Poll: Have you ever had a Virus or Trojan on your Mac? [Archive]

Sailfish

Apr 12, 2004, 12:21 PM

On my Mac, 16 years ago I got the WDEF virus from a game disk, it was quickly disinfected. Since then nothing.

There are over 81,000 viruses mostly for Windows.

You can see all the Microsoft vulnerabilities here, there are even many vulnerabilities on Microsoft software written for the Mac! That's why it's important to not run any M$ software or enable ActiveX on your Mac. Also it's wise not to use Microsoft server for your ISP.

http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletinsByType/vndr_ms_bulletins.html

You can check what a server is running here

http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/today/top.avg.html

Those required to use OfficeMac, you have my sympathies

encro

Apr 12, 2004, 12:27 PM

I have quite a few PC viruses in my email mbox such as:

W32/Bugbear.b.dam virus
W32/Netsky.d@MM virus

umm there are more but I can't be bothered scanning them since they are effectively quarantined sitting on my Mac.

druggedonions

Apr 12, 2004, 12:27 PM

I downloaded the concept of the recent "tojan", because I wanted to see what it did.

I've had other viruses sent to me by Windows users.

I ran viruses on VPC, don't know if this counts?

But have I ever had any that have caused me to spend a day re-installing my OS and applications. Never :D

Oops, I've said it now :rolleyes:

jasonbw

Apr 12, 2004, 12:31 PM

a long time ago we found autostart (B?) on our mac (OS 8 era, i cant remember if it was on the lcII or the 6500), apparently it came from some mac magazines cd insert. it was the antivirus version, the one that was created to hunt down and destroy the dangerous version.

Sadly, that was the only time i've ever 'caught' a virus, even though i get emailed 2-3 different types of windows virus every day.

Mudbug

Apr 12, 2004, 12:33 PM

As far as I understood it, there weren't ANY for OS X as of yet, so how is it there are 7 folks saying they've had one? I'd love elaboration from them - more curiosity than anything else.

Counterfit

Apr 12, 2004, 12:35 PM

Hmm, I'd have to ask my brother if we ever got one on our LC520 (which was our main computer until 12/00!!! :eek: ) before 1999 or so when we really started bugging our parents to get a new one. But I'm certain that from 1998 on, there have been 0 viruses/virii running on any of our computers (excluding my brother's, I don't know about his). Now if you mean have I ever had any virus, including ones that won't run on a Mac, well, I'm sure they've stopped by a few times... ;)

eric_n_dfw

Apr 12, 2004, 12:39 PM

You can see all the Microsoft vulnerabilities here, there are even many vulnerabilities on Microsoft software written for the Mac! That's why it's important to not run any M$ software or enable ActiveX on your Mac. Also it's wise not to use Microsoft server for your ISP.
To be fair, software in Mac OS X has vulnerablilities. If it didn't, the Apple wouldn't send out the security updates. The only safe computer is the unplugged one. ;)

FWIW: The only computer I've ever had that was exploited (that I know of :eek:) was a RedHat Linux 7.1 machine I used to run my webserver (www.ericsmalling.com) off in my closet. I had a non-patched verison of OpenSSH on it that someone used an exploit on to gain root access to it. Luckily I was in the room and heard the reboot "beep" and figured it out pretty quick so I pulled the ethernet cable and proceded to format and re-install (and patch!). (I've since moved to a remote web host and retired that old Linux box)

SilentPanda

Apr 12, 2004, 12:41 PM

mainstreetmark

Apr 12, 2004, 12:43 PM

On my early Mac, I caught the nVIR virus, which, of course, we all had back then. It didn't do much but increase some counter, and when a specific number was reached, popped a message that said "Don't Panic", i think.

Then, back in the Apple IIgs days, I got a virus that, on boot, turned your screen red, cranked the volume, played an alarm and said something like "Fatal System Error". After 10 seconds, the GS would reboot, and you'd be left with a floppy with no boot sector.

