Mac Threat Detections on the Rise in 2019 According to Malwarebytes Report

[Lalatoon]

Out of curiosity, how did you do that? Is malware able to bypass the block MacOS puts on executing programs without the user first giving permission in the Security & Privacy section of the MacOS settings app?

I intentionally infected the system to test the effectiveness of malwarebytes I just copied the malware from USB to macOS and the system did not detect it. Although copying this way will not automatically infect your system specially if the USB is formatted FAT or exFat because it does not have the unix/linux file permission or access mode which means the files will not be executable.

 

[Brian Y]

Lol - antivirus company reports rising threats.

In other news, iFixit claims screws cause global warming.

 

[Lalatoon]

Mac OS already has built in anti-malware protection. It's a database which is updated and it blocks certain apps from running. It just completely invisible to the user, as it should be, and doesn't take any system resources. Every time you launch an application it is verified. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Your actually right but read the article below it discusses issue with xprotect..
macOS users should install apps like malwarebytes than rely on the quarantine feature, gatekeeper or xprotect.

https://blog.malwarebytes.com/101/2019/02/macos-protect-malware/

 

[urtules]

Your actually right but read the article below it discusses issue with xprotect..
macOS users should install apps like malwarebytes than rely on the quarantine feature, gatekeeper or xprotect.

https://blog.malwarebytes.com/101/2019/02/macos-protect-malware/

I don't agree that Mac OS users should install anything, besides Catalina. I don't really understand what malware can do to my system when access to disk/camera/microphone requires permission, system files are in a separate read only partition. And don't forget about admin password.

 

[orthorim]

Fires on the rise, reports fire truck company.

Sure

😂

 

[MandiMac]

There’s a bigger problem, however: at the time of this writing, the most recent rule added to XProtect was on March 13, 2018. So it’s missing rules for nearly an entire year of new malware! The future of XProtect is unclear, but it’s definitely not protecting you against current threats.

https://blog.malwarebytes.com/101/2019/02/macos-protect-malware/

That is a big, fat lie. When you're running the following script in Terminal

stat /System/Library/CoreServices/XProtect.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.plist

you get a result when XProtect was updated the last time. For me it's the 10th of December, 2019.

 

[GalileoSeven]

and in other news, water discovered to be wet!

 

[kyleh22]

I love windows defender. Perhaps infections per machine being lower on PC's is b/c windows now comes with defender installed.

I'd love for Apple to add virus protection to the OS.

 

[MandiMac]

I'd love for Apple to add virus protection to the OS.

No need for this if there are no viruses. Remember, malware is not equal to a virus - and 100 % of malware gets installed by users themselves. That's what Gatekeeper and XProtect are for here, anyway.

 

[doctor-don]

It already has it, XProtect.

Since 2015.
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So is NewTab the malware or are the apps in the image malware - or both?

 

[nt5672]

If one regularly visits the click bait sites, then your going to get virus and malware infections.

Just like caring for you body can prevent a lot of colds and flu, so can caring for your computer.

Its simple really. If your going browse click-bait sites or other sites of ill-repute (really any site that you are not absolutely certain is safe and well run), then:

1. Use an unprivileged account. That is a non-admin account.

2. Always use a private window in Safari for browsing.

3. Stop and read every alert, never agree to any alert that comes up while browsing, unless you know for sure what is being ask. If in doubt, just quit Safari, without clicking any buttons in the alert.

4. Don't be disappointed when you can't see what that famous child actor/actress looks like now.

5. Find something better to do than clicking through click-bait sites.

When friends or family have ask for me to remove their infections, I always ask what site they were browsing when they think it happened. Yep, they don't really want to say. That says it all.

 

[mi7chy]

If users download from Mac App Store they are fine, these malware comes 90% from pirate website like in Windows land

Not true.

https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...-in-mac-app-store-that-are-stealing-user-data

Furthermore, what GNU foundation has to say.

https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/malware-apple.en.html

 

[justperry]

If you use legal sw and don't visit dubious website, there is no chance in hell you would get a virus on Mac or on Win for that matter

There is (no known) no virus for macOS nor for OS X.


Malwarebites has some motives here.
I am on OS X/macOS since 10.0b, never was infected with anything, this is pure scaremongering.

If one regularly visits the click bait sites, then your going to get virus and malware infections.

Again, as above, there is (no known) no virus for macOS.

I love windows defender. Perhaps infections per machine being lower on PC's is b/c windows now comes with defender installed.

I'd love for Apple to add virus protection to the OS.

The whole article reeks of vested interests, Malware is very rare on a Mac, except for Windows Malware maybe send through a windows machine, windows Malware does to be be exact...Nothing on a Mac.

Virus protection for what, again, read my replies above to other posters.

