Mac computer malware epidemic...

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I was reading the Escapees Forum and came across the following about the Mac Computer.

It seems that a Mac user does not have to do anything but to connect with certain web pages and a trojan is installed on their computer.

Stated in one article on ZD Net.
What makes this outbreak especially chilling is that the owners of infected Macs didn’t have to fall for social engineering, give away their administrative password, or do something stupid. All they had to do was visit a web page using a Mac that had a current version of Java installed

Another article on Bart Busschots Blog.

And if you have access to the Escapees Forum.

Hope no one has this malware. Some are saying you may not even know it is on your computer.

BC

BTW I posted this here because I have not seen a thread about this here.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Thanks for the heads up. I just had my drive wiped clean and everything reinstalled at the Apple Store, due to a "third party application" that was causing a random blue flashing screen. I am now wondering if this was related? I ran the script and it said I was clean. Will get DH to run on his as well.

E
 

PhotoPete

Well-known member
I believe you are talking about the widely publicized "Flashback malware" virus. If you google Flashback malware you will come up with tons of stuff. Apple just released a update to Java to help. Simply do a software update. Here is the support document for the update. you can keep up on the goings on with apple and it's products at MacRumors.
 

PhotoPete

Well-known member
There is no such thing. Anyone that would tell you otherwise simply has no idea what they are talking about. Mac's were targeted less by the "hackers" simply and only because they didn't have the market share. They still don't in the OS department. there are still FAR fewer viruses for mac than windows. But truly no one is immune.

I was an IT guy for many years. Been there, done that. MCSE+I, CNE, CCNA
 

recumbent615

Founding MA Chapter Leader-retired
There is no such thing. Anyone that would tell you otherwise simply has no idea what they are talking about. Mac's were targeted less by the "hackers" simply and only because they didn't have the market share. They still don't in the OS department. there are still FAR fewer viruses for mac than windows. But truly no one is immune.

I was an IT guy for many years. Been there, done that. MCSE+I, CNE, CCNA


You hit the nail on the head Pete. you will hear people say that there are no Viruses for the MAC platform and others will say the same about the Linux OS variants as well. But it is really as you state - more about Market share - and yes 15 years ago there were nearly no viruses that effected the MAC platform. The main reason for this was the hackers were not developing them for that platform since there were so few of them and there were % wise just more PCs. But now with MAC gaining some respectable market share - Some hackers have exploited the holes in that OS as well. Some of those exploits also carry over to the Linux Platforms as well since that is the actual OS that the MAC is running under their interface.

Welcome to the Era of equal infection computing!!!
 

caissiel

Senior Member
And to think that Mac users were told they did not need protection by the dealers. I was always aware of the posibilities. And always advised as such.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
In my career (Graphic Design, Advertising, Printing), we work pretty much exclusively on Mac. In 22 years, I can recall only about 3 times when a virus actually impacted our work. At the one Printing Company where I worked exclusively on PCs for 4 years, we had at least one virus attack that stopped our work, every year.

E
 

3Gstore

Well-known member
I've never had anti virus protection until the news of this hit and I had to install "Sophos" as a precaution. Media probably blew this virus out of proportion as any news about a Mac flaw grabs headlines.
 

PhotoPete

Well-known member
Apple has released a tool to remove the Flashback malware virus from Macs running OS X Lion and Snow Leopard. You can get a copy of it here. I highly recommend that, if you are using a mac, you check your system to see if your infected. It's only through proactive measures that the virus can be eradicated from the environment. I would also strongly recommend that you invest in a quality virus protection software package. I personally would recommend Intego. I have no affiliation with them, just happen to think its a good package.

Pete
 

mmomega

AnyTimer
I have 6 Apple Computers at home and 6 at work and I've yet to get a virus or Trojan or malware....yet. Not that they are immune, I just haven't gotten any. I run no active protection but I do check whenever a "scare" is published and yet to find anything.
I do have my Apple SL and Lion Certs and I've been testing Mountain Lion, the to be released OS from Apple.

I preach the same thing to my family and friends...
If you do have a Mac run your software update, get your updates, run the removal tool downloaded from Apple.com nowhere else and don't install any software if you aren't sure what it is.
Anyone that got the flashback malware installed it themselves, it can't self install. The program is disguised as Adobe flash player and you must type your computers password in order for it to install.
So unless you go to Adobes website to download flash plugins, don't install it.
 

PhotoPete

Well-known member
...So unless you go to Adobes website to download flash plugins, don't install it.

This is a good practice to get into for any update from any company. More important, this is a good policy to follow when you get that email from a "friend" that says something to the effect "this is then coolest/funniest/cutest... thing. Watch this" and a link to some You Tube clip or some such thing. Go to the location independent of the link and see for yourself that its a real address and clip. Basically whenever you get a email from anyone that says "just click here" never do it. Always go there manually and confirm the authenticity.

In my years of IT, i have come across countless viruses and at least a handful on the apple platform. Almost always it was a socially engineered delivery method. That is, a request to click, that the user believed was legit. The other highly common delivery method for viruses is web sites (typically porn) that download software while you are looking at the site. It might be a "click the picture" to "watch the video" type thing.

I can't tell you how many women have called me to say the computer has a problem only to find out the husband or son had been surfing for nudes. I mean really a lot of calls like that.
 
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