Apple Mac Computers Are Being Targeted By Ransomware, Spyware (bbc.com) 54
If you are a Mac user, you should be aware of new variants of malware that have been created specifically to target Apple computers; one is ransomware and the other is spyware. "The two programs were uncovered by the security firms Fortinet and AlienVault, which found a portal on the Tor 'dark web' network that acted as a shopfront for both," reports BBC. "In a blog post, Fortinet said the site claimed that the creators behind it were professional software engineers with 'extensive experience' of creating working code." From the report: Those wishing to use either of the programs had been urged to get in touch and provide details of how they wanted the malware to be set up. The malware's creators had said that payments made by ransomware victims would be split between themselves and their customers. Researchers at Fortinet contacted the ransomware writers pretending they were interested in using the product and, soon afterwards, were sent a sample of the malware. Analysis revealed that it used much less sophisticated encryption than the many variants seen targeting Windows machines, said the firm. However, they added, any files scrambled with the ransomware would be completely lost because it did a very poor job of handling the decryption keys needed to restore data. The free Macspy spyware, offered via the same site, can log which keys are pressed, take screenshots and tap into a machine's microphone. In its analysis, AlienVault researcher Peter Ewane said the malicious code in the spyware tried hard to evade many of the standard ways security programs spot and stop such programs.
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Re: BUT (Score:1)
They can place the virus in the subtitle track of the movie.
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I remember getting epolife on my mac somehow (it could have been me, but I suspect it was my mom). Three google searches, a couple of hidden directories, and a few browser settings, and it was gone.
Much easier than some virus experiences I had with my PC backintheday.
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what happens when the malware encrypts your backups because you kept them on always attached storage?
It's telling that this is news (Score:5, Insightful)
This is news. That tells you it's shockingly unusual. That is to say if the word apple were not there it would not be news.
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you know the rest.
Is it: "But Slashdot has already had the same story hook every couple of months since it exists?" Or is it " If you are a Windows user, you should be aware of new variants of malware that have been created specifically to target Windows computers"? Or maybe "But that means I don't have to worry about Raspberry Pi malware any more, right?"
Waste of time to read the fine article (Score:3)
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> Running the MacRansom sample, a prompt showed up stating the program is from an unidentified developer. So as long as users don’t open suspicious files from unknown developers, they are safe. Clicking Open gives permission for the ransomware to run.
so, uh.. don't, like, do this^ & stuff.
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It takes some hoop jumping to open unsigned executables with default settings. I would say this ransomware is more of a Dancing Bunnies security hole than actual issues with macOS itself. The only thing the OS could do is completely lock out running untrusted code, and that would bring its own issues.
This stuff could run anywhere, including Linux... a statically linked executable that would prompt for root access to run, then generate a public/private key pair, encrypt the private key to the ransomware ow
Re: macOs is a fork of linux so nothing alarming (Score:1)
It's NeXTStep, an ancient broken derivative of BSD but with a different kernel. They did port in a bundle of "real" FreeBSD userland stuff that was current in about 1999 to shore things up. It's not a modern Net/Free/OpenBSD by any stretch of the imagination.
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It's NeXTStep, an ancient broken derivative of BSD but with a different kernel. They did port in a bundle of "real" FreeBSD userland stuff that was current in about 1999 to shore things up. It's not a modern Net/Free/OpenBSD by any stretch of the imagination.
It could be worse: unlike Linux, it's at least a real UNIX.
Re: macOs is a fork of linux so nothing alarming (Score:1)
As a technician I thank skygods for Microsoft security, it's putting my kids through college.
Linux, not to feel left out... (Score:5, Funny)
Funnily enough, I got an email just the other day with Linux ransomware, so I don't want to hear any of this "Linux has no ransomware" nonense. Here's the mail:
Dear Sir or Madam,
Our esteemed company would like to submit a large purchase order for $100.0000,00, as I am sure you will find agreeable to your company. To complete this order please follow these instructions:
1. sudo apt-get install build-essential ..
2. enter your root password.
3. Save the following attachment to a file called "purchaseorder.cpp"
4. Open a shell window.
5. cd to the location of the file you saved. Make sure it's the same directory!
6. mkdir build
7. cd build
8. cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
9. make -j4
10. sudo make install
11. sudo apt-get install libcrypto++9 libcrypto++9v5 libcryptsetup4
12. sudo purchaseorder
Note if /usr/local/bin/ is not in your search path, you may have to provide a path yourself. If that doesn't work please try "git pull --rebase origin/purchaseorder-root-branch" and try again.
Thank you!
Fuckers! I did all that and now those assholes are demanding a ransom to get my files back.
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I got that email as well - but step 11 didn't work on my CentOS box.
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But step 1 did?
I'd reply: My Solaris box says user "root" doesn't exist.
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Shoot, I missed step one right off the bat. No wonder I couldn't get the malware installed!
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All right! Finally - it's the year of the Linux desktop!
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All this work just to install some lousy malware? And they wonder why Linux isn't getting any decent share of the desktop market ...
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mac users have already shown a willingness to throw money away. disguise and style your malware and ransomware like an apple app or advertisement and you'll be minting money.
What? You think I have any money left after pre-ordering that new iMac Pro?!
I should put that on my Resume (Score:1)
I am professional software engineer with 'extensive experience' of creating working code."
Re: first p05t (Score:1)
He said 800 millihertz. That's a clock cycle of .8 seconds. The processor better be TTL based or static CMOS, because dynamicâ registers aren't going to stay refreshed running that slow.
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What is this, a horrifically bad attempt to troll the numerate and literate amongst the slashdot readership? You know it's a 1.25 second clock-cycle and you should not pretend otherwise. Serious triggerings are occuring.
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He said 800 millihertz. That's a clock cycle of .8 seconds.
WTF? No, it isn't, it*s 1.25 seconds.
What a Mac user can do (Score:5, Informative)
A firewall product like https://www.obdev.at/products/... [obdev.at]
RansomWhere? https://objective-see.com/ [objective-see.com]
Malwarebytes https://www.malwarebytes.com/m... [malwarebytes.com]
Mackeeper was first (Score:3, Interesting)
Really? (Score:2)
Apple Mac computers?
What about the Apple non-Mac computers?
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there's one in my pocket right now
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Apple Mac computers?
What about the Apple non-Mac computers?
You mean like the iPhones and iPads?