Why DOESN'T someone make a virus for mac?

[JavierP]

Nobody cares about OS X (very small market share), that's why nobody writes virus for it
As a matter of fact is not so hard to write one.

1) Find those buffer overflows in image handling libraries before Apple
http://secunia.com/advisories/36701/
2) Find a privilege escalation bug before Apple
http://www.macworld.com/article/134165/2008/06/ardagent.html
3) Generate images containing the virus (wallpapers, banners, etc) and upload them to as many sites, torrents, etc. as you can
4) The virus should be very quiet and infect newly created images and one of the default system processes
5) Profit!

 

[dejo]

You missed the step whereby the virus needs to self-propogate itself to other systems.

 

[JavierP]

You missed the step whereby the virus needs to self-propogate itself to other systems.

Check step 4 again

 

[dejo]

You missed the step whereby the virus needs to self-propogate itself to other systems.

Check step 4 again

Check the last three words of my post again.

 

[JavierP]

Check the last three words of my post again.

Check the definition of virus and the definition of worm.

But if you want a worm, you should find this kind of bugs (http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=240) before Apple (and target those public wifi no firewall users)

 

[bartzilla]

Check the last three words of my post again.

Usually the correct thing to do when you're wrong is apologise. Or at least to stop digging the hole deeper. Just thought you'd want to remember that for future reference.

 

[dejo]

Check the definition of virus and the definition of worm.

I'm sorry. I was confused with the subclass of viruses that are worms. My apologies.

Usually the correct thing to do when you're wrong is apologise. Or at least to stop digging the hole deeper. Just thought you'd want to remember that for future reference.

Happy now?

 

[richifie]

My NEW theory.

I reckon that people who own a mac, are of a higher class (because of their cost) and they belong to the sort of people who DON'T want to ruin other peoples computers / weekends / lives, and you have to own a mac to write for mac (because of the differences between mac and windows).

 

[nathanl1192]

Its too hard to!

There is virus beating software within mac OS X, which stop programmes exploiting it.

It is an extremely secure OS, and, as there have been a few threats in the past, Apple release security fixes often.

 

[GGJstudios]

There is virus beating software within mac OS X, which stop programmes exploiting it.

No, there is no such software in Mac OS X.