Of course, I did this to my Procomm disk (that's the one I used to dial out to the internet), so I was effectively cut off, so me and my buddy spent the next day or so figuring out what the hell was going on.

(A google search reminded me that virus was called "Lode Runner". GS's had such great virus names like that and "Festering Hate". Much better than "W32/Bugbear.b.dam")

shadowself

Apr 12, 2004, 12:55 PM

I voted that I have had a virus in OS X but it's not truly accurate since it didn't do anything. The other day when the whole MP3 virus fiasco was going on I did a complete system virus check with Virex and it turned up three. It was the same one three times and I believe it was an exploit with Java. It was on my Mac but was probably not doing anything. So I've had a virus under OS X... but it didn't do anything.

If you got a "virus" that can't do anything on your system then this really isn't a virus. It is just dead code. It is no different than people who have gotten several variations of the various Windows specific viruses onto their Macs. They don't do anything and thus should not be counted as Mac OS X viruses.

Has ANY of the people who voted that they got a Mac OS X virus gotten a viable virus, trojan or worm? If so, we would ALL like to know about it. To my knowledge no one has YET made a viable virus, trojan or worm which specifically attacks Mac OS X systems.

As Apple, and anyone else with any comment sense, says there is no way to make OS X 100% bullet proof. Thus we all must stay vigilent and watch for any possible malware. So all of you who voted that you have gotten a Mac OS X virus, if any of them were active viruses, let us know!

sethypoo

Apr 12, 2004, 12:58 PM

I actually downloded the last Windows virus that ran amok a few months ago to my Mac.

Needless to say, nothing happened. :)

SilentPanda

Apr 12, 2004, 01:04 PM

If you got a "virus" that can't do anything on your system then this really isn't a virus. It is just dead code. It is no different than people who have gotten several variations of the various Windows specific viruses onto their Macs. They don't do anything and thus should not be counted as Mac OS X viruses.

Understood. The poll question asked if I had ever had a virus or trojan on my Mac. And I have. Have I had an active one? No.

Trowaman

Apr 12, 2004, 01:06 PM

Virus? What's Virus? :cool:

I've had PC friends have them and they spread to mine and when they get to my OS X.3, nothing happens. Life is good for us . . .

But that doesn't mean we should get cocky. MORE SECURITY UPDATES PLEASE!!!!

bennetsaysargh

Apr 12, 2004, 01:22 PM

glad to say no. nor will i ever. hopefully. i still have yet to get a virus on my vpc, but if i ever did, i can just force quit vpc, and start up again, and it's unchanged :)

Particle Man

Apr 12, 2004, 01:26 PM

I've gotten a couple of nVir variants over the years but nothing that my virus software couldn't handle. With OSX I'm not even running anything because there's nothing but Office Macro viruses that I'd even have to worry about.

TimDaddy

Apr 12, 2004, 01:46 PM

I once ran Virex and it said "One inected file." I couldn't figure out how to see what file it was or what virus it was. I decided to just check "Clean any file infected with a virus" and run it again. I never noticed any problems from it. I beleive I was running OS 9 when this happened. If not, it would have been 10.2. But I can't remember for sure.

SiliconAddict

Apr 12, 2004, 02:13 PM

Other then my ][e and my Newton I've never owned a Mac. But I can say that of the 4 computers I currently own and the 2 previous ones I've owned I've never been infected with a virus. Trojan, or worm and that's without any AV software (With the exception of my home server that is running NAV Corp Edition.)

Avoiding viruses and worms on Windows isn't that hard:
1. Running a firewall.
2. Running Windows Update once every few months.
3. Don't use Internet Exploder and Microsoft Lookout.
4. USE FREAKING COMMON SENSE WHEN DEALING WITH E-MAILS!!!!
5. Download software only from creditable sites.

