Someone remotely accessing computer

So I bought a new macbook pro at the beginning of the month, and it has been working perfectly since then. I think someone is remotely accessing my computer, however.
Today I was watching a movie on Netflix, when all of a sudden Itunes opened up and a random song started playing. I didn't think it was a big deal and I thought I must have pressed something, so I closed it and continued watching my movie.
Then a few minutes later, Itunes opens again and plays a random song from a playlist. I then paused it, and my volume went to max and another song in the playlist started to play. I exited Itunes, and then my volume started going up and down like someone was manually playing with it to mess with me. I have since shut it down, but I am wondering how I can find out if someone is accessing my computer and how to block them and remove any third party software that might be enabling it.
I went into settings, and all sharing had been turned off, but I didn't notice until today that my firewall wasn't on, so I turned that on and disabled all incoming connections. Our wifi also has very strong security, so that shouldn't be a factor.
If anyone can help me that would be great, I want to make sure no one steals any of my personal information.

It's best to describe the problem in as much relevant detail as possible, rather than what you think is causing it or how you think it should be solved.

Similar Messages

Someone Remote Accessed my MacBook Pro. What do I do now?

About a month ago I was watching a movie on my laptop whilst in the bath (laptop on a chair by the side of the bath, obviously). Then I paused the full-screen playback, so I could rinse my hair (too much detail, you say),
I immediately noticed the cursor moving around. The person remote accessing it was trying to get off full-screen mode. They managed to do it, then located a file in a folder (I can't recall the names, but it looked like an application I didn't recognise).
I then chose to shutdown the computer as soon as possible. I did this by pressing and holding down the power button (in the top right corner of the laptop bottom part). I then went out into the street to see if any suspicious van was parked near by (or person was camped out in the woods behind my dwelling). I saw nothing suspicious. I asked the next door neighbour, and they said maybe one of their kids (under teenager age) had done it (I've not heard since if they asked their kids about it). I did this because there wasn't a password on the wireless router I was using at the time (there is now), so thought someone could have access my laptop via the unprotected wireless router.
I then set my laptop up to have a login password required (I used to, but got sick of having to enter it each time, so switch to auto login). I also turned on 'Firewall', which I'd turned off for some reason.
HELP: How do I know if this person can still 'see' or access my computer? How can I tell if they have stolen sensitive inform (e.g. I had all my passwords in a password-protected Keychain Access note; could they have 'seen' that if they viewed my screen when I had it open. A relate point is that this Keychain Access note was deleted when I updated to Mac OS 10.6.8, but I think this is an already-known issue, f*cking annoying though it is!). Moreover, can they see what I'm typing right now?!
Basically, what are the next steps I should take?

Do you have any other evidence of this "remote access" other than seeing the cursor move around?
Did you have Screen Sharing or Remote Login turned on?
The reason I'm asking these questions is that if you did not have Screen Sharing or Remote Login turned on, it is extremely unlikely that someone actually used your Mac remotely. In part, even if your wireless network did not have a password, they would have still had to guess your Mac account login password.
Note that even if you have "auto login" enabled, any remote user must still enter your exact login password to be able to enter Screen Sharing or Remote Login. Auto-login only applies to when you start up the Mac you're in front of.
That all leads to the other reason I'm asking. I have had consistent experience of operating my Mac when my fingers are wet. When my fingers are wet, trackpad response can become very erratic. It is very possible to lose control of the cursor, and the cursor can appear to move on its own, even after I take my hands off the computer. But what's really happening is that the trackpad is confused by the moisture on it. I know from having seen this numerous times, that if I have wet hands and I want my MacBook Pro trackpad to respond reliably, I must dry off my hands and allow the trackpad to dry. Until that happens, it's not going to work properly. I am wondering if you saw wet trackpad behavior but misinterpreted it as remote access.

Remote Access: Computer no longer listed as "Shared"

I am out of town an need to access my MacPro from my Mac Laptop. I have done this for many years with no problem, but previously my Mac Pro has always been listed under the “Shared” area on the Finder window. I would simply select my Mac Pro, then either “login” or “Share Screen.” However, for some reason my Mac Pro is not listed in the Finder window. I’m certain the Mac Pro still has sharing enabled, but I’m unsure of how to access the computer if it’s not listed in the “Shared” area of the Finder.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Dave

Hi David.
Sounds like one of the routers between you and your home network doesn't have the required ports open (though you could double-check to make sure your home router hasn't magically been changed, as well).
-- Basic test: When at home and on WiFi, can you use Back to My Mac? If so, this isn't an issue with either of your computers. It's something to do with your router, or more likely, the routers you're using while away from home.
See: If you have issues using Back to My Mac - Apple Support
This can be a bit difficult to fix if you are staying at a location where you don't have control of the network (like a hotel), but if you travel often, it might be worth investigating or looking into an option that isn't dependent on network ports (a web-based remote access solution).
Hope that helps.

