CNN reports on Mac virus

You know, I used to be a hacker, and I also used to write some malicious code a LONG time ago, and quite frankly it was always FAR FAR more respectable when I would "hack" some "minority" Operating System that people thought was super secure than when I hacked whatever was the "Standard" of the day. Hacking/putting out a Windows virus is trivial at best, the prestige comes when you hack into or write code that is self-propagating and installs without the users knowledge on a system that people consider "immune"

Any virus writer or hacker worth hisher salt is totally focused on being the first to do this to the Mac.

You guys need to grow up, the only reason why we haven't seen viruses for OS X *yet* is because of a lack of installed user base, not because of a lack of available expliots. So when the "big one" finally hits, will Apple burry its head in the sand or will it own up to reality and deploy a patch half as fast as Microsoft has learned to do?

I think the reason they are just now reporting the story is that they learned about Oompa Loompa via spam from a high profile virus protection company, who recently updated their database to notice the code involved.

I got the spam last week, didn't you?

Of course, we had read about the trojan ourselves a few weeks back.

We all need to take this chance and educate all the mac users out there. OS X is not immune to viruses/worms/trojans. It is a man made piece of software and it has flaws. The more people say macs are immune to viruses, the more ammo places like CNN will have to spread propaganda against OS X.

Once again, downplay this all you want, but 1 year ago y'all would have said it was impossible. Now you're just saying it's because of user stupidity.

And, note, the Open Source Vulnerability Database lists more than 80 vulnerabilities for OS X in 2005, nearly 4 times as many as in 2003.

Read the whole article. Yes, you're still safe as long as you play smart, but figure that real viruses for the Mac will be out in the next 3 years and you'll be looking back on this wondering why you didn't respond more strongly.

Y'all should be STORMING Apple's doors DEMANDING that they improve their security processes (note: the security researcher emailed Apple several times through January/Feb - and only published in April). Instead you're blathering about how the journalists are probably Windows users.

Kevin Mitnick was a guest host of Coast to Coast AM radio last night. He had his buddy Woz on as a special guest.

Anyway, Kevin reported that there was a virus for the Mac. I think Kevin is a bit behind the times, or the show was recorded a while back.

I suspect CNN picked up on this from that broadcast.

A slow news day.

Russ you stole all my thunder. :o)
That's exactly what I was thinking.

MSNBC Has a similar article. They call it a 'virus' as well, that you get by visiting websites. They don't even mention that you have to download and expand a zip file.

Here's the first two paragraphs (you don't even need to read the rest of the article):

Benjamin Daines was browsing the Web when he clicked on a series of links that promised pictures of an unreleased update to his computers operating system.

Instead, a window opened on the screen and strange commands ran as if the machine was under the control of someone or something else. Daines was the victim of a computer virus.

from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12537279/

the only problem with that theory is that in general the media loves apple, which i'm sure is due in no small part to the fact that most creative professionals use macs.