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OS X Malware Demands $300 FBI Fine For Viewing, Distributing Porn

Posted by timothy on from the receipt-is-useless dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A new piece of malware is targeting OS X to extort money from victims by accusing them of illegally accessing pornography. Ransomware typically uses claims of breaking the law and names law enforcement (such as the CIA or FBI) to scare victims, but it is usually aimed at Windows users, not Mac users. The security firm Malwarebytes first spotted this latest threat, noting that criminals have ported the ransomware scheme to OS X and are even exploiting a Safari-specific feature. The ransomware page in question gets pushed onto unsuspecting users browsing high-trafficked sites as well as when searching for popular keywords."

11 of 173 comments (clear)

  1. Ok? by i+kan+reed · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I thought we were past the "being surprised that apple products get malware" stage years ago. This seems like a pretty run-of-the-mill scam. I can't really see what's notable about it. Someone help?

    1. Re:Ok? by SSpade · · Score: 5, Informative

      It's not malware. It's just a webpage.

      Gullibility isn't OS-specific.

    2. Re:Ok? by Rosyna · · Score: 5, Informative

      there's no payload and no exploit involved. it's just a webpage that opens another webpage when you try to close it.

    3. Re:Ok? by fazey · · Score: 4, Insightful

      So how is this "mac specific" or an "exploit"... and not just... a popup?

    4. Re:Ok? by Gr8Apes · · Score: 4, Informative

      and easy enough to kill by disabling JS

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
  2. Malware by AlreadyStarted · · Score: 5, Informative

    Is this really malware? It's just a webpage with annoying javascript...

  3. Re:Not so Invulnerable now, huh...? by MachineShedFred · · Score: 5, Funny

    This isn't malware. It's a javascript on a web page.

    Calling this malware is like calling a firecracker a weapon of mass destruction.

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  4. No, still pretty invulnerable... by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Informative

    No product is totally invulnerable. But it's a simple fact that an OSX user can go a long, long time before ever seeing a virus or malware.

    That said - this is not an example of the OS being vulnerable, the whole "malware" is Javascript that takes over Safari a bit, basically a hacked website. I'm not even sure if it works if you have popup blocking on. The computer is never compromised.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  5. Not a virus, how does your foot taste? by raymorris · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How does that foot in your mouth taste? It's not a virus, and not OSX specific - it's just a web page with some annoying Javascript.

  6. Re:Not so Invulnerable now, huh...? by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just a rouge website with some crafty Javascript!

    What does the color of the web page have to do with anything?

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  7. Re:Not malware by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hold down "Shift" when you re-launch Safari - that'll solve that problem.

    --
    #DeleteChrome