When scanning for viruses using anti-virus software(Clam xAV) what are the best files to scan, where do viruses hide on macs?
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Scanning for Viruses...
- Thread starter marchcapital
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Chundles said:
ya i know but if you use lime wire do download music and videos for your ipod your sure to catch something...!!!
marchcapital said:o good!i guess winblows has currupted me...
Yeah, it does that to people.
So far:
1. First instance was an "mp3" file that was actually a program that played the sound of someone laughing and a dialogue box appeared on screen warning you about something. It actually ran on OS9 code and was a "proof of concept" trojan horse. Totally weak...
2. Leap-A - proper trojan horse but you had to a) download it, b) run it and c) allow a "jpg" file to open Terminal - not something you would normally do.
3. Intanqa - a bit of malware (java based worm) that relied on a bluetooth vulnerability that had been patched almost a year before it appeared.
4. Zaptastic - a web site could automatically install and run a widget in 10.4, it was patched up in 10.4.1 or .2
There was something going around that showed Safari could be vulnerable to opening a file if it was "trusted" but that was patched and nothing bad came of it.
Honestly, we have a pretty hand combination of built-in security and a very low to zero number of virus writers so there's not really a need to scan.
Microsoft Office is vulnerable to regular macro viruses though but I'm yet to come across one.
Even though there isn't any known virus issues on OS X, it's still worth using a Virus Checker to prevent passing something on to a friend using a PC.
ClamX AV is great for this because it essentially costs nothing to run a quick scan on your download directory; as I've never used Limewire to access the gnutella network so you will need to check the preference settings to find out where it stores downloaded music, video's and app etc.
ClamX AV is great for this because it essentially costs nothing to run a quick scan on your download directory; as I've never used Limewire to access the gnutella network so you will need to check the preference settings to find out where it stores downloaded music, video's and app etc.
I think my imac had that first one you were talking about. I remember booting into OS 9 on my imac G3, after the system folder had become unstable/corrupt, and a warning box would appear, and speak the text in a laughing voice. Bummer, i must be one of like 5 people that have ever gotten malware on a mac. But at least i am part of an elite minority. I did the impossible by getting malware on a mac.
FWIW, the purpose of a virus is not generally to slow down a computer in some nimrod's bedroom. Viruses and other malware are intended to secretly co-op computers in an effort to raise revenue through mass mailings of SPAM or by some other nasty business. The stealthier the malware, the more effective it is at generating revenue for its author.marchcapital said:
Not so much so on a Mac.Chundles said:
Visual Basic on Windows allows access to the whole system. Same with ActiveX in Internet Explorer. This is the main flaw with Windows. A virus can be installed and executed without user intervention also. OS X doesn't use Visual Basic, it will not go outside of the app, and also it uses BSD with UNIX like permissions layer that is right down to kernal level, therefore more secure.
As for Vista, speaking to a Microsoft Developer at uni, the new 'input password' for doing tasks has already been bypassed. Meaning, Vista will still have the viruses and spyware of current Windows versions. Microsoft have put these new security features quite high, whereas Apple in OS X have put them into the grass roots of the OS low down like UNIX. Most of the new code for Vista has just been bolted on. People are saying it has just had a 70% (something like that) re-write of the code, this is only on the multimedia and windowing system.