Nasty Mac malware bypasses Gatekeeper, undetectable by most antivirus apps

9 to 5 Mac ^ | April 28, 2017 | By Ben Lovejoy

[Swordmaker]

That window above looks nothing like Apple's alert for updates for OS X or macOS. If you see it, force quit the app that is running it and delete the email you were in. It would be a good idea to cold restart your Mac.

[Bob434]

[[Nasty Mac malware bypasses Gatekeeper, undetectable by most antivirus apps]]

PHEW! Thank goodness I have a windows computer then

[Swordmaker]

If you get an email purporting to be from the IRS containing a ZIP file, it's a PHISHING attack containing a malicious TROJAN that can damage your Mac. DO NOT OPEN IT. It will install a file that will require you to install a bogus OS X or MacOS update that installs malware on your Mac. BEWARE! As always, this attack requires you to be industrially strength stupid by opening something you shouldn't. But this time the Mac's built in protections will not help. Apple will block it soon, but watch out in the meantime. IRS does not contact people via email! — PING!

Apple Mac Security and Malware Warning!
Ping!

The latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword "ApplePingList" on FreeRepublic's Search.

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

[roadcat]

PHEW! Thank goodness I have a windows computer then

Except many windows viruses cause users to bypass windows altogether by buying Macs. Problem of thousands of windows viruses then no longer a problem.

[rollo tomasi]

In all fairness I have both PC and Mac.

[Bob434]

yeah i was just kiddin- I actually run linux- and only use windows in an offline environment in a dual boot configuration- my linux install is my online os-

[Buckeye McFrog]

Nasty Mac!

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Apple has under invested in their OS for years. Considering they have a locked in hardware base it should be pretty simple to keep ahead of the threats. Those massive profits come at a price.

[Texas Fossil]

I’ve been running Linux in some form since 1994. Seldom ever boot a Window machine, almost never a MAC machine.

I’ve never had malware on a Linux computer.

Now there is a risk of root kit, but that can happen with the other OS’s too.

[Irish Eyes]

Bookmark

[Bob434]

the rootkits in linux though are very very scarce- unlike windows viruses which are everywhere- I’m far less concerned about getting viruses in linux than i was running windows (although i had an awesome program called RollBackRX that was like system restore on steroids- as it could be accessed at boot- and revert to before any virus hit- complete restore- no trace of virus afterwards)- but i got sick of doing searches- going to sites you thought would be fine- like a PC oriented site- only to get redirected to another site full of viruses and auto downloads- and constantly having to guard against viruses- and worrying about emails etc- The peace of mind with linux has been a Godsend really-

I only dual boot to windows to use photoshop and soem processing apps within photoshop for photography purposes, and to run windows only games-

[Bob434]

I never looked into macs- thought about it a few times because of all the heavy processing i do in photoshop- but was just always comfortable with what i knew- too old to learn new stuff lol

[Texas Fossil]

I ran a catalog/advertising department for 5-1/2 years for a wholesale distributor. I lived in a spread sheet and in graphic software.

Quit using Adobe, had several version of Adobe Suite. I found I could do the same job I needed to do with GIMP and use only 1 app. No bridge thingie. (bridge = BLOAT)

Used ImageMagic for mass image processing. Did it daily as I made changes and added images. (47,000 items in warehouse)

Now, seldom need anything I don’t have in Linux. I have knobs screwed down pretty tight for web use.

[TheTimeOfMan]

I have been told repeatedly on this forum by very loud and rude posters that Mac’s don’t have security issues.

So this, and other recent stories, are false..... :-O

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

The time of the Mac being the best at anything is long past. It’s a platform now for the old dogs not wanting to learn new tricks.

[al_c]

Open a .zip file attached to an email?

[Swordmaker]

I never looked into Macs- thought about it a few times because of all the heavy processing I do in photoshop- but was just always comfortable with what I knew- too old to learn new stuff lol

Okie hasn't a clue what he's blathering about in Apple threads. He's here to spread dis-information.

[Swordmaker]

I have been told repeatedly on this forum by very loud and rude posters that Mac’s don’t have security issues.

So this, and other recent stories, are false..... :-O

It is. To install something in the booting Startup Items which is a protected Library in OS X and macOS still requires an Administrator Password. It won't happen without the user's stupid complicity. It takes industrial strength stupidity to give a ZIP FILE an administrator's name and password when it unZips. It will be as obvious as all hell that something that should NOT BE ALLOWED is going on.

About the only people I can think of that might be susceptible to this are those who are running as an Administrator and they would STILL have to provide their administrator password, not just click "Yes" when prompted as on the other popular system.

In addition, that screen that comes up looks absolutely NOTHING like a normal Apple update screen. That alone is enough to alert any normally alert Mac user. . . especially since it gives the user no choice in the matter. Apple always gives the user a choice. Pull the plug and then reboot. Find out what's wrong. It's easy to get rid of, simply delete the bogus "AppStore" file from the Startup folder in the Library. Done.

So:

• First Line of Defense: Never run your Mac or any computer in an Administrator mode for day to day operations.
• Second Line of Defense: Know that the IRS doesn't ever contact tax payers via email.
• Third Line of Defense: Never click on an unanticipated ZIP file, even from someone you know, in an email.
• Fourth Line of Defense: Never provide your Admin Name and Password on anything when you are not certain of its source, especially not on a ZIP file you got in an email.

[The Westerner]

Thank you! Always good to be reminded of safety basics such as not opening a zipfile.

[roadcat]

yeah i was just kiddin- I actually run linux- and only use windows in an offline environment in a dual boot configuration- my linux install is my online os-

I was thinking about diving into modern linux with some of my older PCs. I haven't worked with Linux since the late 1990s, abandoned it because of problems with hardware and trying to get around it. Since it's more mature now maybe I'll dive in and put it on some PCs that I have (up through 2008 PCs). Mac environment is my main daily thing now; I used to administer Windows/NT and Unix machines.