A Trojan Horse, in the computer world, is a potentially devastating type of malware that disguises itself as something desirable in order to be installed or downloaded onto a computer system. Once the Trojan program has been installed, it goes to work with its true purpose, executing malicious activities that greatly compromise the overall security of the system. If your Mac has been infected by a Trojan Horse, the program could do any number of things to the system—from initiating the installation of other viruses or malware programs, to giving a hacker complete remote control of your system.
Apple introduced malware detection to the Mac OS with Snow Leopard (Mac OS 10.6). This system consists of the quarantine of any app downloaded from the Internet, the use of Code Signing. MacOS malware includes viruses, trojan horses, worms and other types of malware that affect macOS, Apple's current operating system for Macintosh computers. MacOS (previously Mac OS X and OS X) rarely suffers malware or virus attacks, and has been considered less vulnerable than Windows. There is a frequent release of system software updates to resolve vulnerabilities. Mac OS: Use Anti-Malware To Scan And Remove OSX.Trojan.Gen (Recommended) Combo Cleaner is a complete security suite for Mac OS that is developed by ' RCS LT ' company. This program is featured with anti-virus scanner and system optimization tools like disk cleaner, duplicate files finder, application uninstaller, privacy scanner, and 24.7.
Needless to say, a Trojan Horse is bad news for both you and your computer. But what can you do to avoid this type of malware and the headache it brings, or to detect and delete it from your Mac once you have
The Root of the 'Trojan Horse' Name
During the Trojan War, after a lengthy siege of Troy, the Greeks decided to try to trick their enemies in order to get inside the seemingly impregnable walls of the city. Pretending to sail away in defeat, the Greeks constructed a giant horse and secretly hid soldiers inside. The Trojans, thinking themselves victorious in the war, pulled the horse inside the walls of Troy as a trophy of their triumph. At nightfall, the host of Greek soldiers hiding in the horse emerged and opened the gates of Troy, letting the rest of their army into the city, catching the Trojans off guard, slaughtering the Trojan army, and winning the war.Trojan Horse programs use the same basic concept as the Greeks did to get inside Troy. These programs work by tricking a computer user into willfully downloading and running a disguised piece of malware, which activates malicious processes on your computer once it has been installed. The Trojan can be disguised as anything you might want to download, from a music or video file on a torrent site, to a third-party program. In other words, the best way to avoid a Trojan Horse is to be careful about what you are downloading and where you are downloading it from. Don't click links from people or websites you don't trust, download your software from the Mac App Store instead of from the internet, and avoid torrent sites and other P2P download networks.Trojan Remover For Mac Os X
Trojans on Mac: Do You Need to Worry?
While Trojan Horses are nowhere near as common for Mac OS X as they are for Microsoft Windows, that doesn't mean Mac users never have to deal with these kinds of covert attacks. On the contrary, back in 2012, a Mac-based Trojan called 'Flashback' made a bunch of headlines—including this Mashable article, which claimed that over 600,000 Mac computers had been infected. In that case, the Trojan disguised itself as an installer for the Adobe Flash Player. Once implemented on a Mac machine, the Flashback Trojan would go to work searching the computer for passwords and personal information. The good news in the case of Flashback is that Apple was quick to solve the problem. Shortly after the Trojan Horse was discovered, Apple released a software update with a security patch that specifically prevented the Trojan from activating its malicious processes. In other words, users could protect themselves from the Trojan or cure the issue by simply staying on top of all OS X software updates. Users should take this story as a lesson to always install updates promptly when they become available, as doing so may be the easiest and best way to take care of any past or future Mac Trojan problems.