Setting up my Mac for remote access

Hey! I'm trying to set up, what i guess is a VPN? I'm running a g4 with Mac OSX 10.3.9.
Is there a way i can set it up to give someone remote access to that computers files?

I have the same problem. It must be somewhere in the computer, but I can't find it. I look forward to seeing responses to this problem.
Kelly

How can you tell if someone is accessing your computer or camera remotely?

How can you tell if someone is accessing your computer and/or camera remotely?

what is making you suspicious that this is happening? Or is this just a general question?

I did your Firefox 5.0 security update and got a virus that caaused my computer to go haywire and kept jumping from page to page as if someone had remote access to my computer.

I recently updated Firefox on my desktop to 4.0. About a week ago I got the pop up for the 5.0 security update. I went ahead and updated and within an hour my computer started switching screens and going back several pages. I closed the internet and ran my virus scan but nothing was found. I then opened my windows task and tried to look to see what other new updates or programs were installed but again the computer would not let me open the window and kept changing the screen and going back several pages. I ended up having to do a system restore to factory settings and it was still happening. I had to go in and disable the remote access option in order for my computer to function properly.

That is a legitimate Mozilla newsletter. As it says in the email:
You're receiving this email because you subscribed to receive email newsletters and information from Mozilla. If you do not wish to receive these newsletters, please click the Unsubscribe link below.
Unsubscribe https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/newsletter/existing/ad9febcf-65ac-41fd-810b-798945f448f3/
Modify your preferences https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/newsletter/existing/ad9febcf-65ac-41fd-810b-798945f448f3/ "

How can I remotely access my computer from a different location on Apple Remote Desktop?

I downloaded Apple Remote Desktop and am trying to access our computer at our church that is in the auditorium and work on slides for ProPresenter from my office which is on a different network. The Mac Pro, which is in the auditorium, is connected to a Netgear wireless router. I would also want to be able to have access to observe and control the screen on the Mac Pro whether I am in my office or at my house. I have tried everything from going to portforward.com, followed those instructions, did port forwarding, used ipchicken.com to get my external IP and made sure that the Mac Pro had a static internal IP address and made sure the computer had access for remote management. Any help to resolve this issue would be greatly appreciated! Works fine when it is on the same wireless network, but I need access being on a different wireless network. Thanks!

Hi austinmac14,
So the steps listed bellow assume some things. They assume that the Airport Extreme Router your configuring is connected directly to the internet connection. And that the Airport Extreme is the only router between your computers and the internet.
That means we're talking about say a DSL modem plugged directly into the Airport Extreme, or a cable modem. in ether case, this assumes that said modem, is not acting as an internet router.
If your modem has multiple ethernet ports on it, or has a little antenna sticking out of it, then your modem is probable also a router, and these steps listed bellow will probable not work.
Also these steps are so one person, can connect to one computer at your work.
Open Airport Utility:
go to the dock
Click on the finder
go to the menu bar
Click on the "Go" menu
Chose "Utilities" from the "Go" Menu
double Click on "AirPort Utility"
Access the Base Station:
Double Click on your Airport Extreme BaseStation that is your internet connection router.
a new window should pop up with your Airport Base Station as the Window Name
Configure Static Address for the computer you want to connect to via ARD:
Click on the internet Icon from the toolbar
Click on the "DHCP" tab
For "DHCP Reservations:" Click on the "+" button
For the "Description" put "ARD"
For "Reserve Address by:" set "DHCP Client ID"
Click the "Continue" button
For "DHCP Client ID:" set "ARD"
write down the number in "IPv4" address field
Click the "Done" Button
Configure routing to ARD computer:
Click on the "Advanced" icon from the tool bar.
Click on the "Port Mapping" tab
Click on the "+" button
for "Service:" Chose "Apple Remote Desktop"
for "Private IP Address:" copy the exact IP address you wrote down in step "3. 8)"
Click the "Continue" button
Click the "Done" button
Click the "+" button
For the pulldown menu "Service:" Chose "Remote Apple Events"
for "Private IP Address:" copy the exact IP address you wrote down in step "3. 8."
Click the "Continue" button
Click the "Done" button
Click the "+" button
For the pulldown menu "Service:" Chose "Remote Login - SSH"
for "Private IP Address:" copy the exact IP address you wrote down in step "3. 8."
Click the "Continue" button
Click the "Done" button
Click the "Update" button.
wait for the Airport Extreme to update, and for your computer to reconnect to the airport extreme. (make sure you can load and browse websites.)
Configure the ARD computer to use the correct IP address:
Go to the computer you want to be able to remotely connect to
On that computer, Go to the menu bar
Chose the "Apple" menu bar
Chose "System Preferences…"
Click on the "Show All" button
Click on the "Network" icon
For the active network connection, (the connection on the left side with the green dot), click on it
Clock on the "Advanced…" button
Click on the "TCP/IP" tab
for the "DHCP Cient ID: field put "ARD".
Click the "OK" button
Click the "Apply" buttonNOTE: Under "Status" you should see "(connection name) is connected to (airport base station name) and has the IP address (IP address)." the "(IP address)" address displayed should match the IP address you wrote down in step "3. 8."
Find out what your public internet IP address is.
On the computer you wish to connect to over the internet, gotohttp://whatismyipaddress.com/
when the web page loads, you should see "IP Information:" fallow by a number like 192.168.0.1, write down what ever number it is.
At this point you should be able to connect to the computer remotely
connect to the internet from another location.
open Apple Remote Desktop
go to the file menu
chose connect to computer using ip address
set the address to the address to the IP address you wrote down for step 6. 2.
use the same password as you used to connect to the computer at work using ARD.
So here the catch. If your router gets reset... well then your going to have to configure it again. Also all the same rules you have to connect to the computer at work, also apply to connecting to the computer from over the local network. That means your computer need to be on or sleeping. And if it's sleeping it need to be configure to wake for network access.
Also some network connections change. When it comes to internet connections, some connections are static IP, while other connections are DHCP. If your connection is static... great! if it's DHCP, your address may change. If it dose.. well then your ability to connect will break. And then you'd have to do step 6 & 7 again.
Of corse there are ways around this. But that's kind of another conversation.
Some internet locations may block your ability to connect to your computer at work. This is very common at schools, and companies. Basically any place that tries to control your ability to browse the internet, may block remote access to computers; because a remote computer would completely by pass their web filter.
ALSO there is an easier option. As far as setup. There are programs designed to make remotely accessing your mac as easy as possible. For instance there is LogMeIn or Slack. With both of these programs, it's simple. make sure your computer is always on. Then install the software. Create an account with the service. And then you can connect to the computer almost any where by going to their website.
This option requires no router configuration. It handles DHCP. It's designed to work in as many locations as possible.

