OS X Flaw exposes Macs, page 1

posted on Feb, 21 2006 @ 07:15 PM

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Those of you who use Macs might be interested in this news:

A serious flaw in Mac OS X could be a conduit for attackers to install malicious code on computers running the Apple Computer software, experts warned Tuesday.

The security problem is the third to surface for the operating system in the past week. It exposes Mac users to risks that are more familiar to Windows users: Visiting a malicious Web site using Apple's Safari Web browser could result in a rootkit, a backdoor or other malicious software being installed on the computer without the user noticing anything, experts said.

Mac OS X users can protect themselves by disabling the "Open safe files after downloading" option in Safari. In addition, users should be cautious when surfing the Web, the Apple representative said. "Apple always advises Mac users to only accept files from vendors and Web sites that they know and trust."

news.com.com

[edit on 2006/2/21 by GradyPhilpott] extra DIV

GradyPhilpott

posted on Feb, 22 2006 @ 05:14 PM

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Not everyone is concerned about these outbreaks:

I'm not going to be running any anti-virus software anytime soon, just as I haven't run it for many years.

Also, I'm not going to turn off any preferences that make my daily computing habits any less convenient (the browser takeover is protected against by disabling the "Open safe files after downloading" preference in Safari).

The smuggest of smug Mac users is right: the platform is more secure, and these new security threats are no more threatening that a paraplegic kitten.

www.wired.com

dreamlandmafia

posted on Feb, 22 2006 @ 05:29 PM

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And don't regularly be an Administrator or root!

ufia

posted on Feb, 22 2006 @ 07:06 PM

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I'm not going to be running any anti-virus software anytime soon, just as I haven't run it for many years.

That guy is a weirdo. If he thinks Mac OS X is the safest system in the world, great, I'm glad for him. But if one day he was indeed hit by a virus, don't he wanna know? Or will he simply wait for his friends to let him know two days later that he is infected by a virus spreading to all of his address book contacts?

If there is a anti-virus software available for Mac, he should use it. Not knowing that a trojan is stealing his password keystrokes for months does not make him any safer.