Apple MACs under virus attack
Hackers have launched a rare and troubling attack on Apple Inc.’s computers. Apple on Thursday confirmed reports of pornography Web sites where hidden software, once downloaded, could take control of an Apple computer. Apple did not immediately respond to claims that it is the first instance of a Trojan horse attack on Apple’s Macintosh platform. “We’ve been made aware that a small number of Web sites attempt to trick Mac OS X users to install malicious software on their Macs,” said Apple spokeswoman Lynn Fox. “Apple has a great track record for keeping Mac OS X users secure, and as always, we encourage people to install software only from trusted sources.
“The timing of the Trojan horse suggests there are more to come, say some computer and Internet security professionals. As Apple’s popularity rises, “the bad guys are taking Macs seriously now,” wrote Bojan Zdrnja, of the Internet Storm Center, which is led by the Escal Institute of Advanced Technologies. After confirming the claims reported by computer-security firm Intego, Symantec engineer Joji Hamada wrote on Symantec’s Web site of suspicions that a wave of attacks and viruses are due. “If we see a rise in Mac malware, then we will have to assume that there are profits to be made in malware for Macs as well,” he wrote. “Stay tuned.” Not even Leopard can save you…
Source: WSJ
Comments(51)
All the Apple fanboys that say “Macs are great because they have NO viruses”. The reason being is largely due to the fact that more people use Windows in which case a virus spread through Windows is far more effective than an OS that a relatively few number of people use.
With the growing popularity of Macs, I’m not surprised that there’s viruses, trojans, spyware and the like appearing for it. Granted that the overall underlying OS (being Unix based) is more secure than Windows, it’s only a matter of time before some script kiddie finds a security hole.
its about time
haha
No offense meant, Martin, but this is kinda anti-Apple and sensationalist.
The ‘trojan’ requires users to download, install, and type in their admin passwords; it only affects a single site that it redirs users to, and does not log personal data.
Compare that to say, Blaster, Storm, or any of the other literally millions of trojans that affect the windows platform, that can pretty much destroy your computer.
The key is that it requires the user to type in their admin password, which makes the threat low – unless you’re incompetent, you won’t get infected; in windows, you usually have no choice in the matter.
Microsoft is one ass-cheek of which Apple is the other
“Apple has a great track record for keeping Mac OS X users secure”… right… or the script kiddies, virus writers and hackers didn’t had a real interest in a sh!tty platform like Apple’s!
I remember last time Apple launched a server and offered it to hackers to brake it… it was done in less than 30 min if I remember right. So much for security!
As to what that Symantec a55 of an engineer wrote… he pointed out the obvious! Nice thing for a change…!
and it didn’t take long for the typical squealing Mac-ophants to come out whingeing – Apple lost their credibility years ago but it’s amazing that some of these guys are still singing the praises of their overblown crap
btw, I hate Microshaft too
Does anyone wonder why apple uses linux servers rather than a Mac server? they obviously use a Mac server on their main website but the rest of their sites are run on linux. Kinda makes you think.
Why would they use another operating system if theirs is sooo secure?
BTW they only use Mac on their main website so that they don’t commit blasphemy to their company
“Hackers, Heroes of the Computer Revolution”
LOL mac p0rn users
Mac users dont watch p0rn – they’re too busy getting off on their own reflections.
So which one’s better: PC’s or Mac’s?
And let the computer platform flame war begin…
any serious computers users know it was only a question of time
mac like linuxor bsd, is not affected yet big time because,the serious hackers dont
loose their time on a small percentage of computers owners,
but the obvious to this story is:
…symantec engineer Joji Hamada wrote on Symantec’s Web site of …
now that removed a bit of punch to this story,symantec package have a bad
reputations,there is instructions on their sites on how to removed their packages
on a mac,because it doesnt run smoothly at all..
start a story like that and a whole lot of new customers at 60$ each are made
available,great promotion for joji,,,he forgot to mention the bsd people also
but true,bsd is free ops,so they dont have the money yet
BWAHAHAHA! “Macs can’t get viruses” MY ASS. So what now… I see NO advantage of MACS over PCs anymore.