How do I access music from someone else's computer?

How do I access music from someone else's computer? Do I have to configure my ipod to do so?
How do I configure my ipod so that I can use it on any computer - Windows or Mac?

Found the answer at last in the forum. Should get 'tune tools' from amazon.com

What is the best way to remotely access my sister in laws Mac who lives in another city to help her with her computer problems?

as stated above
What is the best way to remotely access my sister in laws Mac who lives in another city to help her with her computer problems?

The best way? Get her to bring it to you, especially if she makes good cakes.
Apples Back to my Mac isn't really suitable for this - it is designed for a single person who wants their Apple ID on the system. It would mean she would have to share hers with you & you would also have to setup her Apple ID on your Mac - it is messy & causes trouble with iCloud, iTunes etc.
You can try Messages if she is able to begin a session with you, see the 'invite to share screen' in the menus, weirdly you need to use a service that isn't from Apple.
Messages (Mavericks): Share your screen
It may be better if you to setup LogMeIn or GoToMyPC. They should 'dial out' & maintain a constant connection so you can login whenever the Mac is powered up. It won't, require a human to initiate the process at the other end, just be aware that the router may cause issues depending on what is configured, you may need settings to enable automatic port forwarding - it really depend on which option you choose.

Someone hacked my computer and set up a new administrative account by re-registering my computer. I can not access this account nor delete it. How can I fix this and get my computer back to the way it was?

Someone hacked my computer and set up a new administrative account by re-registering my computer. I can not access this account nor delete it. How can I fix this and get my computer back to the way it was? And also prevent this from being able to happen again. I have the link the kid used (http://www.ihackintosh.com/2009/05/how-to-hack-the-user-password-in-mac-os-x-wit hout-an-os-x-cd/) Apparently he used hack 2. HELP PLEASE!

Not sure why you can't delete that account. If you have admin privileges, you should be able to. Sounds like you only removed the Home Folder for that account.
You should highlight/select the account you want to remove and then click the minus button. Might need to unlock the padlock with your admin password.
Have a look at these articles from Apple, if necessary.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/8235.html
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.5/en/8162.html
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399

Was my computer remotely accessed?

I was on iTunes, and a shared folder thing popped up on the left. It contained a vulgar word and had the lock symbol on it. Shortly after I saw this, my iPhoto randomly opened up and started to browse through pictures. I was NOT touching the keyboard or the trackpad. It scared me, so I immediately hit Command+Q to quit both iPhoto and iTunes. This seemed to solve it, as nothing else happened. I also shut down my Wifi. I then went into Settings to see if any of my sharing options were turned on, and they were not. I wanted to see if the folder thing had gone away in iTunes, so I turned my Wifi back on and went into iTunes. The folder was still there, but nothing happened this time. Was my computer remotely accessed?

