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New Mac malware
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Thorzdad
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Jul 6, 2016, 07:31 PM
 
Hey, kids. Ars Technica reports on three new Mac-targeted backdoors. Stay safe out there.
     
iMOTOR
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Jul 6, 2016, 07:52 PM
 
New Mac malware… that requires the victim to deliberately install it.
     
osiris
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Jul 7, 2016, 08:29 AM
 
I think this software was available on macupdate.com - I no longer trust them at all because there's a lot of bad software on their site. which is sad, they've been around forever and was once a trustworthy cornerstone of the Mac community.

but anything you have to download and install voluntarily isn't malware, it's a new category of naiveware.
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
     
Mike Wuerthele
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Jul 7, 2016, 11:27 AM
 
From the Ars report, one is a script, one is malware, the third is adware.

The script and the malware take a certain kind of stupid to run and infect yourself with. Xprotect was updated last night to block installation of the malware.
     
andi*pandi
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Jul 7, 2016, 11:50 AM
 
I wanted to download some software (latest handbrake I think) recently and went to macupdate. They've got some kind of BS ad system going now where if you install software you also have to agree to install yahoo ads or something. I have never hit cancel so quickly.
     
starman
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Jul 7, 2016, 12:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
I wanted to download some software (latest handbrake I think) recently and went to macupdate. They've got some kind of BS ad system going now where if you install software you also have to agree to install yahoo ads or something. I have never hit cancel so quickly.
uTorrent had something like that if I remember correctly. What's worse was the douchenozzle on the forums telling people that they should have paid attention and "oh well".

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osiris
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Jul 7, 2016, 12:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
I wanted to download some software (latest handbrake I think) recently and went to macupdate. They've got some kind of BS ad system going now where if you install software you also have to agree to install yahoo ads or something. I have never hit cancel so quickly.
It's a shame
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
     
OAW
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Jul 7, 2016, 02:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by osiris View Post
I think this software was available on macupdate.com - I no longer trust them at all because there's a lot of bad software on their site. which is sad, they've been around forever and was once a trustworthy cornerstone of the Mac community.

but anything you have to download and install voluntarily isn't malware, it's a new category of naiveware.
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
I wanted to download some software (latest handbrake I think) recently and went to macupdate. They've got some kind of BS ad system going now where if you install software you also have to agree to install yahoo ads or something. I have never hit cancel so quickly.
Agreed on both fronts. I no longer have Macupdate.com bookmarked for this very reason. There was a time when I wouldn't have thought twice downloading software from their site. Now if I absolutely need something I just following the link to the developer site and download it from there to avoid the adware they are pimping now.

OAW
     
andi*pandi
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Jul 7, 2016, 02:48 PM
 
I know they have to make money, but it's like they are pushing us to only get apps directly from apple.
     
reader50
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Jul 7, 2016, 03:46 PM
 
I'm also usually following the developer link today.

Half the time, when I use their download links, I get a disk image with a "MacUpdate Installer" inside instead of the promised software. Those always get trashed, while I go to the dev page. The substitution happens often enough that it isn't worth my time to play the game. The mislabeled installer *never* gets run of course.
     
   
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