Viruses/Worms News

Mac Trojan attack hits gaming sites

Monday, June 22, 2009

Security researchers at Trend Micro reported last week that two new variants of a Trojan malware, called RSPlug, have been infecting Macs. Another variant of the Trojan has been spotted at websites for downloading video games, according to the Mac Security Blog.

Trend Micro said two versions of the Trojan appear on websites that encourage users to download a file to play a promised pornographic video. The file is actually a Trojan downloader that can connect to servers to download and execute malicious scripts on the user's computer.

The Trojan modifies the settings of the computer's DNS servers and redirects users to phishing sites or sites where other malware can be downloaded, Trend Micro reported.

Another version of the RSPlug Trojan downloader has been found at gaming websites, where it appears to be a file for downloading pirated versions of video games, the Mac Security Blog said.

Some commentators have observed that only users involved in illegal file-sharing activities are likely to get infected, the Mac Security Blog noted.

Although "some of the games are intended to be pirated copies of low-priced commercial games," others are often found on websites for free online play, the blog said.

The growing share of Macs has made them a more appealing target for cybercriminals, researchers said.