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Antispyware/antimalware?

J

JustMack

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 20, 2010
45
0
Scotland
Ok, I understand that it's highly highly unlikely for a Mac to have a virus (due to them being pretty much non-existent) so i'm not talking about viruses but malware/spyware/trojans.
I have read a few threads about this, but they don't seem to have a clear conclusion as to whether Macs can be infected by them.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but trojans can only infect your system if you type in your password right? Anyone heard or seen one where it installs itself?

Whatabout keyloggers, adware and other spyware/malware?

If they exist, what programs are recommended?

Sorry, i've only been in the Apple scene for a few months.
I would appreciate some helpful answers and advice, and nothing patronizing.
 
I have seen that, thanks.
But say I have downloaded pirated software, then how would you know that there is malware being piggybacked?
Or visited a site that contains malware?

Actually, i was visiting a perfectly legitimate site - not porn before anything says anything. It was a movie/video streaming site. And I use it alot but the other night I got the "Warning: Visiting this site may harm your computer!" warning page that Chrome directs you to when it thinks the site is malicious. I went back to it tonight and no problems..so wtf?

I understand the common sense approach and being cautious and the whole pirating thing being bad but it does happen nonetheless, and some people slip up for various reasons.

So to conclude, can something be automatically installed by bypassing the password thing ?
 
JustMack said:
I have seen that, thanks.
But say I have downloaded pirated software, then how would you know that there is malware being piggybacked?
Or visited a site that contains malware?

Actually, i was visiting a perfectly legitimate site - not porn before anything says anything. It was a movie/video streaming site. And I use it alot but the other night I got the "Warning: Visiting this site may harm your computer!" warning page that Chrome directs you to when it thinks the site is malicious. I went back to it tonight and no problems..so wtf?

I understand the common sense approach and being cautious and the whole pirating thing being bad but it does happen nonetheless, and some people slip up for various reasons.

So to conclude, can something be automatically installed by bypassing the password thing ?
Click to expand...

No. Your Mac can't be infected simply by visiting a malicious website or by downloading a file. For it to be infected, you have to actively install something, including entering your admin password. If you install pirated software, that's absolutely possible. Cautious people can't "slip up" and have their Macs infected. Pirating software is an intentional act, not an accidental one.
 
When I say "slip up", i meant as in fall for temptation and pirating software.
Thank you very much for the quick responses!
And I assume the same goes for keyloggers?
 
JustMack said:
When I say "slip up", i meant as in fall for temptation and pirating software.
Thank you very much for the quick responses!
And I assume the same goes for keyloggers?
Click to expand...

The only way you can get a keylogger is for you to install it, unless you give someone else physical access to your computer. In that case, all bets are off.
 
I'm running Eset Nod32's beta on my mac. I haven't seen any negative side effects from having it installed.

Until we see the advent of a "walled garden" style of computing (like the app store), you might as well protect your computer from possible threats.

http://beta.eset.com/
 
It's not a bad idea though to run something like ClamXAV if you are going to be downloading software. I don't condone pirating software, but if you are going to install pirated stuff you really are leaving yourself quite vulnerable. There have been a number of recent cases of pirated Mac apps having keyloggers etc. in them.

If you share data with a Windows network though, it's just responsible to have something on your machine that ensures you're not passing along compromised files.
 
JustMack said:
Ok, I understand that it's highly highly unlikely for a Mac to have a virus (due to them being pretty much non-existent)
Click to expand...

That's wrong. Mac OS X simply doesn't have the holes that Windows does. It's not because they're non-existent.

As for fear of installing things you've downloaded, I agree with bamf. Run ClamX AV to see if they're clean.

I have never had any anti-virus or anti-spyware apps installed on any of my Macs and this goes all the way back to OS 8.x. If there's nothing out there to worry about, why waste processor cycles trying to look for them?
 
pastrychef said:
That's wrong. Mac OS X simply doesn't have the holes that Windows does. It's not because they're non-existent.