Other Types of Trojan Horses
While the Flashback Trojan was used for password and data theft, that use is just one of the many applications for which hackers have written Trojan Horse programs over the years. Trojans can also crash your computer, corrupt your files, connect with and infect other computers or devices on your network, hold your computer ransom and demand that you pay a fee to 'unlock' your files, watch what you are doing on your screen, log your keystrokes, access your webcam, or install any other type of malware on the system—just to name a few possible effects of infection.Trojan Macos Client
Avoiding Trojan Horses on Mac
As with other types of malware, you can detect most Trojans using a standard anti-virus or anti-malware program. With that said, keeping your Mac system updated is arguably an even more important safeguard for preventing Trojan Horse infection. It's also not a bad idea to Google 'Mac Trojans' every once in awhile, just to see if there are any types of Trojans that are currently causing problems for a lot of Mac users. Since Trojans are still relatively and blissfully unusual on Macs, most of the bigger Trojan programs that can infect OS X will be reported on by major tech publications. Staying aware of the cyber threats that are out there will help you be more conscious of your internet behavior and more tuned into any unusual symptoms your computer may be exhibiting.OSX.FlashBack[1], also known as the Flashback Trojan, Fakeflash, or Trojan BackDoor.Flashback, is a Trojan horse affecting personal computer systems running Mac OS X.[2][3] The first variant of Flashback was discovered by antivirus company Intego in September 2011.[4]
Infection[edit]
According to the Russian antivirus company Dr. Web, a modified version of the 'BackDoor.Flashback.39' variant of the Flashback Trojan had infected over 600,000 Mac computers, forming a botnet that included 274 bots located in Cupertino, California.[5][6] The findings were confirmed one day later by another computer security firm, Kaspersky Lab.[7] This variant of the malware was first detected in April 2012[8] by Finland-based computer security firm F-Secure.[9][10] Dr. Web estimated that in early April 2012, 56.6% of infected computers were located within the United States, 19.8% in Canada, 12.8% in the United Kingdom and 6.1% in Australia.[6]
Details[edit]
The original variant used a fake installer of Adobe Flash Player to install the malware, hence the name 'Flashback'.[4]
A later variant targeted a Java vulnerability on Mac OS X. The system was infected after the user was redirected to a compromised bogus site, where JavaScript code caused an applet containing an exploit to load. An executable file was saved on the local machine, which was used to download and run malicious code from a remote location. The malware also switched between various servers for optimized load balancing. Each bot was given a unique ID that was sent to the control server.[6] The trojan, however, would only infect the user visiting the infected web page, meaning other users on the computer were not infected unless their user accounts had been infected separately.[11]
Resolution[edit]
Oracle, the company that develops Java, fixed the vulnerability exploited to install Flashback on February 14, 2012.[8] However, at the time of Flashback's release, Apple maintained the Mac OS X version of Java and did not release an update containing the fix until April 3, 2012,[12] after the flaw had already been exploited to install Flashback on 600,000 Macs.[13] On April 12, 2015, the company issued a further update to remove the most common Flashback variants.[14] The updated Java release was only made available for Mac OS X Lion and Mac OS X Snow Leopard; the removal utility was released for Intel versions of Mac OS X Leopard in addition to the two newer operating systems. Users of older operating systems were advised to disable Java.[12] There are also some third party programs to detect and remove the Flashback trojan.[13] Apple worked on a new process that would eventually lead to a release of a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for Mac OS X at the same time it would be available for Windows, Linux, and Solaris users.[15] As of January 9, 2014, about 22,000 Macs were still infected with the Flashback trojan.[16]
Malware For Mac Osx
See also[edit]
The Root of the 'Trojan Horse' Name
During the Trojan War, after a lengthy siege of Troy, the Greeks decided to try to trick their enemies in order to get inside the seemingly impregnable walls of the city. Pretending to sail away in defeat, the Greeks constructed a giant horse and secretly hid soldiers inside. The Trojans, thinking themselves victorious in the war, pulled the horse inside the walls of Troy as a trophy of their triumph. At nightfall, the host of Greek soldiers hiding in the horse emerged and opened the gates of Troy, letting the rest of their army into the city, catching the Trojans off guard, slaughtering the Trojan army, and winning the war.Trojan Horse programs use the same basic concept as the Greeks did to get inside Troy. These programs work by tricking a computer user into willfully downloading and running a disguised piece of malware, which activates malicious processes on your computer once it has been installed. The Trojan can be disguised as anything you might want to download, from a music or video file on a torrent site, to a third-party program. In other words, the best way to avoid a Trojan Horse is to be careful about what you are downloading and where you are downloading it from. Don't click links from people or websites you don't trust, download your software from the Mac App Store instead of from the internet, and avoid torrent sites and other P2P download networks.Trojan Remover For Mac Os X
Trojans on Mac: Do You Need to Worry?
