Tarmac virus on Mac: what it is and how to remove it
Tarmac virus (aka OSX/Tarmac) is a trojan virus that is delivered via OSX/Shlayer. D malware that is a recent version of OSX/Shlayer. According to the latest research, Tarmac virus is brought to macOS machines via fake Adobe Flash Player upgrades that distribute OSX/Shlayer. D.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps checked against Apple's current documentation and the security vendors' reports. We have not run the malware on a Mac. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Tarmac virus: summary
| Distribution | The trojan virus is delivered via OSX/Shlayer.D malware that comes from the OSX/Shlayer.D family and is installed via fake Flash Player updates |
|---|---|
| Name | Tarmac virus |
| Also known | OSX/Tarmac |
| Type | Malware |
| Sub-type | Trojan |
| Related file | This malicious product appears on the system through the AdobeFlashPlayerInstaller.dmg file |
| Removal | Scan the Mac with security software to find the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect for Mac scans for malware and unwanted programs. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 8 more facts
| OS-based | Even though Windows OS is more commonly targeted by malware developers, this time hackers decided to release a trojan that infects macOS systems |
|---|---|
| Operations | The malware might be capable of many things such as inserting other viruses, stealing private data, mining cryptocurrency, opening potentially infectious websites, etc. |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| Evidence | 5 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| First seen | 11 November 2019 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What Tarmac virus does on an infected Mac
From our report of Nov 2019 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Tarmac virus
- First, scan the system with powerful anti-virus to detect and get rid of the trojan horse.
What Tarmac virus can steal or download
From our report of Nov 2019 · not reviewed since
Tarmac virus (aka OSX/Tarmac) is a trojan virus that is delivered via OSX/Shlayer.D malware that is a recent version of OSX/Shlayer.
According to the latest research, Tarmac virus is brought to macOS machines via fake Adobe Flash Player upgrades that distribute OSX/Shlayer.D. The trojan appears on the system as the 1.74 MB AdobeFlashPlayerInstaller.dmg file that is encrypted by using the SHA-256 algorithm.
Nevertheless, the fake update comes signed by a non-existing person named Fajar Budiato and misuses an original Apple developer certificate coded 2L27TJZBZM. In addition, 27 AV engines find the fake Flash Player update file malicious.
Tarmac virus gets downloaded to a macOS system once OSX/Shlayer.D malware connects to a C&C server. Afterward, the malicious installation process begins and executes the trojan through this directory: Player.app/Contents/Resources/Player.app/Contents/MacOS/CB61E0A8408E by using administrative rights.
Continuously, Tarmac virus tries to get the victim to type in the administrator's password and if that is done, a fake Adobe Flash Player installer is displayed via WebView.
Keep in mind that the trojan virus would be able to access the macOS nevermind if the password has been entered by the user himself or not. Tarmac trojan is coded to steal passwords, other login details, and supposedly storing the data on some type of remote server.
Furthermore, there are many dangerous tasks that can be carried by Tarmac virus later on. This malware might slightly increase the power of your CPU and GPU, damage some files or software that is found on your macOS, install other viruses and infections, run multiple damaging processes in the background.
Additionally, Tarmac virus might introduce itself by harvesting the credentials and personal data that you have stored on your computer system. Afterward, the information might be used for identity theft or you might discover some private detail put up for sale on the Dark Web as this technique remains to be a great income source for some hackers.
Nevertheless, Tarmac virus might get hold of your Apple ID passwords, take screenshots, gain access to your camera or microphone, forcibly open browser windows that will prompt you to download some camouflaged products that are truly hidden malware.
Also, some trojans support cryptocurrency mining activity and run a specific module to collect Bitcoin, Lite coin or another type of digital currency on the infected PC by overusing its resources, including the CPU power.
If you ever spot this trojan in your macOS, you have to react immediately and remove Tarmac virus from the computer as soon as possible. If you do not really know if the malware has been hidden on your system, you can launch a thorough checkup with , or similar software to find out all the issues.
Tarmac removal should be performed only by using automatic removal software, otherwise, you can cause severe to your machine or its software. Additionally, you take some risks of missing crucial infection sources. If any type of malicious component remains on the system, the trojan virus can repeatedly appear on your computer after the next startup process.
How Tarmac virus got on your Mac
From our report of Nov 2019 · not reviewed since
Trojan infections can be easily distributed through potentially unwanted programs such as adware.
These odd apps might provide you with fake Adobe Flash Player installers that are known to include malware very often. Criminals like to camouflage their malware behind different app upgrades to give it a look of legitimacy.
You should keep all of your software regularly updated and always check on official reports about recently released updates. Continuously, include a strong antimalware program on your computer so that you will be informed if some type of camouflaged malware tries to sneak into your system unnoticed.