As for fear of installing things you've downloaded, I agree with bamf. Run ClamX AV to see if they're clean.

I have never had any anti-virus or anti-spyware apps installed on any of my Macs and this goes all the way back to OS 8.x. If there's nothing out there to worry about, why waste processor cycles trying to look for them?
Click to expand...

1) UNIX is awesome,
2) There are no viruses in the wild
3) you have to actually install the keylogger unless they have physical access to your computer
 
bamf said:
It's not a bad idea though to run something like ClamXAV if you are going to be downloading software.
Click to expand...

That won't be a huge help. ClamXAV has definitions based for mostly Windows-based viruses and trojans. They do not keep up-to-date with Mac items because it is not their target audience. iAntivirus on the other hand was designed for OSX-based malware like trojans (Wikipedia page for iAntivirus). ClamXAV will help keep you from propagating virus and trojans to friends and colleagues though.
 
bamf said:
If you share data with a Windows network though, it's just responsible to have something on your machine that ensures you're not passing along compromised files.
Click to expand...

Hahahaha. This sounds like a pitch for pretty much every mac anti-virus vendor out there.
Install our product on your mac to protect winboxes on your network!
Click to expand...

It'd be more responsible to check the files yourself.

And while i'm on the topic:
1) *nix != NT. NT has morphed into this multi-user enterprise behemoth filled with pointless and tasty exploitables.
2) Getting anti-virus on a mac just to protect you from what isn't out there is pretty silly. Heuristics can only go so far and it's efficacy is low, so for all intents and purposes, your solution will be reactionary at best.
3) Surprise! OS X already has built in marware protection from the few TROJANS that are active on the scene (See XProtect). It'll alert you any time you run something which has a payload that matches the signatures of what XProtect has in it's database, and is updatable by :apple:. Purchasing a solution to protect you from these known theats that have only surfaced on pirated warez, again, is silly.
 
Eddyisgreat said:
Hahahaha. This sounds like a pitch for pretty much every mac anti-virus vendor out there.

It'd be more responsible to check the files yourself.

And while i'm on the topic:
1) *nix != NT. NT has morphed into this multi-user enterprise behemoth filled with pointless and tasty exploitables.
2) Getting anti-virus on a mac just to protect you from what isn't out there is pretty silly. Heuristics can only go so far and it's efficacy is low, so for all intents and purposes, your solution will be reactionary at best.
3) Surprise! OS X already has built in marware protection from the few TROJANS that are active on the scene (See XProtect). It'll alert you any time you run something which has a payload that matches the signatures of what XProtect has in it's database, and is updatable by :apple:. Purchasing a solution to protect you from these known theats that have only surfaced on pirated warez, again, is silly.
Click to expand...

1) option = yields ≠
2) yup
3) yup

it isn't your fault they are using an inferior operating system ;)
 
Sorry, to clarify: GGJstudios is correct. I meant the viruses being pretty much non-existent (in the wild, may i also add.).
Sorry for the confusion, pastrychef, I will be much more detailed in my next venture of noobiness ;)

Again, thanks very much everyone. I realise now it's pretty fruitless.
I wanted to do some testing for myself, and ClamXav and iAntivirus came up with clean results. Nothing malicious. Zilch. Nada. Squeeky clean with a touch of minty freshness.
So either the Mac itself is clean, or the programs aren't sufficient in detecting anything and the definitions need to be updated (paranoia talking)..(even though they are up-to-date)..but I feel much more secure anyway.

I uninstalled to preserve the 50MB or so that the programs took.
 
pastrychef said:
If that's what he/she meant, my mistake, but, the way I interpreted it, is "them" implied Macs.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure you're the only one who interpreted it that way. It was pretty clear, especially the way the sentence ended:
Ok, I understand that it's highly highly unlikely for a Mac to have a virus (due to them being pretty much non-existent) so i'm not talking about viruses but malware/spyware/trojans.
Click to expand...
 
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