TG Daily: First recorded Mac OS X worm meets a well-prepared

If you found this message, then you should be congratulated for that feat alone.

Anyway, here's the story we're talking about today: If Macintosh users worldwide have one more thing to congratulate themselves for today, it's for not panicking in the face of a potential threat that may just serve as one more indication of the platform's resurgent strength. An instant messaging worm, code-named OSX/Leap-A by security engineers, that poses as a JPEG image being shared on the iChat service, is being recognized for what it is by thousands of Mac users: not a major threat, specifically because Mac users recognize it. Here's the story on TG Daily.

So how do you distinguish between the different categories of malware in your mind? And perhaps even more importantly, should that distinction matter?

Scott M. Fulton, III

I'm not going to get into all of this but it's obvious you're in trouble if you give your root password like that . No OS can protect you if you're a .... let's say naive user . The only flaw seems to be in an app and OS X is still a hard nut to crack because it is after all Unix as is Linux 8) .

The only thing that it does harmful is is that it "cripples" the latest 5 programs used so that they do not execute. So that is something harmful.
As for where one can get their hands on it, it has basically been eradicated from the internet because of the fast response from the Macintosh community.

That's just first wave. Be prepared for others....
UNIX also have virus, rite?

I believe, to classify this whether to virus, trojan, worm.... the very easy out of this is to compare its characteristics with the viruses, Trojans and Worms for Windows... which category in characteristics most satisfies be awarded to this Mac threat. Calling it Malware will be like just calling it only a "bad thing".

I personally believe this is a "Virus".....
Its not trogan cuz of classic old definitions (not current/recent defs by every tom/dickle/harry) trojan when infecting gives some sort of remote admin control. It remains stealth and harms are tasks asociated to remote-controler's operations.
Its also not a Worm cuz worm doesnot damages the PC. Worm is similar to Trojan.. yes and not virus cuz Worm is also leaks perosnal info but it lacks the controlability of remote admin. Worm just keep broadcasting preprogrammed valuable information like all email addresses on the PC for bulk mailers buisness etc.
It is Virus.... cuz it was only damaging the PC it was broadcasting personal info. and it was also not a remot-admin software.

Regards

Muhammad Imran
Islamabad, Pakistan.

After reading the first few responses - where does this "thing" qualify to be a virus or trojan? It qualifies as malware and that is about it.

Has everyone forgot the fact that the way this thing moves about is by iChat - iChat for gods sake, who uses iChat?.......

This is FUD plain and simple - the last poster basically said as much and I agree.

Very grateful, pgstormblade ...
Tomorow i was also wondering about Mac/Steve Jobs' confusion what to call this threat. there are two points hidden in this confusion

1. The frustruation/rhetoric Mac has with Windows/Bill gates of just-not-to-follow or learn, take good free advice from them.

2. Steve Jobs was perhaps despirately looking fpr a glorious market name for it. perhaps the names before in consideration for "Malware" were MalNano, Then Virus likes threats in future to be called MalMini and reserved name for Trojans be PowerMal..... Common on Steve the virus world is not glorious but its cruel killer world... Please stop using HarryPotter-ious names every where. OS threats are no like Harmless-Wizards/Witches of Harry potter dealing with him while behaving strickly inside british-manners. The OS threats make people cry and companies Bankrupt.

3. The over tiddy dressed and skill-less MAC-OS is perhaps the proof that Mac remained so far behined that when it comes t just identify a hurdel it takes first the Mac marketting people to invent term for it and then to Mac Engineers start written solution using those terms.

Muhammad Imran
Islamabad, Pakistan.

Dear Pwnage, i agree with you and M$ will keep cheating for ever.. does that pleased.... but dilema is why the "pioneers" are crying fowl when they are left behind. XBOX is cheated version of PS, WindowsCE is perhaps of Symbian, Billgates car whells are cheated from the person who invented Wheel....

