Viruses/Worms News

Bogus 'free' Mac OS X Snow Leopard sites carry malware

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Cybercriminals are hoping to exploit Mac users searching for free downloads of the Snow Leopard version of the Mac operating system, Mac OS X 10.6. Security researchers have spotted websites hosting Trojan malware disguised as phony Snow Leopard downloads.

Security researcher Feike Hacquebord of Trend Micro yesterday discovered several websites that claim to offer free downloads of Snow Leopard, which Apple is releasing on Friday, August 28. Trend Micro reports that these malicious sites direct users to download a DNS changing Trojan detected as OSX_JAHLAV.K.

The Trojan downloads other scripts that alter the DNS configuration and add two IP addresses to the DNS server. This could be used to redirect infected Mac users to phishing sites and other malware sites, Trend Micro said on its malware blog.

Cybercriminals have used this tactic to exploit users looking for other popular software updates, such as Microsoft's Windows 7. Pirated copies of Windows 7 RC that were infected with a Trojan horse has likely built a botnet with thousands of PCs, according to security researchers.

Hackers have also used pirated versions of iWork '09 and the Mac version of Adobe Photoshop CS4 in an attempt to build a Mac botnet.
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