Is CleanMyMac safe for malware scanning on MacBook Air?

It is "safe" in that you were not hacked, but CMM is notorious for causing all sorts of issues.....usually performance issues & causing system instability (aka hard system crashes). Uninstall CMM by following the developer's instructions. Sometimes the CMM uninstaller may not fully remove CMM.

FYI, anti-virus apps, cleaning/optimizer apps, and third party security software are not needed on a Mac. These types of apps usually cause more problems than they solve because they interfere with the normal operation of macOS at a low level. macOS already has great built-in security especially if the user also practices safe computing habits as outlined in the following article which I think everyone should read:

Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community

Not exactly sure the context of what you mean by Safe or even Malware, but I can offer a few insights:

• Will it expose your Personal Data? NO
• Will it cause problems by conflicting with the OS on your Mac? YES
• Is your Mac infected? NO
• Does MacPaw make it difficult to Remove? YES
• Do they claim they can fix a problem you do not have? YES
• Should you install it? NO

We can help with removal if anyone installs it. Not sure what you mean by resetting your Mac, if that means a restart or a Factory Reset that wiped everything from your Mac and you did not restore from a backup that contained the app.

You won't find an experienced user here who would tell you to use CleanMyMac. It's basically considered malware itself.

And this goes for any other anti-virus, cleaning or optimizing software. DO NOT install any of them. Not even if they're free.

VPNs are another scam. Used as they're supposed to be as a true, direct tunnel between a school or business that requires you use one that they supply, VPNs are good. But all of the ones you see from Norton, Nord and whoever else, their only goal is to collect marketing data on your web usage so they can sell it. And that happens whether they're free or not.

On top of that, almost all web sites these days are https. The S means secure. As in, the site you're visiting has already negotiated a one-time use encryption key between there and your browser. A third party VPN does nothing useful since all it does then is encrypt the encryption. Which slows your internet speed down for nothing in return.

We have no way of knowing if you have malware on your system. But you have to go out of your way to make that happen. Read the following for a breakdown.

What is malware? - Apple Community

Also be certain to follow the link at the bottom of the article on effective defenses against malware and being scammed. It's the same one HWTech has provided a link to.

Broadly speaking all non-Apple "cleaning" products are scams. They are destructive in nature. They are also very popular due to aggressive marketing campaigns. After all no one wants a dirty Mac, and they're "free", right?

The one in question is capable of inflicting damage that cannot be reversed by uninstalling the app, even if that uninstallation is performed in complete accordance with its instructions.

... and and am I currently infected with malware.

The answer to that question is as follows. If you did not actually use it, meaning you may have installed it but did not use it to "clean" or delete anything, no problem. Just uninstall it. The uninstaller will leave one file in place but it will be inert.

If you downloaded it, just delete the downloaded file. Do not run its installer.

If you actually used it, erase the Mac. There is no practicable alternative.

Never install any app that claims to “clean up”, “tune up” or “speed up” your Mac. These apps exist for one reason: to extract money from the wallets of the inexperienced user. What they do can be done in other ways, and mostly what they do is unnecessary, but sounds good. Unfortunately in the hands of an inexperienced user they can do a lot of damage to a Mac OS installation. Avoid.

MacBook_user001 wrote:

im extremely paranoid, and I got to admit, I am a little nervous right now.

That just makes you an immensely profitable potential customer for “quick fix” vendors.

So….

How well are your backups running? Is one Time Machine backup enough, or might two or three be appropriate? Offsite backups?

Reviewed and resolved any outstanding Apple security recommendations?

Set up your recovery contact and legacy contact, as appropriate?

Migrated your own Wi-Fi network to WPA2-WPA3 transitional, or WPA3?

Checked that your printer firmware is current? Router firmware? Other network-connected gear?

Two-factor authentication enabled on your Apple Account, and your financial accounts?

No cracked or torrented apps, no keygen apps, no jailbreaks?

Got an inventory of what is connected to your local network?

Etc.

More reading: Better Securing Your Data, and Apple Account - Apple Community

Yet more info: Apple Platform Security - Apple Support

Once your baseline security and data integrity and recovery is sorted, then ask yourself what an add-on system maintenance or add-on security app is going to provide, in addition to the built-in anti-malware and maintenance features.

Using CMM is like inviting your mother in to clean your room.

There is a tool out there that does specific malware scanning but I just had a look at their site and I am not sure I like the changes I see. They are now talking about virus removal which is making it sound like some of the snake oil products. They also used to have a free basic version but now it is going the subscription model. In about 8 years of using it maybe once every 4 months it never found anything on my computer.

Limnos wrote:

Using CMM is like inviting your mother in to clean your room.

I like that analogy. My mother tended to throw away clothes that she didn't like me wearing, not matter how much I liked them.

Just remove it as instructed. I think erasing your Mac is overkill as I know many people who use it with no apparent problems. Many years ago I think I installed it but then got paranoid after hearing the scare stories on this forum.

Limnos: Malwarebytes is still free though they do encourage you to buy add-ons by showing that your Mac is not 100% safe!

Like you I have had it installed on several Macs (off and on) over the years and it has never caught any of the ungodly . . . 😩