New Variant of 'Mac Defender' Quickly Evades Apple's Security Update as Cat-and-Mouse Game Begins

MacRumors · Jun 1, 2011

As we noted yesterday, Apple released Security Update 2011-003 for Mac OS X Snow Leopard, a system update addressing the "Mac Defender" malware threat that has been running in the wild under several different variants for the past month. The update provides tools for automatically removing the malware, as well as protection against future infections. But as reported by ZDNet, a new variant of the malware capable of circumventing Apple's update has already appeared. popping up within hours of Apple's software release.

Hours after Apple released this update and the initial set of definitions, a new variation of Mac Defender is in the wild. This one has a new name, Mdinstall.pkg, and it has been specifically formulated to skate past Apple's malware-blocking code.

The file has a date and time stamp from last night at 9:24PM Pacific time. That's less than 8 hours after Appleâs security update was released.

Apple has prepared for this eventuality by including automatic daily updates of malware definitions with the software update, enabling it to quickly deploy protection as new variants and entirely different pieces of malware surface. Consequently, Apple should be able to respond to the new threat relatively quickly, although the speed with which the new variant appeared suggests that those responsible for the malware will not be going away easily.

Article Link: New Variant of 'Mac Defender' Quickly Evades Apple's Security Update as Cat-and-Mouse Game Begins

GFLPraxis · Jun 1, 2011

I'm amazed people are still stupid enough to manually download and run this considering all the press coverage it has received.

BLACKFRIDAY · Jun 1, 2011

Props to those guys beating Apple at this.

As much as you can hate windows, MS has been very serious about security on Windows with a much tighter security system in Windows 7. Not saying that they had already not needed that, but they have been very careful and have come strong on viruses and malware.

Apple, you need to tighten up here.

Popeye206 · Jun 1, 2011

LOL! Funny.... looks like the crooks are hard at work to stir the pot on the Mac side.

Doesn't scare me. I don't install what I don't know. Malware is just annoying.

BLACKFRIDAY · Jun 1, 2011

GFLPraxis said:
I'm amazed people are still stupid enough to manually download and run this considering all the press coverage it has received.

I wonder, you'd say the same thing if your mom or dad would have caught up with this.

Not everybody is smart or a genius.

laurim · Jun 1, 2011

GFLPraxis said:
I'm amazed people are still stupid enough to manually download and run this considering all the press coverage it has received.

I'm amazed people have nothing better to do than create viruses and malware all day. Imagine what could be achieved if people used their time and skills to do something useful for society. Hope they goof up, get traced and held accountable.

chrono1081 · Jun 1, 2011

BLACKFRIDAY said:
Props to those guys beating Apple at this.

As much as you can hate windows, MS has been very serious about security on Windows with a much tighter security system in Windows 7. Not saying that they had already not needed that, but they have been very careful and have come strong on viruses and malware.

Apple, you need to tighten up here.

Nice troll attempt. If MS was serious about security they would start by removing the registry.

Cheffy Dave · Jun 1, 2011

To bad the crtetins that are that mentally enabled to create this, as well as the work around, don't put their minds to work for the good of humanity

be a better world, hopefully when they grow up.

Dr McKay · Jun 1, 2011

GFLPraxis said:
I'm amazed people are still stupid enough to manually download and run this considering all the press coverage it has received.

Most of this news is on tech orientated sites, the average consumer base likely to fall for this software most likely aren't going to visit these sites.

chrono1081 said:
Nice troll attempt. If MS was serious about security they would start by removing the registry.

Stating Microsoft take security seriously is a troll attempt? And what do you have against the registry, I'd prefer an easily searchable central registry of files rather than a million .ini files scattered the length and breadth of my hard drive.

ten-oak-druid · Jun 1, 2011

Well hopefully the cat and mouse game leads to clues to finding who actually is behind the malware.

We need a survey asking people who actually run this thing if they:
A. Have always been Mac OS users.
B. Have converted from Windows OS.

laurim · Jun 1, 2011

BLACKFRIDAY said:
I wonder, you'd say the same thing if your mom or dad would have caught up with this.

Not everybody is smart or a genius.

Or obsessively reading mac news articles...

BLACKFRIDAY · Jun 1, 2011

chrono1081 said:
Nice troll attempt. If MS was serious about security they would start by removing the registry.

Troll?

I use Windows 7 for some of my work. My main machines are OS X and SunOS.

What I am trying to say that MS has showed a lot of effort on the security side which Apple has not, yet.

If you think I'm wrong, fine. But I don't see how I am biased towards Microsoft in this regard.

.Joel · Jun 1, 2011

BLACKFRIDAY said:
Props to those guys beating Apple at this.

As much as you can hate windows, MS has been very serious about security on Windows with a much tighter security system in Windows 7. Not saying that they had already not needed that, but they have been very careful and have come strong on viruses and malware.

Apple, you need to tighten up here.

This would have to be the dumbest, most ignorant post I have read all week on here. Apple has addressed the first instance, and is now doing rolling updates pushing them straight through to your Mac to update the malware/virus definitions.

"Join date May 2011" next to your name tells me everything I need to know. Just another late comer who thinks he knows everything. I'm sure you will concoct some story as ignorant as your statement above.

segfaultdotorg · Jun 1, 2011

I guess it's time for Apple to catch up to Microsoft by including Microsoft Security Essentials on OS X.