Macs suck even harder now.
@13 – this thread is about Crackers, not Hackers……
Also, No one ever said Mac is absolutely invulnerable to viruses, well, a few might have that didn’t know what they were talking about. OS X is just as vulnerable to a virus as any Linux Distro, I.E FreeBSD. The reason Apple is not as virus prone is because of the way the OS is set-up. Windows just lets stuff go, go ahead and try to modify or install a program on a Mac or Linux system without knowing the Root password, won’t happen. So, for this Virus to work, you must be an idiot (not have a root password set or you must type in your password and agree to install the software from some random porn site).
If you get it, well, you pretty much deserve it. Now, Windows is still massively different, you don’t even have to do anything to get a virus, they just appear, open the wrong e-mail, or go to the wrong website and pop-up galore. Plus, even with a virus out, how many mac users actually run Anti-Virus Software or spyware software? Pretty much NONE, even though viruses for mac HAVE been around, they have HAD anti-Virus software for the Mac for years, but still you have to be a complete idiot to get infected (like flying to west africa and letting whores come onto you) so no one runs it. SO, Apple still beats out Windows because you don’t need 20 damn anti-virus and anti-spyware and firewall systems installed that create an OS that is sucking up 90% of it’s resources to defend itself.
And if you are an idiot, then you deserve it. However, Apple will never get a virus that just appears magically like on Windows. You HAVE to install the virus, and always will.
And very off topic, but why did I just get dumped to ErrorSafe? That hasn’t happened in a loooooong time. Better start choosing your ads more wisely, RLSLOG.
ok i rephrase it,
“Cracker, Heroes of the Computer Revolution”.. ;P
i really need a copy of this. just to show a couple of holier than thou mac owners whats what.
true the title caught me also cracker no hacker
the thing about this trojan (a trojan is not a virus),a trojan takes control,so we are
back to hacker…..
//instead, the software burrows into the operating system and diverts some of the victim’s future web surfing to sites under the attacker’s control. //
read the full description instead:
http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/11/mac_trojan
in short,what it does,pretend to be a codec to be install,ask admin to be install
and then redirects you futur browsing to choosen porn sites,and
surprisingly symantec have a package to removed it,,,hum
modern capitalist
@17 Haha, Well, you did have it right, as far as Hackers being the heroes of the computer revolution. They are the ones to sort of go in and FIX problems with OS’s, make them better and etc. Crackers, well, honestly, targeting home users (Mac, Windows, etc) that is really just idiotic and immature. What does it really accomplish? I mean really, why not just sneak out in the middle of the night and start burning down peoples houses?
It is a little different if you have a grudge against a corporation and target their servers. (I.e MediaDefender). Ok, that is useful cracking.
So, yay, go destroy peoples personal data, which is normally just family photos and personal e-mails and etc. Arson is really a lot more effective and at least people have insurance to get compensated for the things that can’t be replaced. So, no, not really any revolution, a revolution for what? I mean, if you think that by strapping on an explosive vest and taking out a bunch of innocent people is cool and is going to revolutionize the world, then you might make sense, in your own little mind.
A few years ago, a virus was just a nuisance and made you lose some documents, eh, no big deal. Now, OS independent, people use their computers for storing photo albums, recipes, phone numbers, they have calenders, and etc. You really can hurt someone pretty bad.
So, their will never be a “win” of which OS is the best”, although I do say Linux has the best potential. Each OS has it’s own benefits and people are going to go with the OS that best matches what they want. No point in starting an OS war, unless you REALLY believe in monopolies and want to see only ONE OS available, kinda takes away from the “computer revolution”
Finally. I’ve been waiting years for a good virus/trojan to hit MacOS.
