Half a million Mac computers 'infected with malware'

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by LauraR, Apr 5, 2012.

  1. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    This isn't something you see headlines for very often:

    "Half a million Mac computers 'infected with malware"

    About 600,000 Macs infected with this malware which is installed through a 'flash update'.


     
    LauraR, Apr 5, 2012
    #1
  2. satrow

    satrow Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Looks like Apple have just rushed out a 'fix' for this exploit, it only took 8 weeks ;) Update folks!

    Similar exploits are in the wild for Windows Java users too: Mozilla have already pushed (at least I hope they have, Pale Moon has already) an update that blocks the insecure versions of Java in Firefox. Windows (especially IE users): if you don't use Java frequently, uninstall it, as it's almost impossible to disable it's use in IE! If you really must use Java - update it.
     
    satrow, Apr 5, 2012
    #2
  3. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Well, they want market share....it comes with a price.

    I have a feeling you won't be hearing too much more of the 'Mac's can't get infected' as reason to buy their machines (although, thinking about it, I haven't been hearing that lately). I think we'll be seeing a lot more of this in the future.
     
    LauraR, Apr 5, 2012
    #3
  4. Adrynalyne

    Adrynalyne Guest

    Obligatory, Linux ftw! post.

    :-D
     
    Adrynalyne, Apr 5, 2012
    #4
  5. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Ha! You haven't changed, have you? :p:-D
     
    LauraR, Apr 5, 2012
    #5
  6. Rikky

    Rikky Wile E. Coyote - One of a kind

    Its not so bad though, they're all owned by about 20 people.:-D

    Bigmac :-D I'm on a roll today...
     
    Rikky, Apr 5, 2012
    #6
  7. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Just goes to show Mac users and to an extent Apple have rested on that premise that they are invincible, in which over the years we know they are not, massive exploits in Quicktime, Flash, Adobe Reader and OSX.

    At the yearly CanSecWest's Pwn2own competition get together OSX falls like a pack of cards to Windows (5 secounds)

    Maybe not to the extent as Windows, but its always been there like the sleeping giant.
     
    DavidGP, Apr 6, 2012
    #7
  8. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Yep. I always loved when people asked what protection they could use for their Mac and someone coming in saying 'you don't need any with Macs...they don't get infected'.

    I think you'll be seeing a lot more options out there. Hopefully Apple will be a responsible company and start promoting the idea of protection to their customers.
     
    LauraR, Apr 6, 2012
    #8
  9. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    I agree Laura and with Apple becoming more prominent with the Phones and Pads, then their computers will become more popular too, hence the malware writers are targeting them now, it will only get worse so security for Apple devices will be more needed or imperative than ever before.
     
    DavidGP, Apr 6, 2012
    #9
  10. Spad

    Spad MajorGeek

    I couldn't agree more. I've been saying for years if the market situation were reversed people would be coming up with derogatory names for the Mac OS's and touting the superior and "impervious" Windows . . . rolleyes

    Read an article somewhere that a kid hacked Safari in under five minutes just to show he could . . . :-D

    To be fair to OS's in general, a lot of virus/mal-ware problems would be mitigated if the user would just use some common sense . . . but that's asking a lot, it seems . . .
     
    Spad, Apr 8, 2012
    #10
  11. Spock96

    Spock96 Major Geek 'Spocky'

    I'm gonna put this out there.
    I'm not a fan of Apple. Don't really have a reason behind it either, just something that I don't like. I got this Ipod thing for Christmas and my brothers crapped out on him shortly after and had to have it taken back. mine still runs ok though.
     
    Spock96, Apr 8, 2012
    #11
  12. shnerdly

    shnerdly MajorGeek

    It's like anything else. There has to be something there to go after. When Apple/Mac was 5% or 10% of the market, there wasn't enough there to go after. Now they are probably over 30% of the market in computers. That makes it worthwhile for the guys trying to setup their botnets.

    I fear that Win8 might drive even more people to the Linux OS's bringing the same problem to them. Fortunately, I think the various flavors of Linux are different enough that the virus writers will have a lot more difficulty in getting universal code that will affect all of them. The biggest problem I see with Linux is the move toward the auto mounts. I think that's where a lot of the Linux problems will come from in the near future.
     
    shnerdly, Apr 8, 2012
    #12

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