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Mac OS X Trojan pretends to be Flash installer
A new Mac OS X Trojan has surfaced that tries to trick users into executing it. Called OSX/flashback.A by antivirus company Intego, the Trojan has been spotted on malicious websites where users are told that Flash Player must be installed to access certain content. This particular coercion technique has a higher chance of succeeding as the Mac OS X Lion does not have Flash pre-installed, which forces users to perform a manual installation instead.
As reported on AppleInsider: "Once the Trojan is installed on the system, it will delete the installer package and deactivate some network security software. The code used by Flashback can be injected in certain applications run on the computer and the Trojan can connect to remote servers in order to send specific information about the infected computer."
The Mac OS X has enjoyed a surge of popularity due to Apple's highly successful MacBook laptops, as well as users attracted to the company's design simplicity after having used an iPad or iPhone. As more users flock to the Mac platform, hackers are noticing and shifting their attention there, which should throw a spanner into the myth that the Mac is inherently more secure than the PC.
For more:
- check out this article at CNET News
- check out this article at AppleInsider
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