However, there are more ways of how trojan viruses might end up on your computer. These cyberthreats can be delivered through email spam that pretends to come from a reliable banking or healthcare-related organization. The malicious payload often comes inserted in an executable or word file that is attached to the bogus email message.
Last but not least, you should be aware of p2p sources such as The Pirate Bay or eMule as here you can get various cracked software and movies for free. Some criminals are likely to misuse these websites as they lack the required security.
How to remove Tarmac virus
How to remove Tarmac virus from a Mac
Start with the passwords and crypto, from another device: a stealer copies them in seconds.
Then clean the Mac, or erase it.
Step 1: Change passwords from another device first
If you pasted a command into Terminal or opened a downloaded file from Tarmac virus, assume the passwords saved in the browsers and in Keychain on this Mac are known to the attacker.
From a phone or a clean computer, change the e-mail password first, then banking, shopping, social and work accounts, and sign out of all other sessions on each one.
Move any cryptocurrency to a new wallet created on a clean device, because a seed phrase that was stored on this Mac is compromised. Do this before cleaning the Mac: cleaning does not undo the theft.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Step 2: Quit what is running that you do not recognize
Open Activity Monitor (in Applications > Utilities, or search for it with Command + Space).
In the CPU or Network tab, look for a process you did not install or whose name is random, select it, click the stop button (the octagon with an X) and choose Quit or Force Quit.
Note the name first: you will look for the same name in the next steps. Malware that comes back after a restart is handled in the next two steps.
Step 3: Remove unknown login items and background items
Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Under Open at Login and Allow in the Background, switch off or remove anything you do not recognize, especially items whose developer is shown as an unknown name or that appeared on the day you ran the command.
Then open Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder and check
~/Library/LaunchAgents,/Library/LaunchAgentsand /Library/LaunchDaemons for property list (.plist) files you did not add. Drag suspicious ones to the Bin, then restart the Mac.Step 4: Delete apps and downloads you did not intend to install
Open the Applications folder and your Downloads folder. Drag any app you did not install, and any disk image (
.dmg), installer (.pkg) or archive (.zip) that came from Tarmac virus or a site you do not trust, to the Bin, then empty the Bin.Also check
~/Library/Application Supportfor a folder with the same name as the app you removed.Step 5: Check the browsers for extensions and changed settings
In Safari open Settings > Extensions and General (homepage). In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Firefoxabout:addons.Remove any extension you did not add, and reset the homepage and search engine if they changed. Browsers hold saved passwords and cookies, which is why the password step comes first.
Step 6: If it was an infostealer, erase and reinstall macOS
Stealers copy data and often leave persistence you cannot be sure you found.
The only complete fix is to back up your personal files only (documents, photos, not apps or settings), then open System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings, or use macOS Recovery to erase the disk and reinstall macOS, as Apple describes in its support articles.
Restore only your files afterwards, and install apps again from their official sources.
Step 7: Report it and watch your accounts
Report the site and the command to the authorities in your country, and tell your bank if any card was saved in a browser or in Keychain.
Over the next weeks watch your e-mail, bank and exchange accounts for sign-ins and transfers you did not make. Keep the notes you made, such as the process names and the file dates, in case a bank or the police ask for them.
Full procedure with screenshots: Report a cyber attack or scam to the authorities
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. - it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
From our report of Nov 2019 · not reviewed since
Elimination guidelines for Tarmac virus on macOS
Do NOT try to remove Tarmac virus or any other trojan horse, ransomware or a similar complicated threat on your own.
There are numerous malicious components that can be spread all over the computer system. If you mix such a component with the legit file, you can run into more problems.
Make sure you update these apps before a scan to see if they can find the threat completely. To complete the Tarmac removal process, employ . Once the software finds virus damage for you you can continue with the automatical elimination.
According to experts from LosVirus.es, malware such as Tarmac trojan might be able to boot up automatically during every new computer startup process. This is the main reason why it is so important to eliminate all virus-related content at once. If you leave at least one infectious object, you might experience the same malware attack once you boot your PC again.
[GI=method-2]To get a chance to run anti-virus, perform System Restore on your computer:
After removal: passwords, accounts and prevention
Accounts come next
Because the PC showed tarmac virus in the list of installed apps, a sign of a program that could read browser data, the clean-up is only half of the work.
The other half happens in your online accounts.
Change passwords from a clean device, beginning with e-mail; sign out of all sessions; check forwarding rules and recovery phone numbers; and turn on two-step verification with an authenticator app or a passkey. Ask your bank to replace cards saved in the browser.
Why the order matters and what to check in each account: secure your accounts after malware.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about Tarmac virus
Can I safely uninstall Tarmac virus?
If you did not install Tarmac virus yourself and it is not part of your hardware or a program you rely on, yes. Uninstalling an unwanted program does not harm Windows. Before you do, search the exact name and publisher to be sure it is not a driver tool, a printer utility or a game launcher with an odd name.
