Mac antivirus

Hi do I need one? I only ask cos I went on Iraq goals and safari said the site contains malware, do u think I have a virus?

*Apple fixes old Java for Mac security holes*
By Ryan Naraine | May 19, 2010
Multiple vulnerabilities exist in Java 1.5.0_22, the most serious of which may allow an untrusted Java applet to execute arbitrary code outside the Java sandbox. Visiting a web page containing a maliciously crafted untrusted Java applet may lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user.
An out of bounds memory access issue exists in the handling of mediaLibImage objects. Visiting a web page containing a maliciously crafted untrusted Java applet may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user. This issue only affects the Mac OS X implementation of Java.
ZDnet Security
SQL-injection method to serve up adware, combined with other technologies like the Safari auto-fill (a hidden field on a page) could well be called a virus or trojan although they aren't by name, I think the average casual user would call them such.
Adobe ships critical PDF Reader patch
These vulnerabilities could cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.
And if you use QuickTime for Windows:
Apple has shipped QuickTime 7.6.7 to fix a critical vulnerability that exposes Windows users to malicious hacker attacks. The update, available for Windows XP SP3 and later, Windows Vista and Windows 7, corrects a flaw that could be exploited to launch remote code execution attacks.
According to Apple’s advisory, the flaw could be exploited with a maliciously crafted movie file. A stack buffer overflow exists in QuickTime’s error logging. Viewing a maliciously crafted movie file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This issue is addressed by disabling debug logging. This issue does not affect Mac OS X systems.
Keep your system patched, backed up, and up to date. The fact is security needs to be taken seriously, and a system can be compromised.

Similar Messages

MAC Antivirus Software

Hi, having loved my iphone, I have just taken the leap and bought a MAC Book Pro (normally a PC user). I have read that the MAC is not susceptable to PC virus attacks, however I assume there are MAC virus's out there. THis being the case, what is the best MAC antivirus to get - can some one recommend one ? I usually use McAffee
Thanks

I run Clam ( http://www.clamxav.com/index.php?page=dl ) on my downloads, every now and again; not so much for protection of my Mac, but to avoid passing on any viruses. Not that I feel obliged to do that, I just don't like helping the 'bad guys.'
ewww is mostly correct. If you use Safari, it is easy to install software that is not wanted, and dangerous. Yahoo does it, and they don't warn or ask you about it.
It's not the Mac that is safe, it's the underlying OS. UN*X unlike windows is setup for security, and was beat up in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s; long before Windows took off, or even OS9. Windows (and DOS) was not designed for networking, and that's the problem. Many of the problems that PCs face is because of the sharing that goes on under the hood through IE, and Office. Excel is known for passing bad stuff through Macros, so much so they are disabled by default.
Also, Macs were ignored as they had (and have) a small share of the market.
It is quite easy to get someone to install software that is dangerous. You have to be careful and not install anything you don't trust. Having said that, even the really bad stuff won't have enough privileges to do much.
I suggest you set up a separate admin account on your box, and don't call it admin or administrator or root, and remove the admin privileges from the account you use normally. This is a common UN*X standard setup.
NOTE: I don't run any type of anti-virus or malware protection. I do run Opera, and have never had a problem, even going to known bad sites. I can't say the same for Safari.
Also, your iPhone is more vulnerable than your Mac.

ESET Cybersecurity for Mac Antivirus/Antispyware Software

Just switched from PC to Mac (first-time Mac user). Previously, I used ESET Antivirus software during my PC years and was pleased. Thinking about installing ESET Cybersecurity for Mac Antivirus/Antispyware software. Any thoughts???

As sig says, you don't really need it. Even though there has just been the worst outbreak of malware in Mac history*, you're still safe as long as you don't fall for such scams and install the software. There are no viruses that can make their way onto your Mac without your assistance. Take a look at my Mac Virus Guide, and if you still want AV software, get ClamXav.
* Disclaimer: links to my pages may give me compensation, and should not be taken as endorsement of my services by Apple.

Do you know a great mac antivirus?

I am thinking of downloading things using torrents, but then i'll need a great antivirus. Do you know a great one, for this kind of use?

Hi...
Viruses are not so much the issue for Macs but malware can be.
Great help here > Thomas' Corner : Mac Virus Guide
Torrents can cause problems...

