SCAM: A Russian vendor would like your Mac's Universally Unique ID to check for 'viruses'.

Discliamer: I am not an expert in this area at all, but here's something alarming: While universally unique ID's (UUIDs) come in various classes, Dr. Web, a Russian 'security firm' is asking for your hardware UUID to run a free malware scan.

Apple is currently banning iOS5 apps that access that UUID, and has issued similar guidelines for OSX.

Now Dr. Web, which apparently has been collecting UUIDs via the Flashback JAVA exploit, would like some more - yours

Dr. Web, the same Russian security firm that's been tracking the scope and scale of the Flashback malware's spread worldwide. now has a free, Web-based utility that will tell you if your machine has been compromised, and is -- in fact -- plugged into the botnet network.

In order to do this, it cross-checks your Mac's unique hardware with its own database of machines that have been compromised. If it doesn't find your machine, you're in the clear.

The process does include a very mild amount of tooling around your machine's System Information utility to find your Mac's UUID number, then copying and pasting it into a Web form, but that's all that's needed. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57410654-37/web-tool-checks-if-your-mac-is-flashback-free/?

For 'Flashback', all I have to go on is Apple Support's recommendation: Go to:
http://botnetchecker.com/ to see if you have a problem.

One the face of it, I would not be surprised if Dr. Web has had some connection with the exploit's authors, but I am stunned CNET would promote a site that asks readers to give away a hardware UUID. Putting that information together with a IP address is not a good look.