That's it. No great secret and really not that hard.

docpsycho

Apr 12, 2004, 02:23 PM

Most of the virus items are atteched to Microsoft office files. These viruses only effect the windows machine, leaving the MAC as a non effected carrier.

Wonder Boy

Apr 12, 2004, 02:36 PM

ive had them on both using p2p networks (9) and downloading from cnet-like dl services (X). but ever since i got panther, things have been great.

DStaal

Apr 12, 2004, 02:53 PM

Understood. The poll question asked if I had ever had a virus or trojan on my Mac. And I have. Have I had an active one? No.

Ditto. I just ran the Virex beta a couple days ago, and it found Word macro viri and Outlook viri, some of which have been on my computer for years, (Since OS 8 at least...) as well as some proof-of-concept viri from security mailing lists.

None were runable on a Mac, or have they ever been. But I've had them around. (Because I didn't care, or removing them would have wrecked a file, or (in the proof-of-concept cases) because they themselves were information.)

MacFan25

Apr 12, 2004, 03:17 PM

No, I've never had a virus on my mac. I have the anti-virus software that came with my .Mac subscription, but I've only done a scan once.

I just don't really worry about getting a virus on my mac, because there are so few of them out there for OS X.

wordmunger

Apr 12, 2004, 03:35 PM

I've had the MS Word Macro Virus several times. The current version of Word does a fairly good job preventing it, but in older versions (6.x????) you could get infected pretty easily. It was basically a benign virus, just turning your Word files into templates--you could read them in Word, but you couldn't import into Quark. I think Norton eventually came out with a fix, but you could also fix it yourself just by copying/pasting into a new doc and deleting the macro.

~Shard~

Apr 12, 2004, 03:41 PM

I am proud to say I've never had one at all. And the other nice thing is that I never have to worry about ever getting one in the first place on my Mac! :cool:

Giaguara

Apr 12, 2004, 04:01 PM

sure. ive had plenty of viruses and worms on my mac.

but they were all sent by windows users, and would need windows platform to do anything. ;)

gerardrj

Apr 12, 2004, 05:06 PM

I've not had an infectious virus on my Mac since System 6 or 7, and that was WDEF I think. I recall one also that would make the system beep once in a while, or if you had speech capability installed it said "don't panic" instead of beeping, I can't recall the name of that one.

Golem

Apr 12, 2004, 05:37 PM

Two normal virus and the word macro virus.

One we had for several days long enough to pass it on too one client. Another (wdef) we picked up on as soon we got the cd with it on. Plus our Manual writer had the word macro virus for 6 months before I got some documents from her and ran a virus check:(

All early Mac os 6-8 days.

macdong

Apr 12, 2004, 08:30 PM

if home-made virus is included, then yeah, i had two.
written by myself to scare my friends :)
they don't do any harm, but they are annoying as hell :)

bousozoku

Apr 12, 2004, 09:19 PM

No, although I often wondered if System 7.5.x included a virus of some sort since it crashed so much.

I can say that I've only gotten one virus on any machine I owned and I've had several machines from 1981 to present.

wdlove

Apr 12, 2004, 09:23 PM

I'm proud to say that I haven't had any viruses or worms. I keep up with my monthly Norton Antivirus updates. :)

nslyax

Apr 12, 2004, 10:56 PM

In OS 7.5, I got some virus that masqueraded as RAM Doubler, and even came on the CD from Best Buy (this was '94ish). It apparently just used up all my system RAM forcing a reboot every 15 minutes.

