Newly Discovered Mac OS X Malware Spoofs Apps By Using Standard File Extensions

[ZeroDay]

A new OS X malware uses standard extensions such as .pdf and .doc to disguise malicious files as basic, harmless subjects. Discovered by F-Secure, the spoof technique uses a special Unicode character found in file names that gives an app the appearance of a standard document file, and although the threat level is quite low at this point, any malware and outbreak should be treated with a dose of respect and vigilance.

OS X has long since been regarded as a safe haven, free from the malware and Trojan attacks that have plagued the Windows operating system over the years. However, Apple’s claim on its website that Macs weren’t susceptible to such problems had to be hastily removed in light of last year’s Flashback Trojan outbreak, and incidentally enough, F-Secure was at the heart of the clean-up job back then.

Source.

 

[McLovin]

Finally, Mac users can actually say they've had some kind of malware.

 

[thetechguy]

Finally, Mac users can actually say they've had some kind of malware.

LOL, we've had malware before (the fake Flash Player for one), but it's been a popcorn toot in severity compared to the mildest Windows virus.

Still - we are a lot more secure than Windows right now, hence why I use it for my personal computer, and spend my business repairing PC's. Security isn't the only reason I use Mac (I also prefer the UI and apps for my personal uses) but it's a big one.

I'm not going to say we don't get viruses/malware, but as a whole we are a lot more secure than Windows. Only last year after the Flash thing did I start using an Antivirus... But for many years it just wasn't needed.