Macs have viruses?
This post was published 3 years 8 months 28 days ago and its content may not be valid anymore.I have received numerous emails, calls and more from PC users and recent Mac switchers claiming that I told them Macs don’t get viruses just a few months ago or that as a Mac user I finally get to join the crowd of security conscious PC users. All of you can go to hell. I know that’s a bit extreme but I would like to clarify a few things to those of you that have immense confusion on this whole Mac virus thing.
The “worm� is not a security vulnerability in the Mac nor is it a virus at all. Apple has implemented things on its systems that help the spread of this worm but whether or not you will be infected with this is completely up to you. Mac users, if you receive a message called “latestpics.tgz� from one of your iChat buddies you have a few options. You can deny it because you have to wash the car and take the kids to the park or you can accept this and run this application so to infect your computer and delete crucial data and spend your weekend restoring your system from the most recent backup. You also have the pleasure of getting hate IMs from all of your iChat using friends that were in your address book after they get infected.
This worm only executes a command line script at the UNIX core level of your Macintosh that, put simply, screws some stuff up. This is not like a Windows computer when you receive this file and break the rule of opening attachments, you still have a password prompt asking you to enter your administrator password and you are given a visual readout of what application or script is requiring your password.
If you do all that the virus tells you and then get infected it is your own fault. I have almost 200 buddies in iChat and I have not received a message of “latestpics.tgz” yet but when I do, the first thing I’ll do is message them and ask if they just sent me a file. I suggest you do the same.
It’s ok Adam, were know it’s a tough time for the Mac folk.
Stress will eat you alive.
Long live AMD!!
If this is considered a virus then I guess me sending out a ksh script that does a rm -rf /* is a virus too. It was only a matter of time before some people started targeting macs, but it isn’t a mac vulnerability they are targeting, it’s dumb people they are targeting.
Great point Kyle and th at’s a long time newb joke for those new to OS X. I would have loved, w hile at Apple to get some of our customers to do that that opted we give them phone support within a retail store.
Sure just boot, open terminal and type this….
HAHA
besides, if you really freak out about “vulnerabilites” and the “explosion” of viruses on mac, install norton antivirus for mac, yes mac have antivirus, and yes its been a while it’s release (pardon my english, tough), and this antivirus has been made for office 2004 mac, because it has certian malicius scripts, so, im protected, and you?
Welll Norton is certaintly not the way to go. Intego’s Virus barrier is exquisite and I have spoken with their team many times and they are definetly about their busienss in terms of keeping their defs and applications up to date.
Macro vunerabilities have been around for years on both platforms but Apple squashed what little Mac specific viruses there were back when they transitioned to OS X
HEy Adam, just wanted to point out this link ( http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20060222071126871 )to Mac OSX hints, as it discusses how the current hacks can be performed on your computer without you being notified and agreeing to them, and how to prevent it, then there’s this open source software ( http://www.unsanity.com/haxies/pa/ )by unsanity to help lock you down more securely. Both are worth looking at for all Mac Owners as they are clear enough for Newb’s.
Most viruses target dump people… whether they can get a person to open them or not. Most viruses are like that. Especially worms and the like.
I am fucken sick and tired of people thinking Mac and has bad as windows. Not they are not the only reason its all over the net about this worm/virus is because it is perhaps the first on the new platform. and ONLY stupid idiots will get infected especialy those people who just converted using macs and run as Admin.