Thread: Mac and Linux viruses to rise 'significantly'

The co-founder and head of anti-virus research at Kaspersky Labs claims that Vista's lukewarm reception will drive more customers towards alternative platforms, making them a more attractive target for malware writers.

'Home users are not so loyal to the OS. Not many of them are satisfied with Microsoft Vista,' Kaspersky told PC Pro. 'Some Windows users will switch to other OSes. Microsoft will not lose its dominance, but it will be reduced a bit.'

Kaspersky claims that Mac viruses are no more difficult to repel than Windows attacks, but says 'it's not so easy to find good [anti-virus] experts for non-Windows platforms.'

PC PRO: IT News & Reviews.

Welcome to the viral world mac freaks. What do you have protecting you?

Virus Attacks Mac OS X Users

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on 15 February 2006, 22:00
by staff


Security researchers said the first virus to strike Apple computers running the Mac OS X operating system discovered Thursday doesn’t cause any damage, even though it can be annoying because it can potentially spread to hundreds of machines.
The virus named “Leap A” or “Oompa” spreads through the iChat instant messaging systems on Apple’s Mac computers by forwarding itself as a file to contacts on the infected user’s buddy list. If the malicious file is clicked on and unzipped, the virus tries to spread to other contacts on the user’s buddy list.
The virus has been categorized as a Trojan horse because of the way it disguises itself in order to infect users.
“It is malicious in the way it tries to self propagate but it is not doing any damage,” said Fred Avolio, director of risk intelligence for Cybertrust, a Herndon, Virginia-based security services firm. “It is nasty because it exhibits unsavory behavior but does not do much beyond that.”
Cybertrust believes the threat from the Oompa Trojan is low because it does not cause any harm and the cost of fixing the threat for businesses or users is low. The virus is considered a “proof of concept” and was probably written by virus writers to show that a vulnerability exists in the Mac OS X and can be exploited, experts said.
Still, the Oompa Trojan is expected to generate immense interest among Mac users because attacks on Mac are scarce.
“We suspect that it is going to make a big splash,” said Mr. Avolio. “Mac users like to point out that there are very few viruses for Macs and Unix systems.”
First Ever for Mac OS X
The Oompa virus is the first for the Mac OS X platform but other viruses and worms for the Mac computer have been discovered.
However, Mac has been a much safer operating system compared to Microsoft’s Windows OS, and security has often been a strong selling point with Mac users.
“Mac viruses are kind of rare,” said Shane Coursen, senior technical consultant with Kaspersky Lab, an antivirus specialist. “We don’t see a lot of people writing viruses for the Mac because the number of Mac users is not as great as Windows.”
Mr. Coursen said he estimates there are about 200 viruses for the Mac compared to more than 150,000 viruses for the PC.
Mac Under Attack
Security experts said the Oompa Trojan is unlikely to plague many users, but future viruses or worms for the Mac could have a greater impact.
As Apple introduces its Intel-chip-based Macs, there will be greater adoption of the operating system, which could trigger malware writers into creating threats for the Mac, Mr. Coursen said.
Other experts said the latest virus could act as a reminder for Mac users that their machines are susceptible to security threats, much like the machines of PC users.

“Some owners of Mac computers have held the belief that Mac OS X is incapable of harboring computer viruses, but this will leave them shell-shocked, as it shows the malware threat on Mac OS X is real,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, in a statement. “Mac users shouldn’t think it’s okay to lie back and not worry about viruses.”
from:

Virus Attacks Mac OS X Users

Cult of Macintosh Commentary by Leander Kahney

Gadgets : Mac
Mac Attack a Load of Crap

Leander Kahney 02.22.06
Is the sky falling in on our smug little Mac universe?
On Tuesday, there was news of a security hole in Apple's Safari web browser that allows a system to be compromised by merely visiting a website. And last week, the first worm to pose a serious threat to Mac OS X, Leap-A or Oompa Loompa, raised its ugly little head.
These security woes prompted a rant from one of our editors in a daily story meeting.
Mac security-threat stories are annoying, he said, because they play off misconceptions -- held with a fervor bordering on the religious -- that the Mac platform is inherently more secure than Windows. Not so, he insisted. Microsoft has done some stupid things that exposed its customers to unnecessary risks compared to Mac users. But all systems are theoretically vulnerable, so it's inevitable that the Mac citadel will eventually be breached.
The Mac has had no viruses to date, he said, primarily because of its small market share. It's got a superior track record compared to Windows, but it's not invulnerable; rather, no one has bothered to spend much time trying to attack it. Now that hackers are taking more notice, life will get harder for Mac owners. He suggested I tackle this "wake up call" in this column.
Naturally, I agreed. "You're right," I said. "The Mac is sure to become a target now it is becoming more popular, and by definition, no system is 100 percent secure."
So, imagine his reaction when he sees this:
I'm not going to be running any anti-virus software anytime soon, just as I haven't run it for many years.
Also, I'm not going to turn off any preferences that make my daily computing habits any less convenient (the browser takeover is protected against by disabling the "Open safe files after downloading" preference in Safari).
The smuggest of smug Mac users is right: the platform is more secure, and these new security threats are no more threatening that a paraplegic kitten.
The Leap-A malware was a poorly-programmed Trojan horse that relied on "social engineering," or trickery to perform its nasty function. There's a simple way to protect against this kind of threat -- common sense -- and in testament to this, a lot of people didn't fall for it.
I'm not going to catch a virus this way any more than I'm going to send money to the honorable Dr. Mobuntu, head of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
When it comes to Leap-A, I'll continue practicing the same common-sense precautions I take when using a Windows machine, like not opening any "nude pictures" of Britney Spears I get in e-mail.
As for the Safari hole, it's a vulnerability, not an exploit, and there are probably dozens of these in OS X, maybe more.
The same is true of Windows and other platforms -- there are dozens of potential ways in, according to the SANS Institute, but a vulnerability does not an exploit make.
These Mac security holes are a storm in a teacup. They've inspired hundreds of stories in the press and even the national network news, but if they were Windows holes, no one would have blinked.
That's because holes in Windows are routine, business as usual, while it now appears the Mac is under attack thanks to Apple's brand-new high profile. But this isn't the case.
Last month, there were four "massive" virus attacks on Windows, according to Commtouch, an antispam and antivirus vendor. Indeed, viruses are now so aggressive, they routinely outpace attempts by antivirus companies to distribute protective signatures.
This state of affairs is now so common, I hadn't noticed -- and I work for a technology news site. "Virulent computer virus infects millions worldwide, other non-news at 11."
These Mac "threats" are only news because of their novelty, not the threat level they pose.
I'm so confident in my Mac's security, here's my IP address in case any hackers want to take potshots at my machine....
Just kidding. I'm not that dumb. http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/com...6/02/70257from

