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Fake Codec is Mac OS X Trojan

Kenny A. writes "Multiple news organisations are reporting on an in-the-wild Mac OS X malware attack that uses porn lures to plant phishing Trojans on Mac machines. The attack site attempts to trick users into download a disk image (.dmg) file disguised as a codec that's required for viewing the video. If the Mac machine's browser is set to to open 'Safe' files after downloading, the .dmg gets mounted and the Installer is launched. The target must click through a series of screens to become infected but once the Trojan is installed, it has full control of the machine."

11 of 473 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm by damicatz · · Score: 0, Troll

    I thought Macs didn't get viruses or worms and that they "just worked".

    1. Re:Hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      "Come back and tell us about it when OSX (eventually) has an attack vector that doesn't require the user to be a complete and utter dumbass, please."

      Impossible, because a user must be a complete and utter dumbass to use OSX in the first place.

  2. It's about CRITICAL MASS... by El+Lobo · · Score: -1, Troll
    People still believe that there are few virii for the Mak/Linuzzz just because those systems are more secure. The truth is that more or less secure, all systems have holes that will be used sooner or later by virii, malware, trojans, etc. The reason why there are few virii for less popular platforms can be described with two words: CRITICAL MASS.

    In nuclear physics, critical mass is the mass where there can be an effective chain reaction. If your mass is less than the critical mass, the population of neutrons introduced to a subcritical assembly will exponentialy decrease, until the chain reaction dies. If your mass is bigger than the critical mass, your population of neutrons will exponentially raise until the chain reaction is then unstopable.

    The same thing happens here: Firts of all, malware writters are interested in targeting the platform that will give them the more number of users. This way, their porn links, spam letters, etc will get a bigger audience. Becuase the critical mass is bigger with Windows there is a big chance that, when spreading via network, letters, etc, the new target will also be a PC with Windows. With a Mak or Linuzzz, the chance that a virus that sends itself comes to another Mak or Linuzzz machine is minimal: not enough critical mass.

    When Maks and Linuzzz gets more and more popular with the time, we will see that those systems will be getting more and more interesting for malware writers. Fortunatly, the critical mass for those systems is not high enough and we will not see chain reactions like the Love letter or something similar. Not in a near future anyway.

    --
    It's time to realise that Abble's products are the biggest abomination these days. Just say NO to the dumb iAbble way!!
  3. no biggy by pak9rabid · · Score: 0, Troll

    Since Mac users are too smug for porn I guess this won't be that bad

  4. Re:It begins? by Americano · · Score: 1, Troll

    Hell, for all we know OSX is just as insecure if not MORE insecure than Windows...people just haven't been making the effort to discover flaws because it wasn't worth the time. With the number of Macs in households growing every day (especially in light of Vista), it is becoming more and more worth the time of malware developers to target Mac systems...
    I like your FUD... where can I get some?

    Seriously, dude. I'm not going to claim that Macs are somehow magically "totally secure"... but given that Unix operating systems have been around for many years, and they are still nowhere near as rife with exploits, malware and other crap as the Windows ecosystem... don't you think you're overstating the case a bit?

    And if you think you're not, then what's your response to all the Linux users who claim that their Unix underpinnings make them much more secure than Windows?
  5. Re:What's the sound of a thousand eyes rolling? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Tech Support: "Ahhh, the porn tojan... This one's a doozy."
    User: "No, I wasn't looking at porn!" But this is on Mac... Doesn't that mean it's gay porn?
  6. SafePornSurfer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    My friend accidently installed this on his mac. I'm glad to hear it is not going to send itself to everyone on my mailing list!

    Here is some advise for those of you who got infected like me:

    I found a great mac-friendly site at www.safepornsurfer.com, which has a fix for this trojan.
    All you have to do is install their SafePornSurfer Application, which will run in the background and fix this and all
    other problems you might install by accident when your friend is surfing porn sites.

    All you have to do is double-click on the downloaded DMG, click on the installer, supply your username and password
    (this is to help the program block all those nasty malware trojans), then keep clicking on OK.
    Easy, just as a Mac should be.

    Aren't these guys great for helping out their fellow mac users by writing such a great program?
    I quickly emailed everyone on my contact list (everyone that isn't a stupid windows user that is)
    the link and highly recommended that they install it.

    I was scared for a minute, but I'm relieved this phase of bad Mac security is now over.
    I'm glad to know that I'm again perfectly safe doing whatever I want on my new Mac!

  7. Re:It begins by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    The reason that people use Apple products in the first place is precisely because they are dimwits. A Macintosh is little more than a sealed "magic box" with a stop and go button, tailored specifically for low intellect types. Some might say they are the Fisher-Price of computing.

  8. MOD PARENT UP NOT A TROLL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    +5 Insightful

  9. Re:Must be gay porn... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Hey, at they may or may not be gay (you wish), but at least they're loudmouthed witless bigots.

  10. Re:It begins by Grail · · Score: 0, Troll

    As opposed to Windows users who have experienced so much malware that reinstalling Windows from scratch is just another monthly chore?

    It's like a country that has been at war for so long that people don't think twice about buying another dozen boxes of ammunition with their milk and bread.