Download to update the malware definition, reset my Keychain Access, wiping all my password data. And tthe problem was replicacable.

It seems related to changing persmission access to the Keychain.
My Keychain access password is different of the session password.

I was able to retreive my keychain data from my backup.

Scott B in DC said on June 19th, 2011 at 6:55 PM:

This script does not work on my system. I get the message: “We didn’t find the OS X Safe Download definition on your system. please run Software Update.” However, the files are there!

Running “defaults read /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.meta LastModification” tells me that the file was last updated on “Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:01:16 GMT” and “defaults read /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.meta Version” tells me it is Version 20.

Could the script be looking in the wrong location???

Barry Giordano said on June 22nd, 2011 at 1:00 PM:

I am new to the Mac and really appreciate your efforts in providing this very useful utility.

Henry Westbrook said on June 25th, 2011 at 4:15 PM:

I get the same information yet they are there and I have that security up. I am running 10.6.8 ...

Henry Westbrook said on June 25th, 2011 at 4:17 PM:

I get the same error message as Scott B in DC yet they are there and I do have that security update installed. Is the script wrong??? I have version 0.4.1

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