WireLurker, Masque Attack malware only a threat for users who disable Apple's iOS, OS X security

Apple Insider

[Swordmaker]

Neither WireLurker nor Masque are much of a threat. They are only a risk for OS X and iOS users who TURN OFF their SECURITY and do STUPID THINGS! — PING!

Apple SECURITY Ping!

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

[Swordmaker]

Apple Insider Article Source Link that did not post for some reason:

Wirelurker/Masque Attack malware only a threat for users who disable Apple's iOS and OS X Security Appleider Article.

[Swordmaker]

Sorry this posting is not up to my usual standards. It posted while I was in the middle of cutting and pasting the specifics of the article before I could include any of the graphics from the article. My internet connection blipped. Go to the link above to see everything in the article.

[Captainpaintball]

I have a question...

I bought eset security in 2013. I like it, wanted to get 2014, but couldn't afford it. I plan on getting it soon.

Since installing Yosemite, I can't get it to run at all. I click on the icon, and it just doesn't run. The Icon doesn't appear up in the top right corner next to the clock and the wifi and the bluetooth icons.

What do you think it is?

[Swordmaker]

Ironically, just two years ago the Electronic Frontier Foundation was demonizing the on-by-default security
of iOS and OS X as"Apple's Crystal Prison" and an "elaborate misdirection," and called upon the
company to provide a "simple, documented, and reliable way to drill into
a settings menu, unlatch the gate of the crystal prison, and leave."


Apple's XProtect subsystem of OS X is configured to deploy a blacklist
of known malware definitions to Mac users within hours of malicious
software being discovered. Macs automatically check for new malware definitions
every day, and immediately begin blocking any new threats Apple identifies.


Android's FakeID issue still affects most Android users who shop for apps
outside of Google Play and who haven't applied a patch for the flaw--an issue
complicated by the fact that most Android users are working with basic
device that cost less than $200 and are not regularly
(or ever) updated by the hardware maker or the carrier.


iOS and OS X lock down the platform to protect the people
that benefit from low priced, higher quality apps: end-users and developers.


Setting OS X's GateKeeper to "Anywhere" is the equivalent to jailbreaking iOS


A potentially malicious iOS app simply requests
through the system that the user "Trust" the installation.

[Nailbiter]

bfl close read

[dila813]

Everything that is in this puff piece is true about Android and Microsoft.

No differences. That being said, I like Apple hardware.

[Swordmaker]

I bought eset security in 2013. I like it, wanted to get 2014, but couldn't afford it. I plan on getting it soon.

What do you think it is?

Frankly, Cap'n, I think it is totally unnecessary to run anti-virus on a Mac.

Every Mac OS X for the last five years has had its own built in xProtect anti-malware built in that will identify all the known Mac malware already and any other commercial anti-virus unethically TURNS THAT OFF so they can claim they found malware AFTER it downloads! Apple's xProtect prevents it from downloading, being installed, or being run in the first place, warning the user of it's presence. Your Mac contacts Apple every day and checks for any new malware definitions to add to its xProtect files. Ergo, there is no need for a third party anti-virus to be purchased or installed.

Essentially 99.9% of any malware that ESET, or any Mac anti-virus, anti-malware software is going to find is malware for Windows imbedded in email that cannot effect your Mac in the least. The other 0.1% are OS X trojans that you might inadvertently download, if you were to attempt to download something from an untrusted source other than the Apple Mac App store. . . all of which Apple's xProtect would prevent from happening. IF, you should by some means, copy it onto your Mac, xProtect will tell you:

In answer to your question as to why it may not be working. These commercial anti-viruses modify the OS to hook themselves into the OS at a very basic level. . . and switch off xProtection. Yosemite is a re-write of the Operating System and ESET's hooks just may not be in the same locations anymore. Alternately, the run at start-up may have been disabled and fixing it may be as simple as requiring a re-install of the ESET 2013 to re-establish those files.

As I said, I generally disagree with the philosophy of running anti-virus on any of the Macs I am responsible for. . . and that is quite a few, as I run many networked Macs for several businesses. Not once in over 16 years has any of the OS X Macs been infected by malware. . . and in dozens of Macs, there is not one instance of third party anti-virus software. Only Apple's xProtect.

I once even ran my personal OS X Mac without a firewall for two years with no anti-virus to see what would happen. What happened was NOTHING. There are websites that can test your exposure and when I had that Mac tested, they did not even see it was on their websites. It was invisible to them.

I would not run a Mac today without a firewall, but then it was safe to do.

[Swordmaker]

Everything that is in this puff piece is true about Android and Microsoft.

It is now true about Microsoft in many ways, but read it about Android. It isn't true about Android.

[Swordmaker]

Everything that is in this puff piece is true about Android and Microsoft.

Android users are encouraged to "sideload" apps from many sources. According to the article and other sources, there are over 500 Android App stores with malicious apps on them. Not so at all with iOS, OS X, or even with Windows.