Protect Mac Antivirus 'Failure to remove threat'

I have a Mac running OS X version 10.8.5. I also have a habit of signing up to things on websites, which has laid me open to a lot of spam email.
I was recently bombarded by a Suspect.doubledheaded zip file virus with an attachment, claiming to be from DHL. These were all caught by the anti virus software. Some of them had already been chucked straight into the spam file by Mail. Most threats wre deleted but there are several which will not delete. the subject line above shows the message that I get.
I have created a very severe rule in Mail, which is blocking almost all emails, now, but a new virus email is getting through (seems to be the same one), claiming to be from Royal Mail. I am receiving one every ten minutes, just like the DHL ones.
I want to know, please:
A) - Does it matter that it hasn't deleted some of them? Is that because I have deleted them from Mail?
B) - If answer to A) is Yes, what do I do please?
C) - Is there a way for me to find out where these emails are actually coming from, so that I can block them more effectively? I bet there is one source.
Thank you
From someone who is fairly non-technical.
Emily Edwards

First, note that ProtectMac isn't particularly good. When I tested it in January, it missed almost 20% of all the samples I threw at it. Uninstall it. You will need to use the uninstaller in the original disk image (.dmg) file that contained the installer. If you don't have that anymore, re-download it from the developer's site.
Regarding the need for Mac anti-virus software, see my Mac Malware Guide.
As for how to handle those e-mails, they're just Windows malware at most. Totally harmless to your Mac. I wouldn't recommend using a static rule for handling this kind of thing, since, as you've found, it won't work for long. Spam like this is constantly changing in an attempt to get past sophisticated spam filters... a home-rolled Mail rule stands no chance.
Instead, just mark the messages that get through as junk. This helps to teach Mail what is and is not junk, and it will eventually take care of them by itself (for a while, until a new variant of the spam appears).
Finally, note that if you do continue using anti-virus software, you should never allow that software to delete malware from Mail messages. Doing so can corrupt the index of the mailbox containing the message, and doesn't remove it from the server, so it may simply end up right back on your computer. To properly remove malware, see How to remove infected files.

Best mac antivirus software?

im considering buying intego's VirusBarrier X6. thoughts?

Is someone forcing you to run AV on your Mac?
You subject is a bit difficult to answer in that there is nothing performance-wise you can use to effectively compare any Mac AV software. None of them will actually find any Mac viruses, so you're left with deciding which one will break your Mac the least. Under that criteria, ClamXAV is a good choice.
As for Virusbarrier, see these search results: http://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?threadID=&q=intego+virusbarrier&objID=& dateRange=all&userID=&numResults=30

Anti virus for mac, anti virus for mac

Is ther an anti virus for mac?

Sophos free home use for mac
http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-ed ition.aspx
also ClamXav available free from apple store
I found I was happier with sophos running
http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57422099-285/two-free-mac-antivirus-apps-com pared/
read
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/askjack/2010/feb/03/apple-data-computer-sec urity
Personal Preference.

Are there evidence of Bots on macs with up to date software?

Comcast has told me I have bots generating from my all mac network. They want me to install Norton Mac antivirus software and pay $100 for someone to analyze my mac. I am actually an internet security expert and I am very doubtful of their claims.
For example they told me they traced my IP address to a bot army. Since I use dynamic DNS with an apple extreme router, I already know that I get a new IP address every few weeks. I wonder how they are tracing IP addresses?
So if I keep Java and my Mac OS up to date, has there been an incidence of a Bot invasion with up to date Mac software that would be found by Norton?

~Bee wrote:
I went over the Comcast forums, and this stuff is all over the place.
The Comcast forums are no different than the Apple forums. The only people posting are the ones having problems. Out of 16 million subscribers, I'm sure there are quite a few bittorrent and peer-to-peer users.
To quote Comcast:
We identify infected computers in several ways. First, we get data from reputable Internet research
groups that specialize in bot identification. The data we get includes a list of Internet Protocol (IP)
addresses that are infected and those that belong to bot command and control channels. Second,
we look for malicious behavior exhibited by bots such as spam, distributed denial of service attacks
and repeated connections requests to known command and control channels. We then aggregate
this data to confirm whether one or more of your computers has been infected.
The way bittorrent and peer-to-peer software works is that your computer will make a massive number of connections to machines looking for software. Some of those servers are what are known as "honeypots". They will collect your IP address, the software or files you are searching for, the software or files you are sharing, and forward it along to Comcast and others. Some of them may try to call you back hoping to find a Windows machine at the other end they can take over (as in a "bot"). That is going to fail on a Mac, but Comcast will know that they tried and then "aggregate" that fact.

