{"id":40,"date":"2012-05-06T20:27:54","date_gmt":"2012-05-06T20:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/convergedsystems.com\/blog\/?p=40"},"modified":"2018-10-09T11:57:50","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T16:57:50","slug":"os-x-trojan-takes-users-unawares","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.convergedsystems.com\/blog\/os-x-trojan-takes-users-unawares\/","title":{"rendered":"OS X Trojan Takes Users Unawares"},"content":{"rendered":"

Macs running OS X are often touted as the most secure machines. While OS X is definitely more secure than other operating systems, it may not be as secure as owners think. A new trojan that takes advantage of a security flaw in OS X has been discovered, and it\u2019s a doozy. This has the potential to be a security nightmare. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you mention \u201cOS X\u201d and \u201cvirus\u201d in the same sentence, you\u2019ll get some weird looks from Mac users. Traditionally viruses and trojans on OS X were near non-existent, but there\u2019s a Mac specific trojan, codenamed Flashback, that has affected more than 600,000 computers. This is big news as it shows that machines running OS X may not be as secure as first thought.<\/p>\n

Many Mac owners are unsure of what exactly the Flashback trojan is, what it does and how to ensure they\u2019re not infected. We\u2019re here to help clarify the situation.<\/p>\n

What is a Trojan and What Does Flashback Do? <\/strong>
\nIn general terms, a trojan is a piece of malicious software that infects a computer and gives control of part, or the whole computer to hackers. The Flashback trojan takes advantage of an OS X Java vulnerability and infects computers by tricking them into downloading a fake Java update.<\/p>\n

When the program is installed, Flashback will download and install the main trojan code without the need for permission from the administrator. From there it proceeds to hijack your browser, redirect search queries to websites developed by hackers, and then take advantage of pay-per-click advertising.<\/p>\n

Why Should I be Worried?<\/strong>
\nWhile this version hijacks your browser, there are far more sinister things it could do. As this trojan acts as a downloader, there\u2019s nothing stopping the developers from updating the malware<\/a> to steal passwords, banking information and other confidential information.<\/p>\n

How do I Ensure My Mac is Clean?<\/strong>
\nApple has released an update for machines running OS X 10.6 and later. The first step you should take is to update your computer to patch the vulnerability. To update your Mac:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Press the Apple logo, located in the top right hand of your screen.<\/li>\n
  2. Select Software Update…<\/li>\n
  3. Press Install and Restart.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    While the patch will prevent Flashback from working, it won\u2019t delete the program if you\u2019ve been infected. The Internet security company F-Secure has developed a\u00a0script<\/a> that scans your computer and removes Flashback if found. Once you have downloaded the script, open and run it. The script will search your computer and place the infected files in an encrypted ZIP folder labeled Flashback_quarantine.zip.<\/p>\n

    Flashback has infected a higher number of Macs than any other trojan to date and goes to show that Macs also have security flaws. This also serves as a reminder that you should have a virus scanner and security program running on your Mac. If you have any questions regarding the security of your Mac or other devices, please don\u2019t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help keep your machines secure.<\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"linkedin\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Macs running OS X are often touted as the most secure machines. While OS X is definitely more secure than other operating systems, it may not be as secure as owners think. A new trojan that takes advantage of a security flaw in OS X has been discovered, and it\u2019s a doozy. This has the… Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nOS X Trojan Takes Users Unawares - Converged Systems Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.convergedsystems.com\/blog\/os-x-trojan-takes-users-unawares\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"OS X Trojan Takes Users Unawares - Converged Systems Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Macs running OS X are often touted as the most secure machines. 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