Guess I'll keep the PC then. Have a nice day.

I'm not surprised with the Mac, but with Linux I have to question...

Originally Posted by zehner

getting a bit obsessed with the mac aren't ya?

No. Just want them MacFolk to have enough attention to stay out of our discussion over in the PC thread since they seem to want to jump in and interject, pontificate and bully.

we'll post where we want buddy.....

ye pc ladies need a little prod every so often i feel

Originally Posted by zehner

we'll post where we want buddy.....

And indeed you do. But who said you were my buddy, buddy.lol

Originally Posted by Killing Me Softly 101

The co-founder and head of anti-virus research at Kaspersky Labs claims that Vista's lukewarm reception will drive more customers towards alternative platforms, making them a more attractive target for malware writers.
PC PRO: IT News & Reviews.

Speculation is all this is and the link goes to a story about "Ofcom bottles speed sanctions with new broadband code"?

Originally Posted by Killing Me Softly 101

on 15 February 2006
Security researchers said the first virus to strike Apple computers running the Mac OS X operating system discovered Thursday doesn’t cause any damage, even though it can be annoying because it can potentially spread to hundreds of machines.

Originally Posted by Killing Me Softly 101

Mac Attack a Load of Crap
Leander Kahney 02.22.06
the Leap-A malware was a poorly-programmed Trojan horse that relied on "social engineering," or trickery to perform its nasty function. There's a simple way to protect against this kind of threat -- common sense -- and in testament to this, a lot of people didn't fall for it.

If you were trying to make a point about Macs and viruses by posting up articles over 2 years old describing the one (and only AFAIK) Mac virus to date, and a pretty lame one at that, it's pretty much shooting yourself in the foot, innit?

Originally Posted by Killing Me Softly 101

No. Just want them MacFolk to have enough attention to stay out of our discussion over in the PC thread since they seem to want to jump in and interject, pontificate and bully.

So a little tongue in cheek joke in 'our' PC thread that you are the last poster on is bullying? Is your skin really that thin or you just having a rough day? I use Windows plenty to be able to comment on it and then there's the whole business of this being a public forum and all.

Originally Posted by kidneystone

Speculation is indeed all Kaspersky's base was doing, just as machead have been speculating for years that macs are immune to viruses. However I would ask you whose speculation holds a tad more weight?

Well, anyone who would say that Macs are 'immune' to viruses would be wrong of course but the fact is that the virus mentioned in the articles you quoted is the only one, that I know of, to date. I can't draw the comparison you're suggesting because Kaspersky are the only ones speculating here.

The Mac's (hardware & software) architecture does create much less opportunities for a virus to exploit than PCs though. Apple got the benefit of learning from all the mistakes that M$ and everyone else made and they built a good product on a strong foundation from the ground up.

Originally Posted by kidneystone

Afterall macheads have frequently over the last few days been quoting from a webpage stating there are no viruses on macs and that page was also two years old!

Sorry, I must have missed this, is it in animaster's thread about his new Mac perhaps? Link please.

Originally Posted by kidneystone

But are you familier with the idea of proof of concept? That lamer virus infected a whole bunch of machines and proved that the social engineering behind it was valid.

Got no disagreement with you here as per my comment above about anyone saying Macs are immune to viruses being wrong. It's just harder and less rewarding for the kiddys writing the viruses.

Why does anyone need to defend their choice of computer anyway? Never understood that one.

I'm on a Mac (at home) because I grew up doodling on Mac Paint and playing Dark Caste on old

beige boxes with a little colorful apple near the screen. I'm certainly not a 'machead', I just feel

at home on a mac. It's mostly the little things. But yeah, the whole 'virus' thing has ALWAYS been

something like a fairy tale of troubles out beyond the crimson forest where the magical birdies fly.

And for that I'm thankful...but it doesn't really mean anything beyond that. Anyway...carry on.

Originally Posted by zehner

i wouldn't mind a few more viruses on the mac....it sounds like great fun having to renew all those anti-virus apps

Mine just does it automatically when I'm asleep mate