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> Apple users Face first Mac Virus
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It was going to happen sooner or later because of how popular they are becoming now!
http://technology.guardian.co[....]y/0,,1712275,00.html?gusrc=rss
JoolsG4? what do you think?
I'm pretty sure it will only take a matter of days before an update comes out though!
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Posted: 2006-02-19 20:49:42
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This was discussed on all the Mac sites a few days ago and pretty quickly dismissed as nothing to worry about too much. A few facts...
Technically, it's not a virus as it can't spread without user intervention
It's actually a Trojan, i.e. something pretending to be something its not in order to trick the user into opening it
To be affected by it you have to:
Download a file
Double-click it to decompress it
Open the folder and double-click the 'fake' JPEG file
Enter your Admin password (never necessary for viewing a real JPEG) so alarm bells should start ringing straightaway
It can't do anything by itself
All the anti-virus companies have classed it as the lowest risk possible
It doesn't take advantage of any security vulnerabilities in Mac OS X
It is obvious as soon as the fake JPEG is opened, that its not a picture as it opens the Terminal, so doesn't hide itsef very well.
So, overall its just a timely reminder that people can write malware that tricks Mac users into opening things just as well as they can for any other platform.
From another site:
The malware-style application attempts to trick unsuspecting users into thinking that it is a JPEG image. If launched, the application requires administrator access before it can install files that attempt to send copies of itself to people that are in your iChat Buddy list.
This unsophisticated proof of concept is not a virus, and does not take advantage of any security flaws in Mac OS X. It also relies on features in Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4), so it is likely that certain parts of its code can't operate on Mac OS X 10.3 and earlier.
Computer security company, Sophos, has named the trojan horse "OSX/Leap-A," and is advising Mac users that use virus protection software to make sure that their virus definitions are up to date.
Trojan vs Virus
A trojan horse is an application that tricks users into thinking it is something other than what it really is. For example, someone could write an application that deletes the files from your Documents folder, but give it name and icon that leads you to believe it is a collection of photos from a friend, an application updater, or some other "friendly" application. Although a trojan horse can take advantage of security weaknesses in your computer's operating system or other applications, it doesn't necessarily have to.
A virus, in contrast, is a self-replicating application that attaches itself to documents, applications, or your operating system, and usually takes advantage of security flaws in your applications and operating system. In most cases, a virus is used maliciously to cause damage to your computer, or to use your computer for other acts without your knowledge. That can include stealing information from you and your data files, using your computer to launch attacks on other computers over the Internet, and to propagate itself to other computers.
Both Trojan horses and viruses are considered malware.
To date, there are no known viruses for Mac OS X.
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Posted: 2006-02-19 21:21:42
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exactly what I was going to say, people these days don't understand the term virus.
You could go onto a person's pc nowadays and delete system files and people will scream "AHH! VIRUS! "
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Posted: 2006-02-19 21:40:04
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hmmm, well loks like im goign to get this virus as I must say I can never resist downloading random picutres win compressed formats then entering my system passwords lol.
@ jools - why is there a norton for mac? I understand what you have told me about viruses on mac's so far, so it doesnt really make sense from the consumers point of view?
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Posted: 2006-02-19 23:47:50
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Well, Norton has been around since the early days - I remember it on Mac OS 7 back in about 1990.
During the Mac OS 6, 7, 8 and 9 days there were a few viruses for Mac. In the eleven years I've been in my current job, we've had exactly one virus which came in on a clients floppy disk in about 1996. Before that we had a few on the college Macs.
With Mac OS X however, there's no need for anti-virus for Mac viruses, but what they do is check for Windows viruses in files on Mac disks and emails, because although they can't affect the Mac, a Mac user could inadvertently pass a virus infected file onto another Windows user.
So Mac anti-virus programs are really benefiting Windows users!
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Posted: 2006-02-20 00:16:09
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ah, thats just all the reason why not to buy it then lol, thanks for clearing that one up
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Posted: 2006-02-20 00:58:43
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norton really does slow ur machine down - dont buy it
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Posted: 2006-02-20 01:02:06
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Quote:
On 2006-02-20 00:16:09, JoolsG4 wrote:
So Mac anti-virus programs are really benefiting Windows users!
makes sense, don't viruses ask for an admin password or something..?! so its quite obvious...
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Posted: 2006-02-20 09:02:56
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thats what jools says, and to me he's the esato mac king so im asuming he's right. But also the nature of mac os makes it harder to get a virus as you just said chazzer it does need to enter your password, and anyone who uses a mac will relise this is only needed to install a program, or change system settings
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Posted: 2006-02-20 11:11:18
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Yeah, the one big advantage Macs have over PCs in security terms, is that nothing can be installed without the user typing in their Admin password.
So its technically impossible for malware to run without the user allowing it.
Mac security vulnerabilities are generally within the user, not the operating system.
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Posted: 2006-02-20 11:12:23
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