Posted on 10/03/2014 8:06:46 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Criminals have discovered a flaw in OS X, the Mac operating system, and are using it to control thousands of Apple computers around the world.
The Russian security company Dr. Web first discovered the software, known as "Mac.BackDoor.iWorm." We don't yet know how the software spreads, but Dr. Web has released information on the clever way it connects to the criminals who control the program.
When a Mac is infected with Mac.BackDoor.iWorm, the program tries to make a connection to a command server. The iWorm reportedly uses Reddit's search function to find comments left by the criminals in a Minecraft discussion section of the site. (Minecraft is the block-building video game published by independent publisher Mojang, which Microsoft purchased for $2.5 billion in September.)
Here's a screenshot showing the Reddit posts the criminals used to control their hacked computers:
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
!7,000? Wow - they got all of them!
worm — Apple
hmmmm
:0
BLASPHEMER! Thou shalt not disparage the Apple, the Apple is great, the Apple is perfection, all others are simply as radishes before the mighty Apple!
Nah, that can’t possibly be true! All Mac users say that Macs are invulnerable to malicious attacks!
Well, at least, that is what I have read on all of the PC/Mac threads!
ROFL
It connects to a fixed web address? Bzzt.
Given the small number of macs involved, this was probably accomplished by simple phishing. Whether the bot is persistent is a separate question, I rarely reboot my mac.
No matter what OS ,if you don’t Update your screwed
Reddit is the site the stolen nude celeb photos were released on.
There was an article here yesterday about flashlight apps spying on you thru your cellphone.
Most apps want permission to gather all your information so any app could do this. I wonder if this is how the photos were able to be stolen from their phones (along with who knows how many others) then released on the internet.
Let’s compare the total count of known Windows malware and virii with those for Mac OSX.
Case closed, dismissed.
This vulnerability will probably be eliminated in the next release of OSX (Yosemite) later this year.
CP/M is the clear winner, if included in that contest!
/s
FYI
From the media reports, I believe the photos were released on 4chan.
Jennifer Lawrence 'naked sex video' will be leaked next, threatens 4Chan celebrity photo hacker
4Chan hacker strikes again: Reaction as new photographs of celebrities are leaked online
Long live the Z-80A!
“Let’s compare the total count of known Windows malware and virii with those for Mac OSX. Case closed, dismissed.”
Nah, Not case closed, dismissed! ;-)
SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS! A Mac user has just admitted that Macs are vulnerable, as opposed to those threads where all Mac users say that Macs are invulnerable!
Thank you for making my case for me!
Now.....case closed.....dismissed!
ROFL
And, of course, why would people spend inordinate amounts of time writing malware for a system that makes up only 5% of all computers? Because the malware writers are Mac users! ;-)
Only idiots say Macs are invulnerable to viruses.
And even bigger idiots regard those comments seriously and take issue with it.
“Only idiots say Macs are invulnerable to viruses.
And even bigger idiots regard those comments seriously and take issue with it.”
Yes, and some of us have senses of humor and others do not have any sense of humor at all. I shall remember your handle as one of those who have no sense of humor and one who is ready to dish out insults! ;-)
Apparently you did not see all of my ;-)s and ROFLs. ;-)
#15 I like movies....
The list of celebs are mostly unknown to me. Jennifer Lawrence was in a series of popular “Hunger Games” movies so I recognize her plus for some reason she is going out with Gweneth Paltrow’s soon to be ex who is about twice her age and has a couple of kids and cannot sing but is in a popular band called Cold Play (that is how they sound too).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.