Half a million Mac computers 'infected with malware

[rockymtnhigh]

Don't disagree. Living as if nothing can happen is foolish.

I was just pointing out that I find these news stories somewhat suspect. NO ACCOUNTS whatsoever of the virus in the wild. None. Nada. And even that story pointed out some problems.

But regardless of this, all computer users, mac or pc, need to be vigilant!

 

[Neutron]

Hope you guys realize I wasn't making aspersions on the Mac. Though it isn't my favorite, I use Macs every day at work and have grown to tolerate the differences.

I was simply stating a reality. Up until very recently, Macs had about 8-10% market share, Until just before the I phone came out the market share was slowly dropping. So hackers weren't very interested in the platform. Now that Mac has a substantially larger market share and growing, the hackers are beginning to take notice and starting to target some of the malware to the Mac platform, especially now that Mac is using the same engine as Windows machines.

The claim that many mac users would throw out, that Macs were immune to viruses was one I would always refute. It is easy to be immune when you aren't being targeted. That is what is changing now.

I've always told people interested in Macs that while no computer OS is perfect, the chance of getting a virus or malware on a Mac was a lot slimmer than on a Windows PC and I STILL recommend people get some sort of anti-virus for their Mac.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I've always told people interested in Macs that while no computer OS is perfect, the chance of getting a virus or malware on a Mac was a lot slimmer than on a Windows PC and I STILL recommend people get some sort of anti-virus for their Mac.

And you can get excellent protection with sophos for free.

Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

 

[mike123abc]

I put kaspersky antivirus on my mom's mac back when the first outbreak happened, and she had a mild infection. It was not too to hard to clean up. They do make antivirus for macs, it is just the misconception that you can go anywhere on the web and not have to worry if you own an upprotected mac. The same can be said even if you have an antivirus program, just that the odds are better that the AV program will block more.

 

[berck]

... especially now that Mac is using the same engine as Windows machines.

What engine are you referring to?

 

[isaacmorseMI]

What engine are you referring to?

Them using Intel chips probably.

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[lparsons21]

Here's maybe some sanity in this exercise in yet another over-reaction from a security company that this particular malware has started.

I got this in a posting on usenet:

It seems that the entire Flashback thing is much ado about nothing. See
<Threat Explorer - Spyware and Adware, Dialers, Hack tools, Hoaxes and other risks
99>. If an AV vendor, who by definition has a reason to shout and carry on
about a 'threat', makes a big deal out of something I usually regard their
announcements with some suspicion. If, however, an AV vendor, who by
definition has a reason to shout and carry on about a 'threat', declare that
a 'threat' is, and I quote, of a 'very low risk level', and that they have
detected '0-49' cases from '0-2' sites in the time starting 30 Sept 2011 (the
day they first detected the 'threat') and ending 6 April 2012 (the day that
the 'threat' assessment was last updated, well, I believe 'em. Symantec
doesn't think that this is a real threat. Why should you? An AV vendor,
looking to find something to trumpet so as to get people to buy their
product, could only find less than 50 infections at one or two sites in _six
months of looking_. Either they didn't look very hard or there's nothing to
find.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Much ado about nothing..

 

[avg1joe]

If I had a mac I would install a reputable free antivirus program and run a scan. I might disable or uninstall it afterward but I'd run a scan.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

If I had a mac I would install a reputable free antivirus program and run a scan. I might disable or uninstall it afterward but I'd run a scan.

This particular piece of malware can be easily detected just by going into the library and looking at a few files. But its always smart to keep the machine clean, that is for sure!

 

[Hall]

Up until very recently there weren't enough Mac users to make it worth the hacker's while. That is changing now thanks to the Iphone and Ipad.

What does market share of iPhone and iPad have to do with this ?

 

[meStevo]

Much ado about nothing..

Kaspersky detected 670k unique infections of Flashfake and it's variants, and Apple is working on a detection and removal tool as well. Far from nothing.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Kaspersky detected 670k unique infections of Flashfake and it's variants, and Apple is working on a detection and removal tool as well. Far from nothing.

And find one example in the wild. Numerous problems with these reports - all from virus companies.

Much ado about nothing.

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[meStevo]

And find one example in the wild. Numerous problems with these reports - all from virus companies.

Much ado about nothing.

Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

It's one thing to doubt some site I've never heard of like Dr. web, but ignoring Apple and Kaspersky too?

Quickly releasing a patch once the exploit starts being used, putting up a support page, working on a tool to detect and remove... Sure looks like it's a fire drill at Apple, what other outbreak have they done all of the above for?

How do you suggest *I* find a case in the wild, really? Wow.



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[Hall]

Who else would report this type of news and who would have "data" ? CNN ? Cnet ?

Sent from my phone...

 

[meStevo]

Who else would report this type of news and who would have "data" ? CNN ? Cnet ?

Sent from my phone...

Most media reports quote the Dr. web findings, Kaspersky set up a sinkhole server and actually received information from affected computers phoning home and set up a database for people to check against, released a map showing severity in countries, etc.


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[rockymtnhigh]

Every important point was made earlier in the thread.including the point that there was uncertainty about if many of the machines "infected" were actually macs. No reason to regurgitate it. Overblown, media frenzy.

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[John Kotches]

Who else would report this type of news and who would have "data" ? CNN ? Cnet ?

Sent from my phone...

Perhaps the people using the exploit but if they had numbers they'd be unlikely to share.

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[meStevo]

Every important point was made earlier in the thread.including the point that there was uncertainty about if many of the machines "infected" were actually macs. No reason to regurgitate it. Overblown, media frenzy.

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Yeah, they were only able to determine that approximately 98% of them were....


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[rockymtnhigh]

Ok, whatever you say. Be smart about your computers for sure, but lets also be smart about the media. That was the whole point. But this conversation is circling... and circling... and circling.