[Swordmaker]

More FUD being spread... this one is a proof of concept... loophole is already closed.

[Swordmaker]

Second Mac OS X exploit (really? No... it's not in the wild) revealed. This one is a proof of concept for an already closed loophole in Bluetooth.

PING!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

So presuming you’re up to date with Tiger and Panther system updates or security updates, you’ve nothing to worry about. What’s more, Bluetooth’s range is very limited — even in a worst-case scenario, you’d only need to be concerned if you were accepting files from other Bluetooth-equipped Macs that were within range (Bluetooth’s effective range is about 30 feet or so).

[Swordmaker]

According to KTWDallas, a poster on Yahoo, this is how this exploit has to work...

If a stranger shows up in your house with a laptop enabled with bluetooth and stands within 30 feet of your Panther/Tiger machine -- the machine on which you've been ignoring those "a new patch is available" messages for the past 2 years or so -- then this stranger tells you to accept his data transmission (and you do), then you'll have an infected machine...

which apparently will make you pick up your computer and go find another Mac user and stand within 30 feet of them...

...sounds like a lot of work to transmit a virus.

Too much work...

[Bush2000]

First, did you bother to read the article? "The chances of Mac users actually being affected by Inqtana.A are remote, however." This isn't FUD. It's telling it like it is.

Second, you'd better get used to an increase in Mac OS X vulnerabilities. Obviously, hackers are starting to pay attention, so that means more malware being written to target the OS. But look on the bright side: Security will no doubt improve as a result -- and Mac disciples will get an opportunity to shelve their self-delusion over security invulnerability.