In OS X, Virex found what apparently was a Java/JavaScript trojan that can only affect windows computers.

rainman::|:|

Apr 12, 2004, 11:42 PM

only once, in system 6, i think it was wdef, i infected myself to check my antivirus (SAM, the pre-norton). Worked like a charm, it caught it before it could even run. Now on my modern day PC at work, which is supposed to be highly-secure, i recently cleaned about a dozen pieces of spyware and adware off the machine, along with 2 malware according to Ad Aware. All these from just web browsing, downloading a couple of reputable utility apps from versiontracker. My first experience with spyware was when, for no reason at all, my browser window at work would be taken over by some fake-search engine site, i couldn't do anything. I had no idea what to do, but after fiddling around long enough, i stopped it. Since then i've learned a bit about host files, so that won't be happening again. It just amazes me that despite the supposed security in place, which often restricts me in simple job-related tasks, linking around on the net can wreak such havoc with my machine. Thankfully i discovered the spyware before IT did, or they'd take away my firewall password :eek:

paul

rickvanr

Apr 13, 2004, 12:12 AM

if home-made virus is included, then yeah, i had two.
written by myself to scare my friends :)
they don't do any harm, but they are annoying as hell :)
haha, what did they do?

i remember there was a script that looked like a folder and when u opened it, it made something like 1000 folders named 0001 -1001 or something like that... locked up my system for a few mins, but i knew what it would do

Apple Hobo

Apr 13, 2004, 12:48 AM

I once found Code9811 and SevenDust (I think SevenDust G) on OS 9.x.

I had been running without any antivirus protection for a long time, and one day I scanned my system with a freeware virus scanner just for the fun of it. It was then that I found the two little buggers lurking on my system. They didn't do anything, and I didn't even know they were there. According to Symantec's info, one of them supposedly releases a payload or does something "special" on only certain days of the week/month. Luckily (coincidentally?), I found the virus a day or two before this special execution date. I bought the latest version of NAV, which wiped out both viruses in one swipe. I probably got these when I used to download stuff from not-so-nice sites.

adt

Apr 13, 2004, 01:10 AM

__________________
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on message boards, usenet and in e-mail?

So would you condone replying to all emails below the last reply, in much the same way this reply is set out?

Wouldn't this be much more frustrating to read, in that, when I receive an email, I look at the subject, I look at the sender, I know what its about, I read their reply. Rather than having to scroll down to the bottom of the message to find their reply hidden at the bottom...

?

MacFinn

Apr 13, 2004, 04:25 AM

I had to answer Yes, I've had a virus. That happened in 1991 I believe, OS 7.

And right now there are a couple of virus emails from PC users in Mail, haven't deleted them yet. I intend to contact the ISP and tell them about them.

jnasato

Apr 13, 2004, 06:37 AM

In 1997 or so, I downloaded an old game- it was black and white- and Virex detected the virus before I had used the game. I don't remember which virus it was.

Besides installing viruses and trojan horses on my own computer to see what would happen, that is the only time that I've come close to virus infection.

TheAppleDoctor

Apr 13, 2004, 06:54 AM

Yes. CDEF on an old Mac Plus running 6.0.4. Even then it was so rare that I kept a copy on a locked floppy, just so I could occasionally let Norton find something to do. :D

Nothing since.

SpaceMagic

Apr 13, 2004, 07:09 AM

I've never ever had a Virus on any of my Macs.. BUT I get at least 6 .pif virii in my inbox on my mac everyday (its a windows virus). If i had windows, i'd be pooping myself right now.

pimentoLoaf

Apr 13, 2004, 08:30 AM

Had an os9 virus from Yahoo webMail that ripped thousands of li'l system thingies out of their normal place and onto the desktop, rendering my iceBook useless. :mad: :mad: :mad:

Booted from a Norton Utilities disk and moved important files to an external HD, and then reformatted and reinstalled everything.

Nny

Apr 13, 2004, 09:32 AM

I voted "No" because the virus wasn't on my Mac...

Samba and Nimda worm.... do not mix.

http://www.securemac.com/macosxnimdasamba.php

MacMyDay

Apr 13, 2004, 09:54 AM

The amount that this has been crashing lately I'm starting to think I've got one, but Virex says not.

Nny

Apr 13, 2004, 10:06 AM

The amount that this has been crashing lately I'm starting to think I've got one, but Virex says not.

