Mac users beware

[sprintman]

Know anyone that's a Mac User?

Then let them know that malware researchers have discovered what appears to be the first Mac OSX botnet, aka MacBot or iBotnet and its receiving a substantial amount of industry and media interest.

Early estimates suggest that thousands of people have unknowingly downloaded the infected files. Don't let yourself be one of them...

In a nutshell the botnet is launching a number of malware variants inside pirated copies of popular Mac based software in order to take control of the infected Mac machine.

First and foremost make sure that you and your fellow Mac users, exercise caution, have Mac specific security software installed and that your existing version of iAntiVirus is up to date - there's a free version or you can purchase a version with full functionality and support for only $29.95. It's also vital that you enable and install the latest Mac security updates.

Regards
PC Tools Team

 

[wcbcruzer]

That sucks...

 

[dorkiedoode]

finally

 

[uc50ic4more]

You still have to manually install it, which makes this no different than any other piece of software. Mistakenly, but manually installing a botnet trojan is *not* a security flaw - This can be done on any platform, on any OS.

A security flaw allows people to gain access to, then execute a program on, your computer without your knowledge or consent. A botnet simply tricks you into installing it, and *there is no magic cure or prevention for it, because it is the user that does it.*

It does, however, begin to point to the eventual necessity that less experienced users - Especially those that tend to run pirated software downloaded from dubious sources - are going to have to run anti virus software.

This is more a result of increased market share, where some malicious goof has decided that writing a Mac-based bot is worth his or her trouble.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
You still have to manually install it, which makes this no different than any other piece of software.


Absolutely true. All of the operating systems- even Microlimp with all its holes, weaknesses, and flaws- have gotten pretty hard to attack without getting the user to do *SOMETHING* first, like install a malicious piece of software. No matter what OS you're using, be wary when you click a web link and it says "To view this you need to install the latest version of xxxxx" or something to that effect. Make sure its a valid update and that you really need it.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

I have to give a hearty laugh when a Mac user calls me and says "the window on my computer says I have spyware, should I click on this to fix it?"

 

[javacontour]

I like to click on those ads when I'm browsing using Solaris.

 

[unDummy]

The power of scareware...scare someone into clicking and installing malware pseudo protection. With all the 'hip' half-wits thinking there immune to virii, this just get funnier by the day.

 

[Mystic]

The strange thing is I just now read an email today from the people who make iAntivirus for Macs about this 'ibotnet.'

The people who make Spyware Doctor for Windows computers also make iAntivirus. It is free if you use it on just one Mac and otherwise you can buy a paid version of it. I don't know how effective iAntivirus is but you can't beat the price (free) and it should offer some protection. Little excuse for somebody using a Mac to not have some protection.

 

[simple_gifts]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/22/mac_trojan_attack/
http://www.crn.com/security/216700006;jsessionid=DAQU12BUPAAUIQSNDLRSKHSCJUNN2JVN

Looks like, as uc50 indicated, this is a result from people trying to pirate software.

Quote:

Little excuse for somebody using a Mac to not have some protection.


Other than no one ever displaying a need for it.