Posted on 05/19/2011 5:37:00 AM PDT by johncatl
ZD net is full of Microsoft loving loonies.
ZDnet is full of Microsoft loving loonies.
ZDnet is full of Microsoft loving loonies.
I’m shocked - shocked I tell you!
Boring. Second time this was posted; dangerous only if you are dumb enough to download and install it without checking it out first. Some PC people are so desperate for Mac users to start sharing their misery that they latch on to stories like this as if they were gospel.
AC: Yes.
EB: if they stop before that, nothing bad happens?
AC: Yes, the file will download but for it to install it requres the password. it tries to trick you into giving it by saying its required to remove the infections.
EB: Ah yes, social engineering.
AC: Indeed, looks rather real, if you ignore the fact it pops up in your browser but for most of us that know computers thats a giveaway there.
It's the same old "land shark... er candygram" method of attack. Once you give the admin password to install software... it is game over; sort of like inviting a stranger into your house.
Mac doesn't rely on "security through obscurity", and that principle (flawed as it is) doesn't apply in this case.
The malware in question is simply a slick trojan that poses as a piece of legitimate software to those foolish enough to grant admin privileges to a program that downloads from the internet. It's a social engineering attack, and as such, defense is independent of operating system.
Why do you keep referring to MAC (Media Access Control)?
This particular piece of malware is written for OS X (which is probably a more precise term to use than Mac; and note that it's Mac, not MAC), but it does not exploit a weakness in OS X -- rather, it tricks the user into installing it. That's not an operating system attack, and no OS in the world is safe if a user with admin privileges intentionally installs malware, even if that user isn't aware that it is malware.
The same technique would work on Windows, Linux, Solaris, OS/2, NeXT, or any other platform you can name. The security level of the OS is irrelevant if the user allows the malware to bypass the OS security.
Like I said...enjoy the ride...no operating system is without security holes....only fools and Mac (better?) owners would believe otherwise.
Yeah! Attack the messenger and forget about using your brain!
Yeah! Attack the messenger and forget about using your brain!
Triple post from a Mac, I presume?
;-)
And yet this article has nothing to do with OS security holes.
“enjoy the popularity of MACs....the ride is just beginning.”
Well, this part I agree with. Mac sales are far outpacing the general PC market. I certainly do look forward to more native Mac software. :-)
Apple stock has a long upward ride ahead of it as well. Amazing how the Apple market cap has so completely eclipsed that of Microsoft these days...
Anyone capable of making stupid snarky remarks ought to know that, rwe1776.
Trojans aren't viruses. Geez, some people...
Besides, this news was already posted and discussed in detail: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2721644/posts
I didn't see the first post but it looks like there are plenty of "dumb" Mac users just like the "dumb" PC Users. Social Engineering works no matter what the platform.
Ed has posted three stories on this, and between the Forums and the other information, this is real enough for those affected.
Posting this doesn't mean that I am anti-Mac. You do what you want and think what you will.
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