Mac OS X 'worm' Alert
Mac OS X 'worm' Alert
- Subject: Mac OS X 'worm' Alert
- From: "Gary (Lists)" <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 00:06:06 -0500
As a heads up, for anyone who may not have noticed the Reuters story, there
is a Macintosh OSX "worm" alert.
For those with limited web access, here is the brief text from Reuters, as
well as a link to the story.
I suppose we will all need to be grow more alert ourselves, into the future,
with a rapidly changing (and increasingly better) Mac landscape.
Please share this with your Mac-user colleagues, departments, IT centers,
NOCs and other relevant Mac users (friends, family...especially younger
users of iChat and AIM, two of the vectors for this infection.)
======
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A malicious computer worm has been found that
targets Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS X operating system, believed to be the
first such virus aimed specifically at the Mac platform.
The worm is called OSX/Leap-A, according to a posting on the Web site of
antivirus software company Sophos, which said the worm is spread via instant
messaging programs.
The worm attempts to spread via Apple's iChat instant messaging program,
which is compatible with America Online's popular AIM instant messaging
program, according to the Sophos Web site.
The worm sends itself to available contacts on the infected users' buddy
list in a file called "latestpics.tgz," according to the Sophos Web site.
The vast majority of malicious hacks are aimed at Microsoft Corp.'s Windows
operating system and some of its products, largely because Microsoft has
more than 90 percent of the market for computer operating systems.
"This first Macintosh OS X threat is an example of the continuing spread of
malicious code on to other platforms," said Vincent Weafer, senior director
at Symantec Security Response, in a statement.
The worm will not automatically infect Mac computers, but will ask users to
accept the file, Weafer said.
Symantec ranked the new worm as a Level 1 threat (with 5 being the most
severe).
An Apple spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.
======
Section URL:
<http://today.reuters.com/news/newsChannel.aspx?type=technologyNews>
Full URL:
<http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=
2006-02-17T020813Z_01_N16227596_RTRUKOC_0_US-APPLE-VIRUS.xml>
--
Gary
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Applescript-users mailing list (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
This email sent to email@hidden