Mac Scan 2.4.1
Link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/61161713/Clear112.zip
NO PASs nEEDED
(thank you airon clear)
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“Unlike many Windows-based attacks, the Trojan doesn’t exploit a hole in Apple’s software, and it can’t install itself. Instead, it relies on social engineering, tricking users into downloading the codec, and requiring that they type in the administrator password to install it.”
A virus that takes down a MAC, not really, it just hijacks your browser. And it doesn’t even use a hole, “social engineering”. Now, lets remember that a LARGE amount of Mac users are still pretty much video junkies. Not that many people re just going to install a random quicktime plugin. A plugin for what? So most people should notice right away that something is up.
So @21, this isn’t a “GOOD” OS X Trojan/Virus, it is something that will get just the OS X newbies that are porn addicts. So you are talking about a small percentage of OS X users. I wouldn’t call that a substantial hit at all. OS X doesn’t use Active-X controls, so for video most people know what streaming technologies are available. Their is no “genius cracker” behind this trojan, it is actually fairly low-tech, anyone could have done this at any time. Plus, anyone installing plugins for quicktime usually knows that you just drop the components into the library, and installer is rare, I think FlipforMac is the only installer based quicktime codec.
Cracker and Hacker…. You know, I wouldn’t call it hacking. It isn’t a codec in any way, if it was, it wouldn’t be able to do any damage, it just tells the user it is a codec. So, still in the cracker realm. Plus, I think when we define it, as soon as a hacker takes something and uses it for evil, it goes to cracking.
http://www.mcafee.com/us/enterprise/products/anti_virus/file_servers_desktops/virex.html#tab2
No, no, and no!!! Crackers are the heroes!!
Who gives a damn fuk about hacking into Pentagon or FBI, whatever? Most of the population don’t.
But cracking CSS and all the latest copy protection schemes, cracking iLok or SecuRom, etc, etc.
Actually that’s something useful.
BTW, so funny to see the fanboys show up and sound like lunatic idiots in a Mac thread.
I mean M$ fanboyz, of course.
Cracking the latest copy protection schemes, and securom, unlocking your video game consoles, getting you free cable TV or free satellite, and unlocking your cell phone and all this other cools stuff, even software crack so after you download it for free, you can use it.. Those are HACKERS.
Breaking into the Pentagon or FBI and etc is a “CRACKER”.
WTF!!! People are so dumb it makes me sick
if some idiot downloads and install something from a porn site he deserves it
cracking jon..our hero
(dcss jhon)..without whom this site would not have any
cause to exist (the whole thing is a nordik connection,linus also is from …)
what i found suspicious is the symantec connection,,some time ago they
give free software to rslog to try,and now we have this story with a dude
from symantec again…the relation is easy to xy
@3 Talon Good post, also you should add that Mac users are a bit more savvy then most windows users so don’t just click yes to everything as a a lot of windows users do
@30 “Most” Mac users, the newer users or windows converts would be the target audience for the trojan. So yeah, it target only a very small amount of unsavvy and not too smart mac users. So, the moral of the story is regardless of what OS you are using, DON’T GO TO PORN SITES! Just download full length porn rips through torrents
As you look back, most virus and trojan outbreaks started from a porn site, when you got a horny guy, well, they will click on and do ANYTHING to see some va-jay-jay.
” ” Finally. I’ve been waiting years for a good virus/trojan to hit MacOS. ” “
^_^
” ” Finally. I’ve been waiting years for a good virus/trojan to hit MacOS. ” “
Too bad it isn’t good or clever. Any 5 year old can write a program that removes a user dir for a user who download, install, run and then type in the admin password.
“Too bad it isn’t good or clever. Any 5 year old can write a program that removes a user dir for a user who download, install, run and then type in the admin password.”
Funny thing, is that most files that you see on an OSX drive, like library, etc, var, bin, and all that other fun stuff (essential OS files) are actually sym links… so, even if you erase them, no real harm done. Wiping user directory, yeah that does it, but that is just user stuff, no app harm and as long as the docs weren’t stored in the user directory, no issue. So, it order to take down a mac, you have to take out the files that the sym links point to.