Anything in particular crashing?

Try the usual... repair permissions/trash prefs for crashing program(s)/update prebinding/run cron scripts/reboot.

Cocktail can do much of this for you.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/18282

I used to do tech support for AOL. That was fun. Average call:
User: AOL won't launch/AOL keeps crashing/AOL won't connect. Fix it!
Me: Trash the prefs and reboot.

And back in the old days...

User: It still doesn't work!
Me: Allocate some more memory.

Favorite tech support call: Drunk guy on New Year's Eve: "I can't get the screen name I want. I wanted the screen name 'Backdoor Bandit.' You see... I'm a thief, and I like to use the back door. Cause no one expects it." True story!

MacMyDay

Apr 13, 2004, 10:09 AM

Thanks for the advice. I've posted on the Apple forums about it and there's a huge thread about the same problem. Pretty much, the entire OS just freezes without anything crashing. I can still click on applications, yet were I to do anything then it would just result in the SPOD. The sign is that the clock just freezes and then I need to reboot. Happens spontaneously about 3 times a day at the moment, normally at night when it's on yet I'm not using it.

MrMacMan

Apr 13, 2004, 11:13 AM

It some weird logic in this thread guys...

If you get the 'dead' virus or that one that was recently circulated -- You don't have a virus!

It does nothing more then prove a point that someone *could* exploit something like that.

No Mac Os X's Viruses or Trojans have appeared yet.

If I get a windows virus on my Mac somehow do I have an Mac Os X Virus?
No.
If I get a 'virus' on my Mac Os X that doesn't do anything is it even a virus?
No.

wrldwzrd89

Apr 13, 2004, 12:03 PM

I am proud to be virus-free on both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 (and earlier). I don't use MS Office anymore, so I'm immune to those macro viruses. I've also never caught a virus on any of my Macs, and had only 2 (!) encounters with viruses on my Windows PC (which I don't use anymore). The first virus was a malicious script on a Web site which my anti-virus program isolated and prevented it from executing. The second was a "fake" virus that totally messed up my DOS prompt (it was displaying X:\ as the prompt instead of C:\, and none of the commands worked).

hulugu

Apr 13, 2004, 12:45 PM

I never had a virus on either OS9 or OSX, but I'm also very careful. I have Postini anti-Spam and anti-Virus for my primary account and I use Virex for my .Mac account and for my machine.
Furthermore, I use an OSX box in my network to protect our Windows network. All computers will have exploits, but the preponderance of Windows over all other operating systems has led to a situation where one sickness overtakes the entire system. The biological paradigm works very well here, ultimately if we allow our computer systems to become so inbred and homogenous one really serious virus, the equivalent of AIDS or Ebola, and we're screwed. Fortunately, the Internet is fairly well protected because of the prevalence of Apache over IIS, but the desktop is still a perfect target, the tools are there to make a really, really nasty virus, but no one has done it either because they're worried about blowback or haven't quite wanted to.
So, OSX is not virus-proof, but not virus-prone

bennetsaysargh

Apr 13, 2004, 01:57 PM

what is this macro virus? i never heard of it, what does it do?

Turias

Apr 13, 2004, 02:28 PM

Does anyone remember the Merry Xmas virus that propagated through HyperCard stacks? Ahh, those were the days...

parrothead

Apr 13, 2004, 03:03 PM

I had a macros virus on a couple of Microsoft Works files way back when I was running Mac OS 6 on my Mac Classic. Other than that, nothing else that I know of.

cb911

Apr 13, 2004, 05:15 PM

well i've never had a virus on OS X, never used OS 9 either...

and just so everyone knows... if you have a PC virus on your Mac, it's not a virus to you. it's just a bunch of code sitting there. it's only a virus if it runs against your wishes. and if it's a PC virus, that means it cannot run on your Mac, so you don't have a virus. :)