[infoshare] AppleInsider | Apple quietly includes malware prevention update in Mac OS X 10.6.4
- From: "Luis Guerra" <free_speech@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:25:58 -0400
Friday, June 18, 2010
Apple quietly includes malware prevention update in Mac OS X 10.6.4
By
Katie Marsal
Published: 12:25 PM EST
Apple silently updated its Snow Leopard malware protection in this week's
Mac OS X 10.6.4 update, targeting a Trojan that disguises itself as iPhoto.
Though the new protection wasn't specifically listed in any of Apple's
documentation accompanying Mac OS X 10.6.4, security firm Sophos
discovered the update
in the XProtect.plist file, which contains signatures of potential Mac
threats. The new threat, dubbed HellRTS by Apple, has been distributed by
hackers
since April in the form of iPhoto.
Referred to as OSX/Pinhead-B by Sophos, the Trojan monitors browser activity
unbeknownst to Mac users. It also makes a machine remotely accessible to the
attacker, who can take complete control of the computer.
"If you did get infected by this malware then hackers would be able to send
spam email from your Mac, take screenshots of what you are doing, access
your
files and clipboard and much more," said Graham Cluley, senior technology
consultant with Sophos.
Cluley took a negative response to Apple's secrecy, suggesting that the
Cupertino, Calif., company should instead make note that the latest update
to Snow
Leopard helps to thwart a potentially dangerous Trojan.
"You have to wonder whether their keeping quiet about an anti-malware
security update like this was for marketing reasons," he wrote on the
company's blog.
Last September, Cluley also made note that users
upgrading to Snow Leopard
would see their version of Flash for Mac downgraded to an older, less
secure version. Apple addressed the issue with an update
a week later.
Malware
Released last August, Snow Leopard came with a built-in
antimalware feature.
While the previous version of Mac OS X, Leopard, flagged Internet downloads
with metadata that alerted users when downloading files from the Web, Snow
Leopard added an
additional warning
when disk images containing known malware installers are opened.
Apple released its latest update for Snow Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6.4,
on Tuesday.
The security and maintenance update fixed issues that could cause a Mac
keyboard or trackpad to become responsive, and also resolved a problem that
could
prevent some Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications from opening.
table with 2 columns and 2 rows
Filed under :
Mac OS X
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/06/18/apple_quietly_includes_malware_prevention_update_in_mac_os_x_10_6_4.html
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