[Captainpaintball]

Hmmm...I trust your knowledge over mine, that's for sure. I will look to see if I can find xProtect to see if it is running.

I think, as you said, the Yosemite installation disabled the eset.

Thank you for your assistance.

[Swordmaker]

For those of you who want to do stupid things:

Pangu tool for Mac can jailbreak iOS 8 devices

by Seth Fitzgerald on November 10, 2014 at 8:33 am

Pangu tool for Mac can jailbreak iOS 8 devicesPangu, a jailbreak tool for iOS 8 devices, launched on Windows a few weeks ago. Now, the tool is available on Mac, and it will let users jailbreak their device if it is running iOS 8 through iOS 8.1. Once Pangu is downloaded and available, jailbreaking a phone or tablet takes just a few minutes.

Cydia has given the tool its approval, and Pangu was originally created by Chinese hackers. iOS 8 and 8.1 are still quite new, so having the ability to jailbreak devices running them means the hackers are on top of things, despite Apple’s new security measures.

Jailbreaking remains useful for some people who want extra software and features, but the process can result in security problems. Additionally, once a phone has been jailbroken, it is hard to find official support for it. Only those who are truly unable to use their phone in the way they want to should consider jailbreaking with Pangu or any other tool.

Apple’s upcoming version of its mobile operating system, iOS 8.1.1, will get rid of the security holes that are exploited by Pangu. Until a new jailbreak comes out, users will need to avoid iOS 8.1.1 if they want to keep their device jailbroken.

I do not endorse this action, nor do I certify that Pangu is not itself malware. It is, after all, written by Chinese Hackers. . . use at your own risk.

[dila813]

There is a default setting flag, allow application downloads from untrusted sources, you have to disable this to get to the other stores.

[Swordmaker]

Hey, Cap'n, here's how you turn it back on if it's off.

Open a terminal window. You'll find Terminal inside Utilities in Applications then cut and paste this into the Terminal at the prompt and then press Return or Enter:

defaults write com.apple.LaunchServices LSQuarantine -bool YES

That will turn xProtect back on if it has been turned off.

If for some reason you WANT to turn it off, put the same command in the Terminal and change the "YES" to "NO" and press Return or Enter.

[Tzfat]

Thanks for the post. There really is no need for anti-virus on a Mac as long as you do not disable the built-in protection. Even then, you have to be pretty stupid to get infected.

I have a side business writing apps for the Apple Mac and iTunes stores. I have also written and sold Windows software for 25 years, I still do, but most of my business income comes from Apple.

For decades, I have had to keep constant monitoring of my Windows installations to make sure I was up-to-date on AV etc. Adware was the worst. Mac OS X? Nada.

iOS, not jail broken? Please, all the recent hype sounds as if it was written by Google evangelists. Nada, zip on iOS...

[House Atreides]

VERY useful post Swordmaker. I have no idea if I’ve ever managed to unknowingly turn off xProtect but, just to be safe, I followed your instruction on how to set it to on.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Thanks for the post/ping, SM.

I would not run a Mac today without a firewall

What firewall provisions do you recommend for someone who is on a Comcast modem/router?

[PA Engineer]

Everything that is in this puff piece is true about Android and Microsoft.

That is very special. Why don't you post your own thread?

[Swordmaker]

iOS, not jail broken? Please, all the recent hype sounds as if it was written by Google evangelists. Nada, zip on iOS...

You are right about this one. . . IF a concatenation of unlikely events occurs, a so-called "vulnerability" in OSX and IOS could allow an app to be installed. WHOW! That vulnerability is that a computing device can install an app! Who'd a thunk it? And, you have to be stupid and turn off every security protection provided so that app to can be installed from an untrusted source that has not been checked for safety. More brain dead zombie stupidity. So, not being checked, that app may not only not be safe accidentally, it might be deliberate malicious! Run and shout, scare the rubes!

(In fact, anyone who'd fall for this would be safe from zombies; they want brains!)

Samsung is bleeding both market share and profit share yet their marketing budget of $14 billion in the cellphone area has not been reduced an iota. Their media buys are no where near that figure. They pay a lot out in FUD spreaders. . . and I would not be surprised to learn that they sponsor research in hacking iOS to spread negative reports. Their CEO is a twice convicted criminal. . . fraud, tax evasion, and other crimes. . . but Samsung's political pull is so great in Korea he gets Pardoned. Samsung's business model is theft of intellectual property. . . so I would not put this past them.

Microsoft invented the Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) technique of marketing back in the '80s and '90s and perfected it, paying pundits, posters, and bloggers to post negative commentary about their competitors in concentrated campaigns. Samsung and Google are continuing the practice. Some who have received the payments have spoken out revealing the practice. I've been accused of it on Apple's behalf although it is untrue.