Mac Malware/poisoned images

Two detailed articles that go into greater depth of the malware attacking Mac users.
http://www.securelist.com/en/blog/6211/Rogueware_campaign_targeting_Mac_users
http://blog.unmaskparasites.com/2011/05/05/thousands-of-hacked-sites-seriously-p oison-google-image-search-results/
If your new to the party:
Mac targeted trojans are making their rounds mostly by poisoned images from Google.
The exploit depends upon Javascript, you can choose to turn it off in Safari preferences, however large portions of the web don't display or operate correctly without Javascript running.
A easier preventative option would be to use Firefox and the NoScript Add-on, use Firefox toobar customization to drag a NoScript button to the toolbar.
NoScript turns off all scripts and plug-ins by default, which you enable on a per site, per need, per visit type basis by clicking the NoScript button.
Firefox also has a pop-up window with a opt out before the downloads occurs, another safety step.
If you have click happy types types, it's advised to install the Public Fox ad-on as well, set a password on the broswer downloads.
If you have the trojan web page on your Mac's screen, simply use Apple Menu > Force Quit to quit the browser.
If you've downloaded but not run the installer, delete it immediatly from your downloads folder.
If you've installed the trojan and gave it your admin password, you need to backup your files to a external drive and c boot off the installer disk and Disk Utility > Erase with Zero your whole boot drive and reinstall OS X fresh, re-install all programs from original sources, scan your files with a AV software and then return them to your computer.
If you gave the AV software your credit card information, you need to call the credit card company and cancel the charge and freeze it. Assume your identity has been stolen and take appropriate action to defend your identity.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
Some other advice:
Use only low amount debit/credit cards online with amounts your willing to risk losing.
Do not enable overdraft protection with these on line type cards.
Maintain the bulk of your funds in more secure, no user electronic access accounts (keep the blame for loss entirely on the bank)
Beware that banks and credit card companies like to increase your credit/debit card limits without notice.
If you lose a considerable amount of funds through a electronic means in your control, like a ATM, credit card, debit card or on line banking, expect a very long and tiresome legal battle to hopefully regain those funds and prove fault.
(note: I receive no compensation from mentioning these sites/article or their solutions, etc)

WZZZ wrote:
Still don't understand you're recommendation for a clean install, if user gives password. Again, I thought it had been established that just cleaning out the malware files was adequate. That's why I'm asking what new did you learn, if anything, to lead you recommend this drastic remedy?
None other than the website at the link stating it need the root password to install.
"For the application to be installed, the user needs to input his root password."
http://www.securelist.com/en/blog/6211/Rogueware_campaign_targeting_Mac_users
It's wrong to assume this malware or any malware is going to remain what it is. Or assume what you see is what you get.
If the code was examined of this present version of the malware and found not to cause any further damage outside of installing itself, then that's one thing, but the potential to do more damage is there in future or other versions of this exact malware is there.
Remember a goal of a lot of these malware authors is to gain control of the machine for later use.
If they know their rogue code is going to attract attention, they could be using the "MACDefender" as a cover, hope to get some fools dropping $99, let people THINK that it's a easy removal when in truth it installs or changes something much more covert, calls home, opens a port or some other action that will allow return access later.
So far this malware has changed
Best Mac Antivirus, MACDefender, MACProtector, MACSecurity, Apple Security Center...
If the user doesn't give it (or any malware) the admin password, perhaps just removing the files like before will be adequate depending upon the privilege level the malware was run in and upon close examination of it's code.
However, most users can't just can't simply assume the malware they see is the same one as before and a simple deletion is fine and dandy.
To refresh:
OS X has three "privilege levels": General, Admin and Root
Without using some sort of privilege escalation exploit, any malware running uses the privileges of the user level it's running in.
Root user is turned off by default, however a Admin level user can access the "sudo window" 5 minutes of Root User privileges by giving their Admin Password to a rogue program.
This is how Software Updates and program installs across users, hooks into the operating system etc., are performed.
So the following situations can occur depending what the user privilege level is and what the user does with the malware.
A: Very bad: (root level access)
If the user gives the admin password to any malware, the malware has a 5 minute "root user" time window to do whatever it pleases to the computer. Complete and total access to everything, including firmware. There is hope that if the firmware(s) wasn't attacked, the user can simply boot off the installer disk, zero their boot drive in Disk Utility and reinstall OS X.
Most likely, if a user gives malware their admin password, they are going to need professional help to ensure the firmware isn't compromised or the malware can return.
B: Can be very bad: (admin level access)
If the user is a Admin User and any malware is run, with no password entered, it can certainly do considerable amount of damage, alter programs and root the machine eventually by slow methods including privilege escalation(s). Most certainly can delete or encrypt user files.
Since OS X is setup as the first user being a Admin, and a lot of people remain that first Admin user, in this case it's perhaps best not to take any chances and backup > reinstall OS X, fresh programs from sources etc., to completely clear the machine.
If one has the capability to examine the malware code before it's run and has the opportunity to delete parts of itself, is well trained in programing and so forth. Naturally a compete wipe and reinstall is unnecessary, they know that already.
C: Is bad, but easily recovered if certain things don't happen. (general user access)
If the user is a General User and any malware is run, with no password entered, it can do damage to user files,. If they are then encrypted like what ransom ware does, then it's bad if there is no uninfected backup of the data.
Rogue code has the least amount of access in General User, thus it's easier to remove as it's confined to the General User's access folders. Once it's all found and removed, the computer's security should be restored.
Still the malware could upload all user files and unencrypted files read by others.
So, since this malware asks for the Admin password to install, it has to be assumed it had total and complete access to the machine.
If the user can't understand the code, then they really don't know if the simple removal methods were adequate enough.