Total in agreement with post #1
As the Mac OS gets increasingly popular, look for more viruses – If windows wasn’t around it would be full of it anyways just the same. However on serious note, It is truly sad to know that people would just sit and have the thrill the make a virus that would corrupt or destroy any Operating system.
the_doctor,
Have you ever heard the terms:
“hacking into the system” or “cracking the copy protection” or “the crack is not working”.
Not the hack what’s not working, you know…
@newsposter :
Learn english
Classic. Still laughing at comment @11
i knew the people at linux were up to something. go gibbon go
a “Hacker” is someone that is extraordinarily good with systems, takes apart systems out of curiosity or bypasses restrictions for personal experience and growth (the joy of knowledge). A cracker is more just malicious.
So lets examine the “Hacking the system”, lets saw we mean breaking into a remote system. A “Hacker” does this to learn how the thing works, while his end result may be something other people can use, he is doing it for the joy of knowledge, and not to be malicious. After getting in, a “hacker” would tell the Admins how He/She did it. A “Cracker” would well, just delete everything on the remote system, and the purpose of getting into the remote system would be to wreak havoc, not out of a joy for knowledge
“Cracking the copy protection”. This again is a “hacker”. Most copyright is broken because people want to know how the copy protection works, it is the joy of knowledge, and it is a “challenge”. No harm is intended.
Now, another example.. Hacking a phone. if you break into a cell phone to unlock the carrier of the phone just to learn how to do it, for that challenge, you are a “hacker”. if you break into the phone to upload a virus that spreads say, via bluetooth, well, then you are a “cracker”…
So –
“Hacker” = good intentions, does it for the knowledge.
“Cracker” = just an idiot doing it to cause damage.
Their is that line of where a hacker breaks into a system for the knowledge, but then reverts to being evil and destroys the system. That would constitute a “cracker”. Also, Crackers usually use knowledge gained by “Hackers” to do bad things. So, the intentions of the act define the classification. So the writer of this trojan was a Cracker.. (also a derogatory term used by people of a darker skin to describe an annoying white boy, I.E someone that writes a stupid trojan
“A few years ago, a virus was just a nuisance and made you lose some documents, eh, no big deal.”
You’re a moron. Really.
trojan != virus != worm != logic bomb.
It’s sad that journalists better understood malware two decades ago.
lol. its funny how your logic works since i can see you back up apple….
However isn’t the original argument of why apple was better than windows is this:
Apple is better cuz it has no problems, if you change to apple you will not get problems since apple is so awesome.
Seems like that argument has been blown up into smithereens, since apple does give you problems!!!!
Also Trojan, Virus, Worm are almost the same thing. Speaking in Programming terms:
Virus would be a parent class to Trojan and Worm
Trojan and Worm would be children classes to Virus.
They have very similar functions, some are less malicious than others.
Its like saying a jail has criminals:
criminals = Virus
Lets take the criminal’s crimes as the effect a certain virus has on a computer.
There are murderers, these can be for example Trojan, then there are the rapists, these cam be for example a Worm.
Although they are all classified as Criminals, however each criminal has a different “effect” or different crime.
So should we start arguing over that people in jail ain’t criminals but they are rapists?!?!?!?!
Anyone who codes a virus for Macs has way too much time on his hands… Who does actually care about the 3 people using stone age computers mainly to work on professional stuff?
“the bad guys are taking Macs seriously now,”
LOL, yeah… 1 trojan… hehehe… That’s just how serious…
@45, Mac is gaining substantial ground against Microsoft, and well, everyone. A simple trojan could have very easily come from Pro-Microsoft people. One thing I don’t get is this pro-Microsoft and anti-mac thing. People running Vista are practically being raped and begging for more in the name of “security”.
