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Backdoor Trojan for Windows ported to Mac OS

By

On February 28, 2011, 9:54 AM

A Remote Access Trojan (RAT) for Windows, known as darkComet, has been ported to Mac OS X. The new backdoor Trojan is not yet finished, but it could be indicative of more underground programmers attempting to take advantage of Apple's growing market share. Here is an excerpt of the default text that the malware displays in the full screen window with the reboot button, courtesy of Sophos:
I am a Trojan Horse, so i have infected your Mac Computer. I know, most people think Macs can't be infected, but look, you ARE Infected! I have full controll over your Computer and i can do everything I want, and you can do nothing to prevent it. So, Im a very new Virus, under Development, so there will be much more functions when im finished.

The author of the Trojan refers to it as the BlackHole RAT, while security experts are calling it OSX/MusMinim-A, or MusMinim for short. "Black Hole" is already used by Irradiated to name a legitimate Mac security application which removes potentially sensitive information such as recently-used file lists, data left in the clipboard, and so on. MusMinim appears to have a mix of German and English in its user interface, as well as these functions:

  • Placing text files on the desktop
  • Sending a restart, shutdown or sleep command
  • Running arbitrary shell commands
  • Placing a full screen window with a message that only allows you to click reboot
  • Sending URLs to the client to open a website
  • Popping up a fake "Administrator Password" window to phish the target

Starting late last year, Sophos has been pushing its free antivirus for Mac. The security company insists the numbers show malware is an increasing issue on the platform.


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User Comments: 61

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  1. Many of you must be quite aged I expect. If I was to try to extrapolate any well-thought content out of any of these Apple-envy replies it would amount to a trifle at best.

    Why is it that you think so many countless posts and reviews on the computer technology sites revolve around "is it as good as a Mac \ iPad \ iPhone \ iPod"?

    Every single company is out there breaking their backs to try to best Apple in almost every field Apple plays on. Do you think they are all wasting their time and you are all so much smarter?

    Is there really so much merit to clinging so vociferously to the rusty old by-gone era technology WinPcs? Crikey, most of them are still booting from a BIOS.

    Change is difficult the older we get but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. This industry is evolving quickly and Apple is leading the way. I fear many of you crotchety old fools will get left behind if you aren't able to move beyond this superfluous wining.

  2. paulwuzhere said:

    About time awareness picks up. No OS is 100% secure.

    Agreed.

    Quoting a lockpicker (Mr. Adam Flores) from 1780:

    "- No system or security device is 100% secure, there is *always* another way in!"

    As for the "100%" secure OS mentioned in a link above; there is *always* another way in! (*Evil laughter)

  3. captaincranky said:

    O my god. I just can't believe this could happen on my so perfect, precious and adorable Mac. This just can't be happening. Denial.... denial. Just as Nostradamus predicted - the end of the world is nigh!

    Thankfully Apple is all over this inevitability and have been building in excellent seamless protection at the core level that will not perceptibly slow down the Mac nor constantly irritate the end-user like UAC etc etc. or push them to research or install endless third-party tools to try to combat it. The addition of the App Store is just one of many steps.

    Winboys, stand back and watch how the big boys do it!

    Don't you feel like you're "slumming it", running your yap here with all the Windows users? Do you think you're going to enlighten us" to Apple superiority.?

    In any event you opened the door to this line of discussion with this remark, :

    Just doing my best not to disappoint the stereotypical expectations of those here suffering from apple-envy. ~
    We may be suffering with '"Apple envy", but IMHO, those who actually own Apples are probably suffering from penile envy, and to be precise, that would be Steve Job's penis.

    Now, why don't you go run along and bang up your credit card with a Macbook "Air", (in your case a Macbook, "Hot Air" , grab a picture of Mr. Jobs for wallpaper, then do what "comes" naturally with it.

    It's official, Cap... You are my role model!

  4. Vrmithrax said:

    It's official, Cap... You are my role model!

    Me too Cappy!

  5. Why is it that you think so many countless posts and reviews on the computer technology sites revolve around "is it as good as a Mac \ iPad \ iPhone \ iPod"?

