Viruses catch up to the Mac.

CNN ^ | Sunday, April 30, 2006; Posted: 6:54 p.m. EDT (22:54 GMT) | AP

[butternut_squash_bisque]

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Benjamin Daines was browsing the Web when he clicked on a series of links that promised pictures of an unreleased update to his computer's operating system.

Instead, a window opened on the screen and strange commands ran as if the machine was under the control of someone -- or something -- else.

Daines was the victim of a computer virus.

[bkepley]

I don't know about Mac's but that would be a pretty stupid thing to do in the PC world.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

"...clicked on a series of links that promised..."

Something I just wouldn't do on my "lowly PC", BTW.

[avg_freeper]

"I don't know about Mac's but that would be a pretty stupid thing to do in the PC world."

Yeah, Ben here is probably susceptible to the "please smash your computer with a mallet then give this message to someone" virus.

[HAL9000]

Daines was the victim of a computer virus.

Daines was the victim of a trojan horse he downloaded - not a virus.

[Izzy Dunne]

Or the TAGLINE virus.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

I'm thinking the same thing. Didn't sound like a virus.

[Doohickey]

They vast majority of malware relies on very stupid people.

[6SJ7]

This story is a rehash of the same 'Macs running Trojans' story from two weeks ago. An exploit requiring the user to provide admin access.

One has to wonder why it's surfacing again.

[Common Tator]

One has to wonder why it's surfacing again.

It probably uses an antique octal sharp cut off pentode as an attention getter .

[TommyDale]

Maybe the guy just really believed all the stories on how a Mac can't be affected by attacks...

[HiTech RedNeck]

The "Please enter root password:" should have been a clue, lol

[jude24]

No one should be shocked that Macs can conceivably get viruses. Of course they can. Any operating system, if poked and prodded enough, will have some weaknesses.

At the same time, Windows has done some stupid things. I love how my Mac requires me to authenticate as root before doing anything to the operating system; Windows, I had to log in as an administrator just to operate the computer. The tight integration between Internet Explorer and Outlook and the operating system allows what could be minor flaws to become absolutely fatal. Switching to Firefox in Windows helps fix that.

I just switched to a MacBook Pro, after having had a PC for the past 8 years. My absolute favorite thing is that I no longer need an anti-spyware process running.

[JimRed]

(Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)

It wouldn't fit...

[Petronski]

There are still no Mac viruses in the wild. This is a trojan, and this dummy installed it on his own computer.

[HairOfTheDog]

There are still no Mac viruses in the wild. This is a trojan, and this dummy installed it on his own computer.

Same as most Windows trojans and viruses. Most of them are also activated by the user, usually while thinking they are installing something they want.

[Izzy Dunne]

Still, several of his operating system files were deleted,

So, this guy runs as root, downloads a questionable site, and then barks about getting bit?

[js1138]

Well duh. That would be how most PC malware gets installed. The present and future of malware is in user installed programs. A certain percentage of people will fall for any scam, no matter how lame.

If Macs reach a big enough market share, they will be targeted. And they will be even more vulnerable, because thy think it can't happen.

[Petronski]

Windows viruses do NOT need user permission to install. Windows infections can occur in complete silence, merely by visiting a website. This doesn't happen on the Mac....not yet anyway.