Apple preparing to fight Mac malware CUPERTINO, Calif., April 11 (UPI) -- Apple says it is taking action, both technical and legal, against the Flashback malware infecting as many as 600,000 Mac computers around the world. The company is "developing software that will detect and remove the Flashback malware," it said on it support site. Apple is also preparing to mount a legal fight against those behind the infection, Macworld reported Wednesday. "The Flashback malware relies on computer servers hosted by the malware authors to perform many of its critical functions," the company said in its support site posting. Apple is working with ISPs worldwide to disable this command and control network. Flashback first emerged in September, masquerading as a Flash Player installation package for the OS X Lion operating system. Apple's forthcoming removal tool will join a number of third-party solutions available to combat the attacks, and sales of commercial Mac anti-virus and security software have jumped since word of the massive malware infection surfaced last week, Computerworld reported. Flashback, combined with the MacDefender malware, helped make 2011 the "most active year for Mac malware since Mac OS X was released," the security firm Intego said.