    Are they smoking weed or something?

    Have you ever bothered to know how many features Apple copied for their OS from MS? For example, Time Machine is a (better) ripoff of Microsoft's System Restore, newer iOS will implement Microsoft's Photo Hub concept, majority of the reviews prefer Win7s taskbar and jumplist over Mac OS's Dock ........ the fact is both Apple and Microsoft continue to follow each other (read copy) newer concepts which make their respective OS better for their audience. So I am not buying this clap trap anyway. And now that Apple is selling PC Clones at higher premium prices, hence the force in argument for it to be superior is very much limited.

    Now to iphone, when I went to buy a new smartphone few months ago, I tried iphone 4 and SGS side by side for hours, and my conclusion was iphone 4 is a brick which is better suited to attack a burglar who is trying to break into your house (and I never counted in the antenna issues due to death grip). So remember, iPhone is no longer the buzzword if you haven't noticed, it is taking the biggest hit everywhere as Android spread at phenomenal rate.

  6. Archean said:

    Why is it that you think so many countless posts and reviews on the computer technology sites revolve around "is it as good as a Mac \ iPad \ iPhone \ iPod"?

    Are they smoking weed or something?

    Have you ever bothered to know how many features Apple copied for their OS from MS? For example, Time Machine is a (better) ripoff of Microsoft's System Restore, newer iOS will implement Microsoft's Photo Hub concept, majority of the reviews prefer Win7s taskbar and jumplist over Mac OS's Dock ........ the fact is both Apple and Microsoft continue to follow each other (read copy) newer concepts which make their respective OS better for their audience. So I am not buying this clap trap anyway. And now that Apple is selling PC Clones at higher premium prices, hence the force in argument for it to be superior is very much limited.

    Now to iphone, when I went to buy a new smartphone few months ago, I tried iphone 4 and SGS side by side for hours, and my conclusion was iphone 4 is a brick which is better suited to attack a burglar who is trying to break into your house (and I never counted in the antenna issues due to death grip). So remember, iPhone is no longer the buzzword if you haven't noticed, it is taking the biggest hit everywhere as Android spread at phenomenal rate.

    the best thing about an iphone is that you can jailbreak it and you finally get to do what you want on in

  7. Well you never need to 'jail break' an Android device and have whatever you want on it. But if your geek nerve still want to do bit more you can simply root your device.

  8. Archean said:

    Well you never need to 'jail break' an Android device and have whatever you want on it.

    Instead you get to wait half a century for the vendor to offer their device specific Apple-chasing Android upgrade. Accept it never came because your phone was already obsolete by then. Luckily it actually was about the size and weight of a brick so you can still make it useful.

  9. captaincranky said:

    grab a picture of Mr. Jobs for wallpaper, then do what "comes" naturally with it.

    You've convinced me to be a Winboy. You wouldn't happen to have an extra of the Bill Gates picture you like to use, the vendors haven't stocked any for decades.

  10. Instead you get to wait half a century for the vendor to offer their device specific Apple-chasing Android upgrade. Accept it never came because your phone was already obsolete by then. Luckily it actually was about the size and weight of a brick so you can still make it useful.

    Ref: Post # 50: Fortunately , iphone 4 makes the best brick you can buy (if you have lots of money to blow out on overpriced and under-featured device when compared to competition) and yet it can be excellent weapon to attack any unwanted visitor (read "burglar" or treat "Lawrence of Incompetence".

  11. Regardless of whose a 'troll' and whos not, you're both losers. You have nothing better to do than argue with each other about the most accurate definition of 'troll' or the classic 'apple vs. windows, whos better debate'. Why not have a constructive conversation about the topic...Get a life and a clue.

    Both of you are fools for thinking that one of you is better/smarter for using the 'better' OS. I mean seriously they're both computers aren't they?!? Essentially they both do the same tasks and parties for both sides could argue pros and cons of the opposite OS!!

    Split hairs if you like, I'm gonna just stick to using whatever I like and what I think works best...I expect every other person to do the same...its called freewill. I guess if you enjoy meaningless arguing with strangers stick to it..to each his own.

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