Garmin App Warning

[bdalameda]

I just received a notification that there was an update for my Garmin Express application to upset maps and firmware on my Garmin Devices. I clicked on the notification as it appeared legitimate and found out that this was not from Garmin and it loaded malware on my Mac computer. I started to get multiple notifications that I had a virus that were all phony and my Mac became almost unusable due to popup notifications and glitches. It even locked me out of the notification menus so I could not turn them off. The only way I found to resolve all of this was to wipe the hard drive and re-install everything. So if you get a legitimate looking notification from Garmin - be warned - go directly to Garmin to determine if there are updates.

 

[JohnK]

Thanks for the heads up. Same with McFee, Amazon and are legit looking emails from many posing as known software companies and services along with texts - most folks email and phone numbers are on the dark web these days anyways. Just like you said double check.

 

[Mellow]

I rarely believe any emails. For garmin, always go to the Garmin express app for updates.

 

[bdalameda]

This actually was not an email but a pop-up on the top right hand screen of my laptop that looked like it was from Garmin. I reacted before I thought about it.

 

[Mellow]

This actually was not an email but a pop-up on the top right hand screen of my laptop that looked like it was from Garmin. I reacted before I thought about it.

Oh that's a tricky one, not sure I wouldn't have been fooled by that as well.

 

[ST Gui]

With emails on Macs, hovering the cursor over the sender's address will reveal the actual address if different from the obvious/purported address. Most of us won't click on the links provided anyway and instead go to the site. It's odd that my bank and other sites that regularly send me emails will warn me with the previous advice. Yet they will often have links in those emails.

Malware can come from someone planting it on a site that doesn't detect it or doesn't care. Then you can get a popup that because it's a popup and not an email or immediate result of clicking on a site - looks legit.

Getting a "notification" in the right hand corner can easily pass for a legit notification. Someone has done a little homework on that. Getting a typical popup "You have three viruses on your computer..." is a huge red flag. You can check in Notifications > System Preferences whether or not you have notifications enabled for a given app. That might help determine if it's genuine. But yeah if it looks liegit it's all so easy to just click.

Malwarebytes (malwarebytes.com) is available for both Mac and Windows. On the Mac side it has a free and a subscription app. I don't use the subscription app but I do use the freebie. It's not going to catch hardcore malware but it can find and isolate a lot of the basic script kiddie and more.

Then there are DNS hijacks...

 

[jfheilman]

I just received a notification that there was an update for my Garmin Express application to upset maps and firmware on my Garmin Devices. I clicked on the notification as it appeared legitimate and found out that this was not from Garmin and it loaded malware on my Mac computer. I started to get multiple notifications that I had a virus that were all phony and my Mac became almost unusable due to popup notifications and glitches. It even locked me out of the notification menus so I could not turn them off. The only way I found to resolve all of this was to wipe the hard drive and re-install everything. So if you get a legitimate looking notification from Garmin - be warned - go directly to Garmin to determine if there are updates.

Just curious, do you have any Antivirus software on your Mac. I have not had your issue directly but have clicked on some links in webpages I should not have and my Antivirus blocked the intruder (forgot the real message). I ask just to be informed as to what might or might not work.

 

[Al st1100]

my garmin states on the gps screen that updated are available. Then maybe I might update it and go to garmin express

 

[bdalameda]

Just curious, do you have any Antivirus software on your Mac. I have not had your issue directly but have clicked on some links in webpages I should not have and my Antivirus blocked the intruder (forgot the real message). I ask just to be informed as to what might or might not work.

No I don't have any third party anti-virus on my Mac. I used to have Malwarebytes on a previous Mac I had but not on my new laptop.

 

[SMSW]

Thanks for the heads up.

Just curious, do you have any Antivirus software on your Mac. I have not had your issue directly but have clicked on some links in webpages I should not have and my Antivirus blocked the intruder (forgot the real message). I ask just to be informed as to what might or might not work.

What AV software are you using?

 

[jfheilman]

Right now it's Bitdefender. I will be considering changing to PC Matic when, in the coming months, Bitdefender "expires". Almost all the anti-virus software are made in places other than the USA. Bitdefender is from Romania if I remember correctly. PC Matt is made here in the USA>

 

[Hound]

I just received a notification that there was an update for my Garmin Express application to upset maps and firmware on my Garmin Devices.

Well, it upset them all right.

Although I have the 2024.10 version of City Navigator installed on my Zumo, Garmin Express keeps insisting I "update" it to 2021.10. So that's not a lot of use either!

 

[jfheilman]

You could inquire about the issue on the Zumo Users Forum (See link below). They respond fairly quickly.

 

[ST Gui]

(See link below)

? (Asking for a friend.)

 

[jfheilman]

? (Asking for a friend.)

I thought I put it in but, must not have "clicked" the right button/thing.

Zumo Users Forum