Mac Users - Better Grab Some Anti Virus Software...

**Lee** · 01-30-2009, 10:49 PM

A security firm is warning Mac users to steer clear of pirated versions of Photoshop after discovering a virus in a version available for illegal downloading. It's a variant of the same virus that hit pirated copies of iWork last week.

This version of the virus works in an even more sneaky way -- it isn't in the program itself. Instead, it works because Photoshop is available to download in full as a time-limited free trial. The pirated copy includes all the original files, but also has an application known as a 'crack', designed to remove the time-limit and leave users with a fully-functioning program.

However, when the user runs this crack, they get what appears to be a legitimate system message asking for a user name and password. This allows the virus to embed itself deep in the machine and gives the creators some control over the system, including the ability to download more rogue applications. It even contacts the creators through the Internet to let them know it's activated.

Intego, the firm which discovered the virus, says more than 5,000 people have downloaded the pirated version and could now be affected. It's also found that some machines with the virus have already been hijacked for use in denial of service attacks. That's the computer equivalent of repeatedly phoning a company until you jam its switchboard and leave it unable to communicate.

In its warning, Intego reiterated the importance of avoiding pirated software. It says that since its much-publicised warnings about a similar virus in iWork last week, more than 1,000 people have downloaded the specific copy of the software which triggered the alert. (Source: intego.com)

The creators of the new virus (which Intego has dubbed OSX.Trojan.iServices.B have even set the virus up so that the key rogue files have a randomly-selected name every time. This makes it much harder to manually detect and remove the virus, though Intego says its anti-virus products will cope with the problem.

The scares come just a month after Apple briefly posted, then removed, a warning that Mac users needed to install anti-virus software.

http://www.infopackets.com/news/secu...ed_mac_app.htm

It took a while but it looks like there is officially a virus that infects Apple products now.

Regards,

Lee

**rawTOP** · 01-31-2009, 08:39 AM

For as long as I can remember Macs have only been subject viruses if they downloaded and ran software from untrusted sources. Absolutely nothing has changed.

By saying "Mac Users - Better Grab Some Anti Virus Software" you're assuming software piracy is OK and we all do it, which is a curious assumption given the issues this industry has with piracy...

The title should be "Another reason piracy is a bad idea..."

**maxx68** · 01-31-2009, 08:49 AM

Gee the company that found the virus just so happens to be the company that has the cure!?

**Lee** · 01-31-2009, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by rawTOP

By saying "Mac Users - Better Grab Some Anti Virus Software" you're assuming software piracy is OK and we all do it, which is a curious assumption given the issues this industry has with piracy...

Huh? Where on earth did you get that from the post i made? :eek:

Trust me, if that was what i meant.. THAT would have been what i said, im not exactly 'shy' about saying what im thinking publicly

Regards,

Lee

**LiveTwinksCam** · 01-31-2009, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by rawTOP

For as long as I can remember Macs have only been subject viruses if they downloaded and ran software from untrusted sources. Absolutely nothing has changed.

By saying "Mac Users - Better Grab Some Anti Virus Software" you're assuming software piracy is OK and we all do it, which is a curious assumption given the issues this industry has with piracy...

The title should be "Another reason piracy is a bad idea..."

Fully agree! Mac's rule!

**LiveTwinksCam** · 01-31-2009, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Lee

A security firm is warning Mac users to steer clear of pirated versions of Photoshop after discovering a virus in a version available for illegal downloading. It's a variant of the same virus that hit pirated copies of iWork last week.

This version of the virus works in an even more sneaky way -- it isn't in the program itself. Instead, it works because Photoshop is available to download in full as a time-limited free trial. The pirated copy includes all the original files, but also has an application known as a 'crack', designed to remove the time-limit and leave users with a fully-functioning program.

However, when the user runs this crack, they get what appears to be a legitimate system message asking for a user name and password. This allows the virus to embed itself deep in the machine and gives the creators some control over the system, including the ability to download more rogue applications. It even contacts the creators through the Internet to let them know it's activated.

Intego, the firm which discovered the virus, says more than 5,000 people have downloaded the pirated version and could now be affected. It's also found that some machines with the virus have already been hijacked for use in denial of service attacks. That's the computer equivalent of repeatedly phoning a company until you jam its switchboard and leave it unable to communicate.

In its warning, Intego reiterated the importance of avoiding pirated software. It says that since its much-publicised warnings about a similar virus in iWork last week, more than 1,000 people have downloaded the specific copy of the software which triggered the alert. (Source: intego.com)

The creators of the new virus (which Intego has dubbed OSX.Trojan.iServices.B have even set the virus up so that the key rogue files have a randomly-selected name every time. This makes it much harder to manually detect and remove the virus, though Intego says its anti-virus products will cope with the problem.

The scares come just a month after Apple briefly posted, then removed, a warning that Mac users needed to install anti-virus software.

http://www.infopackets.com/news/secu...ed_mac_app.htm

It took a while but it looks like there is officially a virus that infects Apple products now.