 

[coolfactor]

1. ✓ FileVault enabled.
2. ✓ Firewall enabled.
3. ✓ Use a VPN whenever possible.
4. ✓ Don't install software from untrusted sources.

 

[BootLoxes]

Eh, I dont even use antivirus on my windows pc and never get anything. Adblock + noscript is enough imo

 

[Marx55]

Is there ransomware for Mac?

 

[drd79]

"Mac Threat Detections on the Rise" . -- Says company who stands to profit from people buying their software to treat said detections.

The security industry compares Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and Mac OS every year and has named Mac OS the most vulnerable OS for about 12 years in a row. A large spike in reported threats is really scary considering how bad it was to begin with.

 

[LoganT]

If I’m ever suspicious of a file I’ll upload it to VirusTotal which will check the file across dozens of different anti virus/malware application including MalwareBytes and Microsoft. Comes in handy sometimes.

 

[Lalatoon]

That is a big, fat lie. When you're running the following script in Terminal

stat /System/Library/CoreServices/XProtect.bundle/Contents/Resources/XProtect.plist

you get a result when XProtect was updated the last time. For me it's the 10th of December, 2019.

You jump right away and defended Apple without even understanding the whole context of the topic.

First the document was released late 2018 and its already a year old. I guess Apple has already updated the rules. It was not created to insult Apple or whatever but to provide insight on how malware protection works in macOS. So its not a big fat lie but a fact.

It points out the weakness of Quarantine + Gatekeeper + XProtect protection system of macOS. From my understanding setting the Quarantine flag is not done by the system but by individual application. One good example for this is if a download manager app for example did not implement this feature then every file downloaded from that download manager doesn't have Quarantine flag set and so Gatekeeper and XProtect can not protect your from it if the file is a malware. Even if that file is from App Store there is no guarantee that they implemented this feature properly. Thats why there is need to install 3rd party apps for malware detection and removal.

My experience with Windows Defender was different because it seems that all files are being scan as you try to access it or after it is copied or created. When I have a torrent client downloading it will automatically detects the file containing malware once it is downloaded. When I unzip a container containing a malware it is detected right away. Even copying from a USB drive malwares are detected right away.

But still I think that being a Unix based system macOS is still more secure than Windows 10.

 

[Tech198]

I intentionally infected the system to test the effectiveness of malwarebytes I just copied the malware from USB to macOS and the system did not detect it. Although copying this way will not automatically infect your system specially if the USB is formatted FAT or exFat because it does not have the unix/linux file permission or access mode which means the files will not be executable.

I wonder if cross malware exists ? As in one universal file...


i.e one file would have code for multiple platforms to infect.,..FAT16/32, HFS/APFS.. NTFS etc

I guess it could be possible. Even though like with viruses, you only write for the machine you want and have so multi-platform infections may be an 'expensive' idea. i wonder if anyone has done that.

 

[0388631]

Malwarebytes used to be good. In fact, 2.x lineup was the last good one. Each new version uses more resources and has trouble spotting malware. I hate to say this but I suspect this article is spreading some FUD, especially because Windows is a major target for malware any day of the week. However, it is getting harder to spread it due to Redmond actually thinking with the gray matter in their head and developing methods for faster detection and preventing malware from ever executing.

That said, I'd look towards other companies who offer anti-malware software. The new version they, Malwarebytes, put out a few months ago is possibly the buggiest piece of crap I've ever used. Malwarebytes began implementing different companies' software they bought up, so their once lightweight program is now heavy with a lot of extra crap barely anyone needs unless they're paranoid.

 

[Lalatoon]

I wonder if cross malware exists ? As in one universal file...


i.e one file would have code for multiple platforms to infect.,..FAT16/32, HFS/APFS.. NTFS etc

I guess it could be possible. Even though like with viruses, you only write for the machine you want and have so multi-platform infections may be an 'expensive' idea. i wonder if anyone has done that.

I don't think its possible. Programs are compiled for specific system and architecture. Even if you use Python/Javascript or any other scripting language this still means that the system must be setup properly to run the script.

 

[villagehiker]

NewTab…uses browser extensions to modify the content of webpages…it's found in Chrome.

Why does anyone use extensions? Makes no sense. But then, neither does Chrome.

Extensions can create problems similar to those Microsoft birthed by allowing Word, Excel and PowerPoint to contain code capable of doing file functions on arbitrary external files, even system files. Maybe we should think of data as nouns and code as verbs then security mix the two for end users. Text files and text webpages should not contain code capable of acting outside of themselves. That means no access to external files. And yes, that would mean the end of client-side cookies. So sad. But also no big deal. Web publishers, for example, can easily collate useful data from visits by storing and analyzing data on their own servers without using cookies. The claims of using cookies to improve user experience are a bit insincere.