We’ll give it to you straight. Santa Claus is a myth, the moon is green cheese-less, and Macs are vulnerable to malicious software. More evidence for the latter legend-buster is a new malware program that doesn’t require a user to enter an administrative password to install it.
For years, Macs have enjoyed the reputation that they weren’t susceptible to various kinds of malicious software as Windows machines are, because of the inherent strength of the Mac OS X platform. Many observers have also argued that, because the installed base of Macs was so small, it wasn’t worth the effort for a self-respecting hacker.
‘SEO Poisoning Attacks’
But now, as Macs are becoming more popular, that perception is changing. In recent weeks, a fake antispyware program called MAC Defender has been popping up on Macs, and a new variant has emerged.
According to Mac security firm Intego, MAC Defender targets users of that platform primarily through “SEO poisoning attacks,” in which web sites with malicious code use search-optimization tricks to rank at the top of search results. A user who clicks on that search result is sent to a web site that shows a fake screen and a fake malware scan, after which it tells the user that the computer is infected.
JavaScript on the page automatically downloads a compressed ZIP file. If the user has been using Safari and the “open safe after downloading” option in Safari is enabled, the file is unzipped and the user is presented with an installer window for which the user’s administrative password is required.
If the user proceeds with installation, MAC Defender launches. Intego describes the application as “very well designed” with a professional look, a number of different screens, attractive buttons, and correct spelling.
MAC Defender Variant
Once installed, MAC Defender indicates the computer is infected and opens…
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