Mac word virus

My server is comcast.net. when i send attachments in word via email they appear in my sent folder but never arrive at their destination. I have been told that i possibly have a virus and comcast is blocking my word attachments. i can send rtf or ppt and they work fine. i currently do not have an antivirus program and am wary of installing one. please help with a fix!! thanks!

It could be that the recipient's email client will not allow any word attachments to be opened. That's the default setting for some windows email clients.
You can safely install and use ClamXAV. It's a free Mac antivirus app. Since it's free, you won't get a guarantee that it will work or even that it won't damage your Mac. On the other hand, it's been extensively tested and used by lots of folks. You can search through discussions or Google it (and you should if you've never heard of it before) to make sure it's safe to use. I use it, and lots of folks that post here do as well. but like I said, you should research anything before you install it.
http://www.clamxav.com/
hth
Jeff

What antivirus works best with Lion?

I am running a mid 2010 build 13" MacBook Pro with Lion (from a clean install rather than from a Snow Leopard upgrade) and my existing Kaspersky antivirus for Mac licence is running out.
I occasionally use Parallels 6 & Windows 7 and have that protected by Norton.
Has anyone any recommendations on what is the best Mac antivirus program that is compatible with Lion?
Thanks,
george_51

Thanks for the help everyone.
I found my machine to be really really slow the day after the Kaspersky licence had expired so I then deleted Kaspersky completely and guess what my machine was back to its usual swift self - definitely a thumbs down for the folks at Kaspersky... It also put an end to three automated e-mails a day from them asking me to renew my licence.
After looking around I trialled ClamXAV but then decided to rely on my Lion firewall, my own good sense (perhaps the weakest link in this chain) and Little Snitch which I bought after trialling the download.
Job done.
g

What Antivirus software is recommended?

Was looking at where to post this message... so apologies if in wrong discussion.
I've done some reading up on virus protection on mac, and there are a few out there. Norton's gets a bad write-up. Is anyone using Sophos? It is a bit expensive for one user as far as I can tell.
What is your experience with Mac antivirus software. I'd like to know what you guys would recommend.
Thanks.

There's no need to run Anti-virus software on your mac unless you are concerned about passing infected files you get from a windows computer on to another windows computer (this can only happen if you manually move such files to another computer, which then in turn fails to detect the infected files).
The world still waits for the first genuine OS X virus. And until it appears, I'm not going to waste system resources on such programs. Just backup your important files regularly.
For heaven's sake, don't BUY into the FUD. If you must, use the free stuff that is available.

