Is there a way to remove a virus on an iPhone?

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6 points

Is there a way to remove a virus on an iPhone?

We have been iPhone users since 2007. I am making a backup of my wife's iPhone 13 max via iTunes on a Windows computer. When running Windows Defender anti-virus scan, it identifies Trojan:Script/Wacatac.H!ml as a virus in the iPhone backup folder in two files in folders 5f and b5.

She clicked on a suspicious link in her email, unfortunately. The default browser is Safari.

The iOS software is up to date (16.6) and the phone was restarted multiple times.

Please advise how to remove this virus. We need a standard app from Apple to run antivirus scans and remove viruses similar to Defender on Windows.

The file names are:

5f4af662a1def203d49f00e405c82342871d7dce

b5ca8fc6a4f9c4db7a19177237af546494d53a58

iPhone 13 Pro Max

Posted on Jul 31, 2023 07:39 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

gert129 Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 1, 2023 03:49 AM in response to KiltedTim

Thanks, but, you did not solve my problem.

Based on what do you say it is false positive? We do NOT jailbreak our iPhones or laptops.

Apple clients need a standard app from Apple to run antivirus scans and remove viruses (whether real or false positive) from their iPhones, similar to Defender on Windows.

Regards, Gert

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Answer 2

gert129 Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 2, 2023 01:12 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

I am not convinced that it is a "false positive". This discussion is not going anywhere.

It is assumed that the backup on the Windows laptop will not be functional (since you advised to do the backup on iCloud).

We will have to live with viruses on iPhones and in the backup files on our laptops, it is a given (an embedded feature of iPhone). Impossible to identify the relevant APP (to remove & re-install) or specific corrupt file (to permanently delete it).

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Answer 3

Aug 1, 2023 06:16 AM in response to gert129

gert129 wrote:

Thanks, but, you did not solve my problem.

You don't actually have a problem to solve. The software that caused you to believe that your phone has a virus is wrong.

Based on what do you say it is false positive? We do NOT jailbreak our iPhones or laptops.

A "false positive" means that the software gave back a positive indication of a virus even though there was no virus. There are NO viruses that can affect an iPhone that has not been jailbroken. Ergo, you do not have a virus.

Apple clients need a standard app from Apple to run antivirus scans and remove viruses (whether real or false positive) from their iPhones, similar to Defender on Windows.

No, we don't need that. Apple has made iPhones extremely secure. One app can't access other apps or their data. Allowing apps to scan (giving them access to currently locked parts of )the phone for (non-existent) viruses would make it less secure.

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Answer 4

gert129 Author

Level 1

6 points

Aug 1, 2023 06:51 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

The email has been completely deleted from the mail app but the annoying and irritating file remains on the iPhone. The "false positive" virus is backed up to my Windows laptop. I do not appreciate such files on my laptop.

From the Windows website: "Trojan: Win32/Wacatac.H!ml malware is incredibly difficult to erase by hand. It puts its files in multiple places throughout the disk, and can restore itself from one of the parts. Moreover, a lot of alterations in the registry, networking configurations and also Group Policies are quite hard to find and change to the initial." Does not seem to be a "false positive" problem.

Every time I make a backup I have to run an antivirus scan on my laptop. Windows Defender delete the files from the iPhone backup folder. Will the backup still be functional?

Please help me to identify the specific annoying and irritating file in the specific app on the iPhone so that I can manually delete it permanently.

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Answer 5

Aug 2, 2023 06:28 AM in response to gert129

gert129 wrote:

I am not convinced that it is a "false positive". This discussion is not going anywhere.

I think perhaps you don't understand "false positive".

It is assumed that the backup on the Windows laptop will not be functional (since you advised to do the backup on iCloud).

I have not assumed that at all. I firmly believe that the backup on your Windows machine is absolutely fine and safe. But, since you don't believe that, I presented an option that might make you feel more comfortable.

We will have to live with viruses on iPhones and in the backup files on our laptops, it is a given (an embedded feature of iPhone).

No, you don't have to live with these non-existent viruses. What you have to live with, or, perhaps overcome, is your fear of these non-existent threats. This fear is stoked by companies that want you to buy their "solutions". Apple doesn't engage in that behavior. They just build in the security and update it regularly.

Impossible to identify the relevant APP (to remove & re-install) or specific corrupt file (to permanently delete it).

You can't identify what doesn't exist.

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Answer 6

Aug 1, 2023 07:01 AM in response to gert129

Your anti-virus software is incorrectly identifying something in your iPhone backup as malware. It is not. I suggest that you contact the developer of the anti-virus software for help with their misbehaving product. There is nothing to change on the iPhone as there is nothing wrong with the iPhone.

Meanwhile, consider using iCloud to backup your phone. That will take your Windows computer out of the equation.

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