Apple updates XProtect to block new OSX/Leverage malware variant

MacDailyNews - Intego ^ | July 28, 2017 | by Derek Irwin

[Swordmaker]

Following the discovery of a new version of OSX/Leverage, a backdoor first spotted in 2013, Apple has issued an update to its XProtect malware definitions to version 2093,” Derek Erwin reports for Intego.

“This update provides basic detection for this new threat, which the Apple security team named OSX.Leverage.A,” Erwin reports. “Intego VirusBarrier already provides protection against this threat, which it identifies as OSX/FlashyComposer.A.”

“The malware is a newer version of OSX/Leverage.A, which Intego analyzed back in 2013,” Erwin reports. “The new iteration disguises itself as a fake Flash Player update, which Intego warned could happen in our 2013 blog post. A potential victim will land on a webpage designed to appear as though it is a legitimate Adobe website, which loads an iframe from a URL with malicious code. If a victim allows the execution of the malicious file when prompted or manually executes it from the Downloads folder, the Leverage malware installs a backdoor…”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: How to tell if an update for Adobe’s sh!teous Flash Player is valid here.

[Swordmaker]

This update is pushed out to all Macs, so there is nothing for Mac users to do. . . unless you are using a third party anti-virus, which all turn off Apple's own anti-malware protections so theirs will work. If so, then you should update your anti-virus app.

The REAL solution to this problem is:

JUST SAY NO TO ADOBE FLASH!

[dfwgator]

JUST SAY NO TO ADOBE FLASH!

Adobe just did that.

[Swordmaker]

Apple has updated its built-in anti-malware to protect against the latest version of a 2013 Trojan masquerading as an updated version of Adobe Flash. Mac users who do not use a third-party anti-virus app do not need to do anything as this update is pushed out from Apple to your Macs. If you are one of those Mac users who has installed a third-party anti-virus, be sure to update your apps malware definitions to the latest versions. The real solution to this Adobe Flash malware is to JUST SAY NO TO ADOBE FLASH! — PING!

JUST SAY NO TO ADOBE FLASH MALWARE MAGNET
Ping!

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

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[Swordmaker]

Adobe just did that.

Yeah, they are going to discontinue Adobe Flash in 2020. . . but in the meantime we Gotta keep saying no for ourselves.

Let's hope they don't put another malware magnet out there that is even worse...

[DollyCali]

thanks.. good info. Flash always seems to have stirred up trouble on my computers over the years