Anyways, if you don’t like Mac, or Linux, keep it to yourself, no one is forcing you to use it. At most the gain Apple has gotten in the market along with the increase in GNU/Linux is finally giving Microsoft a reason to be competitive and well, to actually establish morals since their are other platforms for people to go to if they just don’t like Vista, or don;t want to sacrifice their basic rights to be “better secured”, or say, thy don;t want to support an OS that is purely based on DRM…. badvista.org
Apple never said the it is “immune” to attacks, but it is safer. And, it is not all that bad of an OS, it is actually pretty easy to use and powerful, and while it is NOT GNU based, it uses the same concepts, so I see the Mac as a “gateway” drug to Linux Geekdom. Plus, all Viruses or whatever you want to call them will require social engineering on the OS X platform.
so instead of bickering about how “my OS is better”, realize that your may actually suck, or is only better for certain things. One day, Linux is going to take the market, and you Microsoft people are going to be left sitting around going “how the hell do I use this”. Personally my views are, if Microsoft had taken Vista, and put a Linux based kernel under it, or any Unix style, and toned down the technicolor, Vista would be a damn good system. Oh wait, thats OS X
.
Honestly, it would have massively secured Windows, and you would have a standard among OS design, including directory structure, terminal commands and etc.
keep on hacking those bastards before we have to pay for everything we download in future…
Whole story posted on @3 followed by random comments like “last time they cracked osx server in 30 mins” no, that never happened. Next time you see an exploit/virus/trojan for macs, check if it asks you for full access. Any programmer can wreck your system if it has that. The point of real malware is to install without permission. Not even apple will prevent you from installing software on your own machine. Even dubious codecs from paid porn sites.
Well, Ron, sorry kid, but your out of the loop… go play with your Barbie dolls!
The same permission style can be used on Windows… oh, wait, you don’t even know Windows as much as you should to criticize it… oh… ok! Sorry kid!
@iPerson, you think that by using a Mac or Linux you better secure?… guess what, all OS’s have security holes, published or not and if an experienced hacker wants something from your machine, lets say your somebody that has something wanted by a good payer, then he will get it, no matter which Linux or which Mac you’re using!
Most viruses are just jokes or curiosities made by some really smart kids that found out a flaw in a complex system like on OS. However that doesn’t mean that that particular OS is sh!t and that other OS’s, less known and used, are better!
True that a Mac isn’t as exploited as a Windows, but that’s only reason more to worry!
The same thing happened when Firefox became popular.
At first it was advertised as being safer than IE… but once it got used by a lot of these script kiddies, FX became another target! It’s more updated, but that’s just a browser, not an entire OS!
It’s also true what you said, MS needs morals, but as it needs to be more competitive?… get real? WhoTF is one of the richest men alive?
“One day, Linux is going to take the market”… yeah, that’ll never happen. Linux is used purely because it’s free… put a price sticker on that an you’ll see ppl turning around to the free alternatives like FreeBSD.
And if MS suspects that the market is going to be lost to Linux, they’ll rethink their programmers staff… “hey, if a Linux script kiddie did it why not pay him over 100G’s a year and let him work for us!?”
An OS is just as good as its programmers!
And there will always be a better programmer that can do something better than the one you’re paying!
This reminds me of Intel and AMD, as engineers for Intel went over to AMD. Because of them this fub|kin CPU market started to move!
@49 Writing viri for any platform is dead simple if you are going to rely on the user to propagate it. But Windows has a million examples of stuff that needs no user even clicking on OK to run off and do its thing. That is another difference. That and of course, the fact that today there are no OS X viruses in the wild. Not just a few, but zero – despite many people such as yourself who think it would be easy to write one and would like to see one just to show up Mac users.
This is a famous post describing windows vs osx security: http://weblog.infoworld.com/enterprisemac/archives/2006/08/is_windows_inhe.html
@49 osx/unix is secure by default on all editions (cant say the same about most clueless users running home edition right?). Redhat and others are doing ok selling linux distributions. Linux is growing fast in the market and desktop editions are no longer a pain to configure, etc etc you are clueless.
it is impossible to hack a mac system!