Regards,

Lee

When you go to the internet and just download anything, nothing can protect against that. That's what they get for downloading pirated software. I've had my Mac for almost 2 years now and I have no viruses and no spyware and no virus protection on my Mac.

I have a virtual machine on my Mac running Windows XP and I briefly go into it a few times a month and never use IE or do any surfing and I just ran a virus and spyware scan and it had 20 spyware infections, freaking ridiculous!

Here is another thing, Bill Gates gives hundreds of millions if not billions to charities and he is worth billions and yet they are laying off 5,000 people. Wow, what humanity. They should keep those people and fix their crap OS called Vista! They should scrap their entire OS and build it from scratch like Apple did with theirs.

**rawTOP** · 01-31-2009, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by Lee

Huh? Where on earth did you get that from the post i made? :eek:

Trust me, if that was what i meant.. THAT would have been what i said, im not exactly 'shy' about saying what im thinking publicly

The whole point of your post was to say hurry up and buy antivirus software for your Mac 'cause you'll get viruses when (not if) you download illegal software. The other clear way to protect yourself is to not download sketchy software, but that wasn't what you were telling people to do.

**born4porn** · 02-01-2009, 11:21 AM

we bought $8k worth of Macs last year and it was a great investment, and there is no way we would risk them by downloading pirated software!

unfortunately our 10 PCs all running legit software are much more of a problem!

**Lee** · 02-01-2009, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by rawTOP

The whole point of your post was to say hurry up and buy antivirus software for your Mac 'cause you'll get viruses when (not if) you download illegal software. The other clear way to protect yourself is to not download sketchy software, but that wasn't what you were telling people to do.

Wrong.

The point of my post was to inform mac users (who more often than not state that macs are 'virus free') that they to are susceptible to getting viruses, sure in this instance it happens to be a virus attached to pirated software but how soon do you think it will be until this new virus is let loose on its own?

Would you not agree it is better to have an anti-virus program and not need it, than to need one and not have it?

Again, if the intent of my post was to say that Mac users download pirated software the thread title would have been something along the lines of.....

'Mac Users Are Theiving Scumbags'

Regards,

Lee

**Bec** · 02-01-2009, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by rawTOP

The whole point of your post was to say hurry up and buy antivirus software for your Mac 'cause you'll get viruses when (not if) you download illegal software. The other clear way to protect yourself is to not download sketchy software, but that wasn't what you were telling people to do.

I didn't read that into his post at all. What I see is a heads up that Mac's are becoming vulnerable to virus attacks. :daddy:

**jIgG** · 02-01-2009, 12:01 PM

mac vs pc .. .blah blah

I've used Windows since 1997 there are only about a dozen times my PCs were ever infected with a virus.

The perception about Mac is the same as the perception people have about some car manufacturers. Just because they 'heard' or read some ranking they automatically believe that car is reliable.

Microsoft does not control the hardware. 3Rd party vendors slap their OS on hardware they themselves put together.

On top of that they add software and also their own drivers.

Apple controls the software and hardware.

Big.Difference.

I have a friend with a Windows 2003 Server machine at home, that hasn't been rebooted since 2004. He said the way he got to that point was trying different ram, motherboard makers and drivers.

Mac doesn't have dozens of motherboard makers and ram manufacturers building components for it.

Every machine comes with the same hardware therefore OS stability is pretty much settled.

There were many documented issues with Apple products: defective screens, ipod nanos that scratch, macbooks overheating and bending out of shape...

The problem is Microsoft's so called partners have the upper hand and are pushing MS around. I suspect only because they are helped by the European Union which seems to make up shit as they go about anti-trust violations against Microsoft.

When, if ever, MS exerts the same control over partners the way Apple does i.e. you sell our Mac at a price other than what we told you you are out, then things will be different.

Being eastern european I have had true hacker friends. A couple who worked in Russia, some working for banks or banking institutions doing intrusion detection. They were of the opinion the Mac is only slightly more secure then Windows.

**LiveTwinksCam** · 02-01-2009, 12:15 PM

Macs forever have no need to run antivirus software on their computers, run a PC with no antivirus software and see what happens. Mac OS is Unix based, so right there tells you everything.

Anytime I need to install software on my Mac or do an update, before it installs it asks for my password, so right there is a huge preventative measure of stopping a virus from installing.

**LiveTwinksCam** · 02-01-2009, 12:19 PM

PCs = Ford Escort, Mac = BMW. Everyone knows and understands that, that has owned a Mac or Apple product. It's all about quality and style, you can have both.

Just like the iPhone, Apple got it right from the start. BlackBerry has been around for 12 years and the iPhone knocked it out of the universe and every cell phone company now is still trying to make an "iPhone killa" and can't even come close, other than try copying it.

Motorola has been making phones since the early 90's, and here comes Apple, never made a phone before and blows every single phone company and phone out of the water. Apple is the best. Those that own an Apple product understand that, clearly.