Archive and Install/Disc Utility issues -

I'm currently spending a summer abroad in South America, and have had issues with my Macbook Pro (early 2011 version) no longer starting up after some virus experiences last week. The computer hangs itself during loading on the white screen w/ grey apple and the spinning dial. In contacts with Apple Care as well as some Mac-saavy friends, the following situations have been tried:
Opening in safe mode - The loading bar (added at the bottom of the grey apple screen) loads about 1/4 of the way, disappears, and the computer hangs itself.
Opening in single user mode - I run the recommended sbin/fsck -fy command to clean up the hard drive. It comes back after having checked 6-7 parts, saying that the MacHD is in good shape, with a message following saying that something had been "modified" (forgive me for not remembering the correct verbage at present). I then run the same command again, resulting in a message that the HD is clean and without error. I then "reboot" and remain hung on the white screen w/ grey apple.
Opening in verbose mode - I reach the following lines of text, and then there is no further progress:
enable
IONetworkController::enable
createMediumTables
enable end
MacAuthEvent en0   Auth result for: 00:23:cd:1e:f2:c4 No Ack
same line as above saying "Auth timed out" at the end
Command+option+r+p - shock two or three times, (three startup chimes) and computer continues to hang itself in the normal spot.
- So, at this point I took the advice of Apple Care and a few other friends, and tracked down a "retail copy" of Mac OSX (10.6.3) in order to try to do an Archive and Install or any sort of Disc Utility via the startup disc.
Inserting the disc and holding "c" at startup results in the cd drive whirring the disc for a few moments, and then remaining hung at the same white loading screen.
Holding "option" during the startup gives me the option of loading from the HD, or the disc. Selecting the disc proceeds to whirr the cd drive, take me to the white loading screen with the grey apple, and... you guessed it... leaves the CPU hung.
My question is then, is my Macbook Pro unable to read this disc and execute Archive and Install/Disc Utility for hardware reasons as per the virus attack, or is the disc not compatible with my version of OSX (which I have since confirmed through my wife to be 10.6.6)?
Different sources have told me different things. The local AASP in Uruguay sold me what they professed to be the "latest" version of OSX - the 10.6.3, what's more for $55 dollars instead of the lower cost as available in the states (between $15-$30), so I am reluctant to go back to them for advice when they seem more inclined to cash in on my inexperience (Mac owner of less than a month) than actually fixing my issue. Apple Care told me that a standard "retail disc" should work, but I am assuming now that they believe I can snag the same version as initially came with my Macbook Pro. Should I be looking to have my wife mail my original OSX install DVDs down here to resolve this problem? Should 10.6.3-retail be working and is not for reasons I haven't identified? I have since done some online research and found mentions that doing any sort of HD partitioning or OSX reinstalls can only be accomplished by utilizing a disc of an equal or more recent version of the OSX (examples that 10.4 can't work on a notebook preinstalled with 10.5, etc). Does this translate to 10.6.3 not being able to function for my 10.6.6 MBP?
Any insight or thoughts would be much appreciated, as essentially all of my schoolwork and assignments are now trapped on an inaccessible HD. Thank you for your time.
- Joseph

I tried adding in a bunch of information about what your troubleshooting steps meant, but the server went into maintenance while I did. So, here it is again:
"Opening in safe mode - The loading bar (added at the bottom of the grey apple screen) loads about 1/4 of the way, disappears, and the computer hangs itself."
     This is FSCK running, and gives you an indication of it's progress.
"MacAuthEvent en0   Auth result for: 00:23:cd:1e:f2:c4 No Ack"
     This is either a failed DHCP request or ARP request.
"Command+option+r+p"
     Command+Option+P+R - Resets PRAM. That's why p+r.
"Inserting the disc and holding "c" at startup results in the cd drive whirring the disc for a few moments, and then remaining hung at the same white loading screen."
     This problem indicates that the disc is too old to boot your system. The reason for why this disc cannot boot is because it doesn't contain the necessary drivers for your model MacBook Pro. My mom and brother have similar models, and my brother had similar issues while in Japan. He went and got an install disc as well, which failed, I ended up stepping him through so that it would boot in Safe Mode, and then got it working in Normal Mode remotely.
FYI: Sophos has a free Mac Antivirus program, that is very processing friendly, and will scan in the background. You may wish to consider it as an alternative to Avast! if it continues giving you problems. Though I suspect it may be coincidence that your computer had problems shortly after Avast! cleaned up files. Let me know how it goes. You may wish to open up Disk Utility and check your S.M.A.R.T. Status. You want to make sure it says "Verified" If it doesn't say "Verified" then you have a problem.
-Phill

Blank Screen after Login

I am having an issue with an iMac that has OS X 10.5.8 installed.
Immediately after login I get a blank wallpapered screen (wallpaper is the same as wallpaper at login) w\ cursor. ...It never goes into the desktop where there is a taskbar and desktop icons. This started happening to a couple of my desktops after I installed ESET NOD32 4.0.12 for Mac (AntiVirus).
Has anyone else seen this issue or know of a fix.

