Security news11 June 2009
Apple Mac users warned of porn video website malware risk More Mac OS X malware discovered
IT security and control firm Sophos is warning Apple Mac users to wake up to the threat of websites hosting malicious code which can infect their systems, following the discovery of two new separate attacks in 24 hours. The advice follows the discovery of a new version of the Jahlav Trojan horse that is being distributed via a site posing as a portal for adult videos.
Is it safe to surf for porn on an Apple Mac? from SophosLabs on Vimeo. (Also available on YouTube)
"Although there is much less malware for Mac OS X than there is for Windows, that's going to be little consolation if your shiny new MacBook gets infected. Many in the Mac community have had their heads buried in the sand for too long about the real nature of the threat," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "It is becoming more and more common for hackers to use social engineering tricks - like telling surfers that they need to download a plugin on their Mac to watch a video - to weasel their way onto computers. Some Mac users may have thought that it was safe to surf for porn on their Apple Mac, but they were wrong."
Sophos notes that the criminal gang behind this malware attack is targeting Windows computers as well as Mac OS X.
"It would be a big mistake if Windows users felt smug about their Mac-loving cousins getting hit in this way. The booby-trapped websites determine if the victim's web browser is running on Windows or Mac OS X, and serve up malware specifically designed for the visitor's operating system. Targeting both Windows and Mac means that the hackers can increase their chances of success," explained Cluley. "Once the malware is running on your computer, it can download further code from the internet - opening the door for your computer to be infected by scareware, send out spam, or become part of a zombie botnet. Windows users are used to fighting malware, but many Mac users are oblivious of the battle taking place for control of the public's computers."
In addition to Jahlav-C, Sophos also discovered a new version of the Mac OS X Tored worm yesterday.
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More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.