Then remove it from Settings, Apps, Installed apps. Ignore any offers or warnings in its uninstaller about losing protection or performance. Afterwards check Startup apps and your browsers for leftovers, and restart once to confirm that it does not reinstall itself.
How do I stop programs like Tarmac virus from being installed again?
Most unwanted programs arrive through installers, so the fix is in how you install software. Download programs from their official sites or the Microsoft Store, not from download portals or ads above search results. During setup, choose Custom or Advanced installation and untick every extra offer, including browsers, toolbars and optimizers.
Decline update prompts that appear inside other programs unless you know them. In Windows Security, turn on reputation-based protection and potentially unwanted app blocking. These steps would most likely have stopped Tarmac virus before it reached the app list.
How dangerous is Tarmac virus?
Treat it as serious until proven otherwise. The visible sign is tarmac virus in the list of installed apps, and programs that behave this way often have more abilities than they show:
- copying passwords
- downloading other malware
- giving remote access
Its family is not known yet, so nobody can say which of these it uses. The good news is that the response is the same in every case and takes about an hour:
- cut the network
- remove the startup entry
- run an offline scan
- change passwords from a clean device
If someone had remote control, a full reset is safer.
Can a normal remote support program be a backdoor?
Yes. Tools such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer and ScreenConnect are legitimate, but whoever controls the account behind them controls the PC. Scammers install them during fake support calls, and some trojan campaigns install them silently because antivirus programs do not flag a genuine, signed product.
If you find one you did not set up, uninstall it, check Startup apps for related entries and change passwords from another device. If money or accounts were involved, call your bank and report the incident.
Is a trojan infection worth reporting to the police?
If there was harm, yes. Unauthorised payments, accounts used for fraud, blackmail or a remote session during a scam call all belong in a report, and banks often ask for its reference number before they refund anything.
If antivirus caught Tarmac virus before it ran and nothing was misused, there is nothing to report. Keep the evidence anyway:
- protection history
- the original download
- the dates
Businesses may also have to notify a data protection authority if personal data could have been accessed.
Why didn't my antivirus stop Tarmac virus?
New trojan builds are packed and changed often so that signatures do not match, and some are signed with stolen or bought certificates. Many arrive inside password-protected archives, which scanners cannot open until you extract them.
Some downloads also tell the user to turn off the antivirus "because it gives false alarms", a common line in cracked software instructions. Keep real-time protection on, never disable it for an installer, and run the offline scan whenever you suspect something slipped through.
Can Tarmac virus spread to other devices on my network?
Most trojans aimed at home users stay on the PC they infected, but an attacker with remote access can look at the network, open shared folders and try passwords on other devices. Loaders sometimes deliver worms or ransomware that do spread.
Disconnect the PC while cleaning, run a full scan on other Windows PCs, change the router's admin password and the Wi-Fi password if they were saved on the infected PC, and update the router's firmware. If other PCs show the same detection, treat them as infected too.
Should I reset my PC because of Tarmac virus?
Only if the signs point to deeper access. Reset when you see tarmac virus in the list of installed apps again after removal, when Windows Security cannot start or update, when remote access tools you did not install keep appearing, or when you simply cannot trust the PC any more.
Otherwise, the plan in this guide plus an offline scan is enough. If you do reset, choose Remove everything and Cloud download for a fresh copy of Windows, restore only documents and photos, and reinstall programs from their official sites. Change important passwords from the clean system afterwards.
What are the signs of a trojan infection?
Most trojans try to leave no visible signs, so look for side effects. Common ones:
- Windows Security turned off or unable to update
- new entries in Startup apps or Task Scheduler
- programs in Installed apps you did not install
- browser settings that changed by themselves
- unusual network activity while the PC is idle
- password-reset or login-alert e-mails you did not trigger
None of these proves an infection on its own. Together with an antivirus alert naming Tarmac virus, they are a strong reason to follow the full plan.
Will Fortect remove Tarmac virus?
Fortect for Mac scans for malware and unwanted programs, and its free scan shows what it finds on your Mac before you decide anything.
For Tarmac virus, follow the plan on this page as well: removing a launch item or an app is done in macOS itself, and a scanner cannot undo what was typed or entered on the infected Mac, such as saved passwords that were copied.
Change your passwords from another device first, and if the page tells you to erase the Mac, a scan is not a substitute. The free scan costs nothing and the full-featured product needs a license.
Sources
- Intego: OSX/Shlayer: New Mac malware comes out of its shell (read October 7, 2026)
- Confiant Blog: OSX/Shlayer new Shurprise.. unveiling OSX/Tarmac (no longer online) (read October 7, 2026)
- Virus Total: 27 engines detected this file. AdobeFlashPlayerInstaller.dmg (read October 7, 2026)
- LosVirus: LosVirus.es (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)