When on a public network, you should activate the built-in firewall in the Security & Privacy preference pane. However, I doubt that this was an intrusion, unless perhaps you have some kind of third-party screen sharing software installed, such as "TeamViewer." Even then, you'd have to launch it and sign in for anything to happen.

I see "imac-54f9d5" under the "Shared" heading in my finder. I am not connected to any printers or other Mac devices. Is it possible that someone is remotely accessing my system? How can I figure out what this is?

I see "imac-54f9d5" under the "Shared" heading in my finder. I am not connected to any printers or other Mac devices. Is it possible that someone is remotely accessing my system? How can I figure out what this is?

is it your imac?
is it your your router's name?
are you by any chance connected to another wifi router then your own because the other one was open and not password protected?

I have windows xp remote access to my computer at work, is Firefox compatible with it?

I downloaded the newest version of Firefox and since then my windows xp remote access has not worked. I am wondering if these is a compatibility issue? Everything seems to be set up correctly and nothing else has changed on my computer.

What do you mean "register with Firefox"? Firefox doesn't need to be registered. Are you trying to register a Gmail account
Cookies are automatically enabled in Firefox. See the following articles for additional info regarding cookies.
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Cookies
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/Websites_report_cookies_are_disabled

Time capsule remote access from friends computer

Heya guys.
Ive just bought a time capsule and i really like it. It just seems to work!
I have set it up with icloud and back to my mac. Which I am assuming that I will be able to access my time capsule when I am away from my network with my mac? Just spoke to apple support and they said thats not what its for??
But my main question is, is there a way to log into my icloud on a friends computer and see and use the files on my time capsule?
Thanks

Yes, that should be possible.
But there is plenty of slips as they say.
See Tesserax document on remote access.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3413
See the reality on the ground.. the whining of the masses.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3699096?start=0&tstart=0

Remote access without person at computer?

I have to remotely access my 84 old dad's computer 1500 miles away, often when he is asleep or away. Is there a way to set this up once so I can service his computer without him having to click the two commands to gain access?
Thanks
Larry

Whereas you will have to depend on Dad leaving his computer turned on 24x7 for you, with iChax, you will also need for him to leave iChat running 24x7, plus, unless you are both .mac or .mobileme members, I don't believe that iChax will encrypt your session. It is my opinion that a better way to do this better way to do this would be to do the following:
1. Next iChat session, have him share his screen with you.
2. Launch his Safari, go to his system preferences, network -- get his computer's "router" IP address.
3. Type that IP address into the URL field in his Safari.
4. Navigate to his modem/router configuration pages.
5. Set up port forwarding in his router to forward port 5900 to his computer. Some routers will allow you to port forward to DHCP assigned addresses. Some don't, and in that event, you need to set up his computer to use DHCP with manual address. Find the modem's DHCP address pool and give him an address outside of that range (example: my modem gives DHCP addresses from 192.168.0.64 to 192.168.0.254 -- so I would choose a manual address of, say 192.168.0.63).
6. Back over in his System Preferences, in Sharing, click on Screen Sharing to highlight it. Check the checkbox and fill out the "Allow access for" as appropriate. I would recommend AGAINST selecting "All users" and instead set up an account for yourself. Use an apparent random-character passphrase that is not prone to automated dictionary attack (e.g., a phrase that means something to you but not likely to be associated with you by outsiders and use, say, the third letters of each word to build a passphrase). Do NOT enable VNC access through Computer Settings. (I would normally recommend tunneling Screen Sharing through secure shell using public/private key authentication -- the best way to do this -- but that requires some Terminal.app action.)
7. On his Safari, pay a visit to dyndns.com (or similar, like noip.com, and there are others) and download their (in the case of dyndns) DynDNSupdater application. Install it on his machine and sign up for a free domain name from them. Now, even though your Dad's internet service provider may change his external WAN public IP address, with dyndnsupdater running, you can always connect to his computer by way of the free domain name.
8. On your computer, in Finder, do a ⇧⌘G (go to folder). Go to /System/Library/CoreServices/. Make an alias of the Screen Sharing application and put the alias in your /Applications folder. Also consider dragging the Screen Sharing icon onto your dock.
9. Launch your Screen Sharing and get into its preferences. Click on the "Encrypt all network data" button.
10. Now, you have an encrypted remote desktop connection, only accessible through Screen Sharing to your account name and password-protected. Your dad does not need to remain logged into iChat. From Screen Sharing, you enter your dad's free host name to connect. All accounts on his computer should be set up with "strong" passphrases.

Someone remotely accessing computer

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for