A new Mac OS X virus

[nikls]

I just found out that someone has posted a Mac OS virus on Pirate Bay just hours ago. Is this dangerous? Will we fear the Windows Viruses on our Macs now?

 

[roland.g]

It's only a virus if you actually install it yourself on your computer. So, you tell me, are you in the habit of installing viruses?

 

[Sky Blue]

Will we fear the Windows Viruses on our Macs now?

Yup. Somebody has ported all the Windows viruses to Macs. Better get some anti-virus.

 

[mkrishnan]

It's only a virus if you actually install it yourself on your computer. So, you tell me, are you in the habit of installing viruses?

Is it able to replicate and transmit once one person installs it? If not, it looks like some h4XX0Rz need to review the definition of a virus....

 

[nikls]

It's only a virus if you actually install it yourself on your computer. So, you tell me, are you in the habit of installing viruses?

Not really. But I'm afraid that someone will add something like this to other software and that I will install it without my knowledge. Examples could be hacked sites where DMG files are modified. wordpress.org got hacked a couple of moths ago and someone uploaded a modified version of WordPress with added security holes. That could happen to Mac software too.

 

[gauchogolfer]

It's only a virus if you actually install it yourself on your computer. So, you tell me, are you in the habit of installing viruses?

Is this a trick question?

If so, I bet you get a lot of bites.

Not really. But I'm afraid that someone will add something like this to other software and that I will install it without my knowledge. Examples could be hacked sites where DMG-files are modified. wordpress.org got hacked a couple of moths ago and someone uploaded a modified version of WordPress with added security holes. That could happen to Mac software too.

Well, there's no way to guard against that except regularly backing up, and only installing software from trusted sources.
If I made up a freeware program whose only function consisted of rm -f \all
and you were dumb enough to install it without knowing what it did, would you consider this a virus?

 

[nikls]

No. But this virus can replicate. Isn't that a lot worse?

 

[gauchogolfer]

No. But this virus can replicate. Isn't that a lot worse?

Do you have any evidence of this? If true it would indeed be worse. But that's a big if.

 

[darkcurse]

I've been noticing something strange in Leopard. Whenever I navigate to a particular folder which contains video files it opens up safari. It only happens to that folder though. Very weird.

 

[kresh]

Well, there's no way to guard against that except regularly backing up, and only installing software from trusted sources.
If I made up a freeware program whose only function consisted of rm -f \all
and you were dumb enough to install it without knowing what it did, would you consider this a virus?

I know that there have been some nasty REAL viruses for Windows. Sometimes I can't help but wonder how much of Window's bad reputation with malware is Trojans like you just described.

A lot of this kind of stuff relies on tricking people and not a breakdown in the Operating System.

As OS X gets more popular is it in for a bad ride due to social engineered malware?

 

[nikls]

Do you have any evidence of this? If true it would indeed be worse. But that's a big if.

I haven't tried it. Don't want to. But that's what the comments stated on Pirate Bay where is was posted.

 

[gauchogolfer]

I haven't tried it. Don't want to. But that's what the comments stated on Pirate Bay where is was posted.

We'll have to wait and see how it plays out, but I'm honestly not too worried.

 

[roland.g]

I passed up on flu shots yesterday. In light of this maybe that was a mistake.

Though I never really understood the concept of giving myself the virus, so as to avoid getting it later. Can anyone who get's a flu shot say they didn't get the flu, when clearly they did, and voluntarily so. What, where'd the topic go.

 

[psonice]

Bugger, wanted to take a look at this, and see if it really is a genuine virus (and it would NOT be the first osx virus! Perhaps the first 'effective' one) or just the trojan that appeared in the last few days (which is totally harmless... unless you're stupid and desperate enough to hand over your admin password in return for free porn )

Anyone know of a tool to extract HFS dmg files on windows?

 

[weaverra]

If anyone finds an easy way to circumvent the UNIX user permissions and such but until then....... Just have to be careful.