OpenDNS, the DNS provider of choice to the discerning and paranoid, is blocking the Flashback Trojan. Once it has infected your Mac, Flashback attempts to “call home” to a server to receive further instructions.
Open DNS will now block that connection.
The infamous Flashback trojan has now infected more than 600,000 Macs worldwide. Apple has issues two Java updates in an effort to patch the vulnerability in Mac OS X, but unfortunately for some, it was just too late.
We’ve already published instructions on how to see if you’re Mac’s infected by using Terminal commands, but there is an easier way. FlashbackChecker is a simple piece of software that will quickly tell you whether or not your Mac is infected.
The after effects of the Flashback Trojan are going to be felt for a long time to come. Although there’s been the occasional Mac malware announcement over the past few years, none was ever found to be rampant in the wilds of the Internet. Most were easily avoided by Apple’s basic security elements or by simple user actions like telling Safari not to immediately open so-called “safe” files after downloading them.
As a result, the Flashback Trojan caught a lot of people off guard – including individual Mac owners and some IT professionals who ought to have known better. It also highlighted deficiencies on the part of Apple when it comes to security.
Apple has issued a second update to Java in just two days this week as the company works to patch vulnerabilities that have led to the infection of over 600,000 Macs. The Java for OS 2012-002 update is now available to download via Software Update, and it’s recommended that you update.
A Mac infected by a virus used to be something of a rarity, and it was the best argument you could bring to a Mac versus PC debate. But with Mac adoption surging in recent years, it was inevitable that Apple’s operating system would become a target for hackers.
Variations of one Flashback trojan, which first surfaced back in 2007, are now affecting more than 600,000 Macs around the world. Here’s how to find out whether your machine’s affected and kill the malware.
Despite reports that Bitcoins are near enough dead, hackers have created another Mac Trojan that attacks your computer’s GPU in a bid to generate the digital dollars, as well as your precious personal information.
Following a new trojan threat for Mac OS X that was uncovered last week, Apple has updated its anti-malware tools for the Mac that will ensure we continue to sleep soundly at night, safe in the knowledge our beloved Macs aren’t at risk.
The security experts at McAfee have published details of a new study that found during the second quarter of 2011, Android-powered devices faced a staggering 76% increase in malware than that of the first quarter — while Apple’s iOS devices remained unaffected by malicious exploits.
Remember MacDefender? It was the first really big piece of malware to hit the Mac operating system, and was a huge problem for Apple’s tech support teams… such a huge problem, in fact, that Apple introduced a self-updating anti-malware database into OS X, which basically killed MacDefender and its variants off.
MacDefender worked by tricking users into believing that they’d been infected by malware (which they in fact had — MacDefender’s own — even though it was trivial to remove the infection) then tried to bilk them out of their credit card numbers for bogus anti-malware software.
MacDefender died off pretty quickly after Apple updated Snow Leopard to fight it, but the perps behind the software went unidentified. Now, it looks like they’ve been caught, raided and busted.
Beware Android users, malware authors are picking Google’s platform as their first foray into mobile mayhem, security researchers say. Interestingly, there’s no mention of malware using Apple’s iOS.
Apple’s main mobile competitor, Android, isn’t exactly known for being the most secure platform. While Google’s ‘open’ mentality has proven beneficial in many ways for the Android OS, a non-curated system often leads to compromises in security.
We’ve already seen numerous malware programs surface on the Android OS, and the latest one is particularly villainous.
Since 1997, Intego has been providing some of the best security software for the Mac, including antivirus, firewall and backup programs. Using its expertise, the company has now created an app for iOS devices that aims to prevent the spread of malware through your email attachments. Don’t scoff.
When we talk of cat-and-mouse within the context of Apple, we’re usually talking about Apple vs. jailbreakers, but it seems there’s a new mouse in town: Mac Defender.
Less than a day after Apple released a new security update nuking Mac Defender from orbit, a new variant has appeared that skirts around the protections of the update.
Apple has finally stepped in to squash MacDefender, the malware that has exploded on users’ machines over the last few weeks. Fulfilling their promise to nuke MacDefender from orbit, Apple has just released Mac Security Update 2011-003.
There’s more in that update than just a MacDefender nuke, though. For the first time ever, it introduces self-updating antimalware software to the Mac.
Apple may be preparing to nuke Mac Defender from orbit in the next Snow Leopard update, but not only is the malware still a very real threat… Mac Defender now mutated into an even bigger danger than it was before.
Do you need antivirus or antimalware software on your Mac? Although Apple’s sales staff are quick to hype up the relative security of a Mac compared to a Windows PC, internally, they aren’t so confident. According to an Apple Store Genius speaking to Ars Technica, “Mac Defender has changed everything.”
The newest Mac OS X Malware, MACDefender, has taken the Apple community by storm. Some are claiming that Mac Malware is getting worse, and even Apple won’t help you with this one. Fortunately, if you’ve been infected with this pesky new malware, the solution to uninstalling it is quite simple. It only takes a minute or two, and if you follow the steps outline in this video, your Mac should be back to normal in no time. Alternatively, here’s a text guide if you’d prefer that.
At this point, you probably know all about the Mac Defender thats doing the rounds. According to AppleCare Support reps, it’s exploding on Macs all across the country… but if you call Apple, they won’t lift a finger to help you remove it.
So how can you tell if you’re infected by MacDefender? Luckily, it’s pretty easy to spot it on your system… and even easier to remove it, if you know how.
Think recent reports that Mac malware is a very real threat are just another example of security researchers crying wolf? Think again.
An AppleCare support representative says that not only are call centers being inundated with reports about the MacDefender malware, but that Apple employees who help customers remove it from their computer can be fired.
Remember the days when Mac owners chuckled as Windows users swatted swarm after swarm of malware, confident in the old saw about ‘security through obscurity’? Well, one side-effect of Apple’s growing popularity is the Mac is becoming a more visible target for malicious hackers — and they’re already building Trojans aimed at your machine.
A new malware threat called ‘MACDefender’ is targeting Mac OS X users browsing the web using Apple’s Safari browser. The software automatically downloads a file through JavaScript, but users must first agree to install the software, making the potential threat a low risk to careful users.
The malicious software was highlighted on Monday by Intego – the company behind the VirusBarrier X6 antivirus software for Mac – after Apple Support Community users started reporting the threat. Intego say the software prompts users to download a compressed ZIP archive after clicking on a dodgy link in their search engines. The file is then decompressed and begins installing MACDefender on the system.
This just in: two security companies who make their money selling anti-malware software and/or consultancy services for the Mac platform say that two new Trojans are in the OS X wild. Luckily, though, you’re only really at risk if you’re not thinking too hard about what you’re doing on your machine.
How soon the bloom fades from the fruit. Apple’s controversial distribution method for delivering Safari 3.1 to Windows users is inciting flames of discontent among customers and critics alike, who now accuse the company of unfair practices. The problem stems from Apple’s iTunes Software Update client for Windows, which some claim dupes users into downloading the latest version of Safari by leaving the install option checked by default, whether the browser was previously installed or not, which users then mistake to be a necessary update rather than an option.
Not surprisingly, rivals are jumping on the Safari-gate bandwagon like hungry wolves feeding on a wounded fawn, with angry words flung like cannon balls. Mozilla Chief John Lilly has gone on the offensive, alleging that Apple’s software delivery method “borders on malware distribution practices. What Apple is doing now with their Apple Software Update on Windows is wrong.”
Harsh words. Next will come the accusation that Apple illegally ties its browser with the operating system. Sorry, Microsoft beat them to it.
