The Trojan... how safe are we?

[mac98aop]

Being Unix based (ie, needs Amin password to make any changes) I've always told folks we Mac users don't need to worry about AntiVirus (okay okay, so we could have it to prevent us sending something on by mistake) but, does this new trojan malware indicate that there are holes and we now need to start worrying?

Has the playing field changed?

How so?

[Russell Brown]

This page has useful info

http://basics4mac.com/article.php/flashback_trojan_info

Game changer? Maybe. Maybe not. Reflects the increasingly popularity of macs I guess. 

Russell

Sent from a device of sorts. 

@drbrown1970

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[Sam - MacAmbulance]

Personally I don't think it's a reason to install a dedicated antivirus program just yet. They affect the speed of the computer to a degree that it's just not worth it for a single threat, especially one which Apple has already issued a software fix & removal tool for.

We'll need to keep an eye on things and see if more variants appear, if Apple can't keep up then Sophos produce a free version of their antivirus software for home use.

Regards

Sam

MacAmbulance

Providing affordable Apple & PC services

Sam Mullen
07747 778022
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[Emrah Omuris]

OS X doesn't come with Java pre-installed but many people do install it due to its popularity and the issue was with Java, not OS X (at least that's what Apple's Marketing Team is thinking possibly)

Sent from  iPhone

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[Sam - MacAmbulance]

Lion doesn't come with Java, Snow Leopard and below do.

Sam

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[mac98aop]

so are we still satisfied that the OS is inherently safe, (as opposed to below the radar of virus writers due to lack of users) as it always requires Admin passwords.

However, other apps such as Java, might be the weakness....

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[Sam - MacAmbulance]

There's always a chance that there's an undiscovered security flaw in OS X, it's just much less likely that someone would put the time into finding it than WIndows. The FlashBack trojan used a flaw in Java but did install a Mac specfic program, so they've obviously put some time into the development.

Most likely the mac malware was ready to go waiting for a security flaw to be found, in this case with Java.

[Toby Leighton]

IMHO its a matter of time before similar exploits arise in Flash/PDF files, as I think there have been mac PDF exploits in the past.  It is quite common in the windows world for malware/trojans to exploit flaws in out of date adobe plugins, but luckily so much so that adobe plugins tend to hassle you quite frequently about keeping up to date nowadays, and on macs built in preview does a great job making adobe reader only necessary if you really need it.

It feels like the mac platform has now reached suitable sized market penetration level and the day that security people have been saying is around the corner for years is nearly here.

I dont think its a situation where every mac needs an antivirus program urgently, but do I think the days of carefree web browsing and freebie program/plugin experimentation are over.

Be careful out there, install updates when they are available, and remove any old apps that you don't use.

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[Russell Brown]

Report I saw today about another java(?) exploit spread within .doc files, with the aim of infecting Macs. 

It was on both TUAW and Apple insider. 

Russell

Sent from a device of sorts. 

@drbrown1970

[Graham Perrin]

On 15 Apr 2012, at 23:09, Emrah Omuris <eom...@gmail.com> wrote:

… the issue was with Java …

Correct, the issue was with a part of Java, a part that Oracle is not ready to open source. 

<https://wikis.oracle.com/display/OpenJDK/Mac+OS+X+Port+Project+Status>

For some time it has been possible to install on OS X a developer preview of a JDK provided by Oracle, but that installation was missing two key parts (not open sourced): 

* Java Web Start

* Java plug-in.

<http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/>

<http://jdk7.java.net/macportpreview/>

Less widely known

-----------------

About Java for OS X Lion 2012-002

<http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5055>

Currently not mentioned in that article … with this Apple-provided version of Java, you can: 

* prefer something greater than the System version of Java

— and if that greater thing is without the Java plug-in, without Java Web Start, then your web browser should automatically use the (System) version of Java that *does* include those features.