You will have to see if you can start the computer via other means,
in that if you can start in SafeBoot mode, you may be able to be rid
of that anti-virus software. That likely is the problem's main cause.
SafeBoot mode: restart, hold Shift key, until you get log-in screen;
login to get to desktop. From here, you can do a few things, but the
computer is not running at full system usefulness. You may be able
to remove this AV software, or see if it has an Uninstaller; and also
you can repair disk permissions in Disk Utility. Among other tasks.
When done, restart normally. (You could also boot from install disc
and use the menu options to run Disk Utility, and other jobs.)
If the product did not come with an Uninstaller in its software, you
may have to try & remove it by other means. These things will put
more into the computer's OS than just an item in the Utilities or
Applications folder; so an Uninstaller is likely a necessity. There
are a few shareware and free ware uninstallers, such as AppDelete
available online as downloads. If you can't find an Uninstaller in the
software you installed (may be in the app's folder in Mac) you may
have to contact the products customer support and ask how you
are to remove the entire product and its parts from your Mac.
If you are lucky, they may actually know where you could go in and
carefully remove those bits; and luckier still, if there is an uninstaller.
Good luck & happy computing!

Disk Utility 13 problem with USB drives

There appears to be a problem with Disk Utility 13 (part of OS X 10.9). At least, so far as I can tell, everything traces back to this app, or possibly OS X 10.9 itself.
I recently upgraded my MacBook Air to OS X 10.9 (reformatted hard drive, installed system from scratch, updated with all the latest Apple updates). I pre-checked all my third party software to make sure it was 10.9 compatible before installing it after the system cleanup, so everything I’m running supposedly has been approved as safe for 10.9. But I’m seeing a problem formatting USB drives that I do not encounter when running under 10.8.
I have a Seagate STAA500101 (“FreeAgent GoFlex”) drive connected via Seagate’s USB3 adapter that I’ve used for some time as a Time Machine backup. Post-overhaul, I decided to erase the backup and start fresh. When I attempt to format it (single GUID partition) with Disk Utility, I see the following messages go by:
Formatting disk1s2 as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with name Untitled 1
Could not mount disk1s2 with name (null) after erase
Then there’s a pause, and the format appears to conclude fine. But if I run a “Verify Disk” immediately, I get this:
Verifying partition map for “Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Media”
Checking prerequisites
Checking the partition list
Checking for an EFI system partition
Checking the EFI system partition’s size
Checking the EFI system partition’s file system
Checking all HFS data partition loader spaces
Volume on disk1s2 has 0 bytes of trailing loader space and it needs 134217728 bytes
Problems were found with the partition map which might prevent booting
Error: Partition map needs repair because a data partition needs loader space.
As the drive has just been formatted, that seemed odd. I took it over to another Mac still running 10.8.5 and formatted it there — it worked just fine. Verified just fine. Took the drive back to my MacBook Air and tried to verify the disk — same failure.
I wanted to rule out bad media, so I took a Lexar 16GB USB flash drive and tried to format it with Disk Utility 13 — got the same problem.
The only success I’ve had formatting USB drives under 10.9 is to boot up into OS X Recovery. Disk Utility there formatted my Seagate drive without an error. But once I booted back into normal 10.9 operating mode, the drive once again fails to verify; it makes me leery about using it as a Time Machine backup.
I suppose it’s possible there could be some background component like Sophos causing problems when formatting drives, but if I format a drive via OS X Recovery or another Mac under 10.8, that wouldn’t explain why the drives fail to verify.
Anyone got any other observations on this issue?

Problem resolved. I'm posting this note for anyone else who might run into this situation and come across this discussion.
It actually did turn out to be Sophos -- Cloud, that is. I'd been using Sophos' free Mac antivirus software on a variety of systems but forgot that I was now testing out Sophos Cloud on my own MacBook, which is their new endpoint solution, and supposed to be compatible with OS X 10.9 (although the Mac version is listed as "beta") Sophos Cloud includes a new feature called Device Control which allows you to create a company-wide policy to control access to hardware such as USB drives, optical drives, etc. But apparently it's still pretty buggy. I had my Device Control configured with the default setting of "monitor but do not block" but it was most definitely gumming up the system. With Sophos Cloud installed, here's what happens if I try to run "Verify Disk" on any attached drive. Note on the left side how "disk2s2" shows as a sub-volume for each hard drive.
So if I uninstall Sophos Cloud, reboot and rescan, here's what I get:
Works fine. Note that the "disk2s2" subvolumes are also gone. This is the way Disk Utility also appears on a 10.8 or 10.9 system, even if you have the standard free Sophos for Mac software installed. It's only Sophos Cloud that's not playing nice. It also appears to have stopped me from being able to play DVDs from an attached Apple USB SuperDrive -- that problem was likewise solved by removing Sophos Cloud.

Mac antivirus

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