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USA Today article - Macbook Pro user gets a "trojan" loses identity

ftaok

ftaok

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jan 23, 2002
6,494
1,586
East Coast
Hey,

I just read an article in today's USA Today about identity/credit card thefts on the rise.

The article mentions a person who clicked a weblink which allowed a program to be downloaded onto his computer. This program then got the guys debit card number and password and sent the info back to someone. This someone then proceeded to buy stuff.

Doesn't sound to far-fetched, except the article points out that the dude was using a Macbook Pro. No details other than that was mentioned in the article.

I'm thinking that the guy had to be using Windows ... ;)

First they show a virus/trojan on the TV show Fringe on a Macbook (running Windows actually), now this.

Anyone else see this and knows a bit more? Here's the link to USA Today.

ft
 
ftaok said:
Hey,

I just read an article in today's USA Today about identity/credit card thefts on the rise.

The article mentions a person who clicked a weblink which allowed a program to be downloaded onto his computer. This program then got the guys debit card number and password and sent the info back to someone. This someone then proceeded to buy stuff.

Doesn't sound to far-fetched, except the article points out that the dude was using a Macbook Pro. No details other than that was mentioned in the article.

I'm thinking that the guy had to be using Windows ... ;)

First they show a virus/trojan on the TV show Fringe on a Macbook (running Windows actually), now this.

Anyone else see this and knows a bit more? Here's the link to USA Today.

ft
Click to expand...

If it was a virus, then he was running Windows. But there are trojans for Macs.

Don
 
Dmac77 said:
If it was a virus, then he was running Windows. But there are trojans for Macs.

Don
Click to expand...
Yeah, I realize that, but it was kinda weird that the article specifically called out "Macbook Pro". Not sure what the guy was doing, but it sounds a little odd. He clicks a weblink and a data stealing program installs itself. With OS X, he'd have to click "yes" when the dialog box asking to install an application came up.

To me, it was user error, but the article doesn't mention any of that. People may point to this and say, "see, Macs can get viruses too".

Anyways, I was just wondering if anyone had any details to this.

ft
 
Either windows, a new trojan no one knows about, or another likely cause... he pirated ilife '09... the pirated one has a trojan attached which is hilarious, IMO.
 
Question on Trojan / security on Macs

I have a friend that is overly paranoid on security / virus etc. He uses windows and has Norton, spam blockers, popup blockers / and about everything else you can think of. He is always calling about problems and scares anytime something pops up. He just ordered a Macbook Pro (finally) and maybe I can get a break from fixing his windows computer. He asked about virus protection and I gave him the standard spill on should not need it. He sent me a link to a recent USA Today article and of coarse the first thing it mentioned was a macbook pro. It did not go into detail about how it happened, but my guess is that it would have had to pop up a Authentication request / password at some point unless there is a way to do it with just Java. Here is the quote:

"Among those caught in the most recent barrage of scams was Justin Terrazas, 27, a beverage merchandiser from Seattle. He clicked on a Web link that infected his MacBook Pro laptop with a data-stealing program. Not realizing the laptop was compromised, Terrazas later typed his Bank of America debit card number and PIN to pay his Verizon cellphone bill online. The data-stealer swiftly siphoned his information."

So can I tell him that the guy was just stupid and allowed the program to get installed in the first place?
 
I just posted the same question to another new thread, so ignore. This one must of been started while I was typing it. I had the same question. My friend just ordered the new macbook pro and is very sensitive to security because of his online banking. I told him over and over that viruses are not really a problem, but of coarse he just forwarded me this article. So do you think this guy had to be stupid and allow a program to be installed and do the whole authentication request thing? Is there any way for a trojan to be installed without allowing it to be? What should I tell this guy, that the user was stupid and allowed it to happen?

- James
 
This is just more crap journalism. There is nothing to indicate a causal effect of paying his bill and his info getting stolen. Hell, we don't even know if he actually d/l'd anything.
 
I think that article is completely false, actually. I've never heard of any such thing, and there's no keyloggers on the Mac that can be installed without a user giving them the password (and I don't know of any that are distributed as a trojan right now, which means they wouldn't even do it without realize what they were installing). Either that, or they are neglecting to mention that he was running Windows (not saying for sure he was, but it's the only way that would make sense).

jW
 
Mac running OSX is a lot more secure than windows.

You don't "GET" a trojan. You have to authorize it twice, once to download, and once to install. That guy probably downloaded and installed trojan "codec" from shady adult video sites but didn't want to admit it. USER ERROR.


Giz Explains: Why OS X Shrugs Off Viruses Better Than Windows
http://i.gizmodo.com/5101337/giz-explains-why-os-x-shrugs-off-viruses-better-than-windows

The Unavoidable Malware Myth
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2008/...-apple-wont-inherit-microsofts-malware-crown/

Road to Mac OS X Snow Leopard: 64-bit security
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/01/16/road_to_mac_os_x_snow_leopard_64_bit_security.html
 
Consultant said:
Mac running OSX is a lot more secure than windows.

You don't "GET" a trojan. You have to authorize it twice, once to download, and once to install. That guy probably downloaded and installed trojan "codec" from shady adult video sites but didn't want to admit it. USER ERROR.
Click to expand...

like that Mission Hill episode. Trying to cover up his dirty deed
 
Sigh. More FUD. IF people would stop putting in their password to every prompt that asks, this wouldn't be an issue. Like others have said, you don't just 'catch' stuff. You can't even sneeze on a *nix box without authenticating, let alone change services and put items into the startup queue...like you can with windows...
 
I'm of the opinion, if someone can engineer it, someone else will find a way to reverse engineer/ exploit it...I wouldn't walk around thinking I'm immune to any malware just because I use a mac. bottom line, the user needs to exercise caution in every action made
 
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