While Trojan Horses are nowhere near as common for Mac OS X as they are for Microsoft Windows, that doesn't mean Mac users never have to deal with these kinds of covert attacks. On the contrary, back in 2012, a Mac-based Trojan called 'Flashback' made a bunch of headlines—including this Mashable article, which claimed that over 600,000 Mac computers had been infected. In that case, the Trojan disguised itself as an installer for the Adobe Flash Player. Once implemented on a Mac machine, the Flashback Trojan would go to work searching the computer for passwords and personal information. The good news in the case of Flashback is that Apple was quick to solve the problem. Shortly after the Trojan Horse was discovered, Apple released a software update with a security patch that specifically prevented the Trojan from activating its malicious processes. In other words, users could protect themselves from the Trojan or cure the issue by simply staying on top of all OS X software updates. Users should take this story as a lesson to always install updates promptly when they become available, as doing so may be the easiest and best way to take care of any past or future Mac Trojan problems.Other Types of Trojan Horses
While the Flashback Trojan was used for password and data theft, that use is just one of the many applications for which hackers have written Trojan Horse programs over the years. Trojans can also crash your computer, corrupt your files, connect with and infect other computers or devices on your network, hold your computer ransom and demand that you pay a fee to 'unlock' your files, watch what you are doing on your screen, log your keystrokes, access your webcam, or install any other type of malware on the system—just to name a few possible effects of infection.Trojan Macos Client
Avoiding Trojan Horses on Mac
As with other types of malware, you can detect most Trojans using a standard anti-virus or anti-malware program. With that said, keeping your Mac system updated is arguably an even more important safeguard for preventing Trojan Horse infection. It's also not a bad idea to Google 'Mac Trojans' every once in awhile, just to see if there are any types of Trojans that are currently causing problems for a lot of Mac users. Since Trojans are still relatively and blissfully unusual on Macs, most of the bigger Trojan programs that can infect OS X will be reported on by major tech publications. Staying aware of the cyber threats that are out there will help you be more conscious of your internet behavior and more tuned into any unusual symptoms your computer may be exhibiting.OSX.FlashBack[1], also known as the Flashback Trojan, Fakeflash, or Trojan BackDoor.Flashback, is a Trojan horse affecting personal computer systems running Mac OS X.[2][3] The first variant of Flashback was discovered by antivirus company Intego in September 2011.[4]
Infection[edit]
According to the Russian antivirus company Dr. Web, a modified version of the 'BackDoor.Flashback.39' variant of the Flashback Trojan had infected over 600,000 Mac computers, forming a botnet that included 274 bots located in Cupertino, California.[5][6] The findings were confirmed one day later by another computer security firm, Kaspersky Lab.[7] This variant of the malware was first detected in April 2012[8] by Finland-based computer security firm F-Secure.[9][10] Dr. Web estimated that in early April 2012, 56.6% of infected computers were located within the United States, 19.8% in Canada, 12.8% in the United Kingdom and 6.1% in Australia.[6]
Details[edit]
The original variant used a fake installer of Adobe Flash Player to install the malware, hence the name 'Flashback'.[4]
A later variant targeted a Java vulnerability on Mac OS X. The system was infected after the user was redirected to a compromised bogus site, where JavaScript code caused an applet containing an exploit to load. An executable file was saved on the local machine, which was used to download and run malicious code from a remote location. The malware also switched between various servers for optimized load balancing. Each bot was given a unique ID that was sent to the control server.[6] The trojan, however, would only infect the user visiting the infected web page, meaning other users on the computer were not infected unless their user accounts had been infected separately.[11]
Resolution[edit]
Oracle, the company that develops Java, fixed the vulnerability exploited to install Flashback on February 14, 2012.[8] However, at the time of Flashback's release, Apple maintained the Mac OS X version of Java and did not release an update containing the fix until April 3, 2012,[12] after the flaw had already been exploited to install Flashback on 600,000 Macs.[13] On April 12, 2015, the company issued a further update to remove the most common Flashback variants.[14] The updated Java release was only made available for Mac OS X Lion and Mac OS X Snow Leopard; the removal utility was released for Intel versions of Mac OS X Leopard in addition to the two newer operating systems. Users of older operating systems were advised to disable Java.[12] There are also some third party programs to detect and remove the Flashback trojan.[13] Apple worked on a new process that would eventually lead to a release of a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for Mac OS X at the same time it would be available for Windows, Linux, and Solaris users.[15] As of January 9, 2014, about 22,000 Macs were still infected with the Flashback trojan.[16]
Malware For Mac Osx
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^This is the name used in Apple's built-in anti-malware software XProtect. Other antivirus software vendors may use different names.
- ^5 April 2012, Flashback Trojan botnet infects 600,000 Macs, Siliconrepublic
- ^5 April 2012, 600,000 infected Macs are found in a botnet, The Inquirer
- ^ abSeptember 26, 2011, Mac Flashback Trojan Horse Masquerades as Flash Player Installer Package, Intego Security
- ^Jacqui Cheng, 4 April 2012, Flashback Trojan reportedly controls half a million Macs and counting, Ars Technica
- ^ abc4 April 2012, Doctor Web exposes 550 000 strong Mac botnet Dr. Web
- ^Chloe Albanesius, 6 April 2012, Kaspersky Confirms Widespread Mac Infections Via Flashback Trojan, PCMag
- ^ ab'Half a million Mac computers 'infected with malware''. BBC. April 5, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
- ^April 2, 2012, Mac Flashback Exploiting Unpatched Java Vulnerability F-Secure's News from the Lab
- ^11 April 2012, Apple crafting weapon to vanquish Flashback virus, Sydney Morning Herald
- ^Kessler, Topher. 'How to remove the Flashback malware from OS X'. CNET.
- ^ ab'About Flashback malware'. Apple. April 10, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
- ^ ab'flashbackcheck.com'. Kaspersky. April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
- ^'About Java for OS X Lion 2012-003'. Apple. April 12, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
- ^'Mac Security: A Myth?'. eSecurity Planet. April 13, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^'It's alive! Once-prolific Flashback trojan still infecting 22,000 Macs'. January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
External links[edit]
Mac Trojan Removal
- Apple Delays, Hackers Play April 12, 2012
Trojan Mac Os X