Popeye206 · Jun 1, 2011

BLACKFRIDAY said:
Props to those guys beating Apple at this.

As much as you can hate windows, MS has been very serious about security on Windows with a much tighter security system in Windows 7. Not saying that they had already not needed that, but they have been very careful and have come strong on viruses and malware.

Apple, you need to tighten up here.

The thing is, Malware is user initiated. Unless MS, Apple or whoever knows about a specific threat, you can't stop someone from offering a user the opportunity to download something. If they say yes, they invite the crooks in. Viruses is another story. These have to go around security in the OS to install themselves and extract information or change system settings to cause harm. Obviously the second is way more dangerous because you don't see it coming.

I only point this out because what the heck is Apple suppose to do any different? If you don't know what to not allow, or look for, you can't stop someone from wanting to install software.

i.mac · Jun 1, 2011

Popeye206 said:
LOL! Funny.... looks like the crooks are hard at work to stir the pot on the Mac side.

Doesn't scare me. I don't install what I don't know. Malware is just annoying.

Makes you wonder if nokia/ms are behind this!

kerryb · Jun 1, 2011

BLACKFRIDAY said:
Props to those guys beating Apple at this.

As much as you can hate windows, MS has been very serious about security on Windows with a much tighter security system in Windows 7. Not saying that they had already not needed that, but they have been very careful and have come strong on viruses and malware.

Apple, you need to tighten up here.

How can you even compare the 2 companies' OS's? Microsoft has had to plug the Swiss cheese Windows due to a shabby legacy code. Unix (Mac OS X) has always been more secure than DOS, it was designed as a network OS unlike DOS.

I'm surprised the police cannot track the perps in this case considering the credit card info taken from its victims, then again there might be a huge well funded organization behind most kinds of phishing and malware.

Themaeds · Jun 1, 2011

BLACKFRIDAY said:
Troll?

I use Windows 7 for some of my work. My main machines are OS X and SunOS.

What I am trying to say that MS has showed a lot of effort on the security side which Apple has not, yet.

If you think I'm wrong, fine. But I don't see how I am biased towards Microsoft in this regard.

You provided a well written opposing view point. You are obviously a troll

*Sarcasm alert

juicedropsdeuce · Jun 1, 2011

Apple has no incentive to take this threat seriously. They will use it to leverage people into only using the App Store. It will prepare people for the merging of iOS and Mac OS.

algiris · Jun 1, 2011

BLACKFRIDAY said:
I wonder, you'd say the same thing if your mom or dad would have caught up with this.

Not everybody is smart or a genius.

I doubt that one needs to be very smart or a genius. If something happens what you didn't do or didn't want to do better click 'Cance/No/Deny'

Luis Ortega · Jun 1, 2011

GFLPraxis said:
I'm amazed people are still stupid enough to manually download and run this considering all the press coverage it has received.

That's not what's happening.
At work, for the past two days, several times a day when I open Safari and go to a site like the drudge report, the screen gets taken over by the malware attack and fake scan and it won't allow you to click cancel or navigate elsewhere.
You can only accept the download or shut down Safari and try again.
I found 18 downloads of the malware file in my downloads folder and I never accepted any download. Naturally, I deleted them all, but if the open downloads button had been ticked in Safari, it would have been a disaster.
This is a strong attack that could easily hurt some less computer-capable people.

BLACKFRIDAY · Jun 1, 2011

Joel Theodore said:
This would have to be the dumbest, most ignorant post I have read all week on here. Apple has addressed the first instance, and is now doing rolling updates pushing them straight through to your Mac to update the malware/virus definitions.

"Join date May 2011" next to your name tells me everything I need to know. Just another late comer who thinks he knows everything. I'm sure you will concoct some story as ignorant as your statement above.

And you are a newbie?

I may be a late comer but I do have a life like most others and haven't been able to get an account and chat with you all.

I am 39 years old; that does not mean I am new to Apple or their products.

Suddenly, when I have an opinion against Apple, I am wrong? I think, they are not as serious about security as Microsoft are. Simple.

I maybe wrong, but that's how I feel.

BaldiMac · Jun 1, 2011

BLACKFRIDAY said:
Props to those guys beating Apple at this.

As much as you can hate windows, MS has been very serious about security on Windows with a much tighter security system in Windows 7. Not saying that they had already not needed that, but they have been very careful and have come strong on viruses and malware.

Apple, you need to tighten up here.

What is Microsoft doing that Apple is not that would currently prevent a Mac Defender type attack? Daily definition updates of an anti-malware scanner is the most appropriate strategy. Outside of preventing the user from installing unapproved applications, I'm not sure what else you can do.

Menge · Jun 1, 2011

Aw, crap. This kind of sucks. I wonder if Apple's just going to update the definitions or actually look at a different solution.

Popeye206 · Jun 1, 2011

i.mac said:
Makes you wonder if nokia/ms are behind this!

LOL!

I've always wondered is the Virus protection companies aren't the ones that hire suspect engineers from places like Russia to keep the need for them rolling. Wouldn't be too surprising if it was true.

New Variant of 'Mac Defender' Quickly Evades Apple's Security Update as Cat-and-Mouse Game Begins

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