Lets assume that MAC was first for 64bit http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/07/07/mac_os_x/ .... saying this i must tell... that when there a new software lets say wine .. will propagate that it runs faster eventhan the actual companies own software.. thing is the new software lacks their own documented features. i.e. Naked man will run faster than one in soldier gear. So when u see Discovery channel etc and F1 racing or Science Programs what will u see... yes Windows running their engineering softwares. Swedish Navy's new stealth fregates run Windows-2000 as Ships central OS....

I have used Mac and Mini aswell... but in brief using there were two tings.. most of the world doesnt even knw there is a root like user for mac and Apple has not even documented that their is and they even dont tell its default password. Mac mini the propagated compact pc cant eject dvd when off with even inserting pin. no mic socket, no battery. it is a 3 times expensinve system than the hardware in it. When u pay for a machine with no screen/keyboard/mouse and equal to a NoteBook's price why not just buy a NoteBook.

The vista delay u r talking is because MS not developing an OS to run iTunes and sincronise iPodNano with it. It is to continue serving/evolving the trillion dollar corporates, Engineers and all the world to migrate to new horizons. It is New space shuttle in development, not yet another flying vehicle.

Yes i am feared of MS licencing. But we atleast not have to fear for the World not following the Moore's law. But still being religious i dont like this too hurry in technology progress.....

Muhammad Imran
Islamabad, Pakistan

Actually, it's NOT.

Now while this article claims that it's incorrect to say that Apple copied PARC... it's quite clear that the original concept for a GUI did NOT come from Apple. They changed and improved on PARC's concepts, but those concepts were conceived before Apple.

Win XP x86-64 is perfectly stable. It lacks the wide driver support of 32-bit XP, but those issues aside, it is a perfectly stable OS.

As for being the first, you're wrong yet again:

First 64-bit OS? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Linux beat Apple to the punch here... and so did IBM. If you're going to make outrageous claims to paint Apple in a positive light, you should at least have some facts behind those claims.



You remind me of Apple's ads... when they were running PowerPC chips, they were supposedly 83% faster than PCs... now that they are running Intel x86 chips... well suddenly those Intel chips are 63% faster than their PowerPC chips.

People complain about Intel's misleading marketing all the time... yet few people look at Apple's downright outrageous marketing BS.

Dude if your getting your info from Wikipedia I feel sorry for you.

No one knows every thing and if you think you do, then your sadly mistaken.

Wikipedia can be a great source of info but the fact that any one can go in and change things is somewhat disturbing. Sure I'm probably wrong but who the hell cares. My point is Apple is a great company. And if you look at the stocks they’re doing a lot better than Microsoft. AND YES GATES DID STEAL FROM JOBS. No one wants to admit it though. And I'm sure Jobs stole from others. I think he did from Xerox, not sure though. Have you also considered the fact that Jobs could have been working on the same concept at the same time? One source shouldn’t be all of you proof. Try looking at some respected sources.

As for Windows XP 64 Bit. The whole concept of a stable OS is having drivers for it. With out them what’s the use? That’s why I say that it’s an unstable OS. It's not some thing to go and build your new computer off of. And I hope you realize that Linux is virtually the same as the apple OS. Also it seems, after a quick skim, that this talks more about 64 bit processors and not operating systems. I would like to see a source that talked more about the OS factor rather than processors.

And sorry to say Macs are faster. Have you had the chance to use a new Intel Mac yet? Probably not. I did a little test of my own, nothing scientific. I put an Intel Mac, with 2GB or ram, up against one of my machines, a P4 3.0 64 bit (HT enabled), 2GB ram, and a raptor HD. now you probably think that the PC has one up on the Mac, WRONG.


The Intel Mac smoked the PC in start up; I was something on the lines of a 20 sec difference. I tried opening apps. Photo Shop CS2, Dream Weaver, and Microsoft Office. The Mac was still faster. Even opening Microsoft’s own program it was faster. And it has to use rosette to open it. So I’m opening two programs at once and it’s faster. You can’t tell me that apples claim isn't justified.

Just to let you know, they only tested the floating-point unit. Not real world, sure I would have preferred real world testing but you can’t always get what you want. Apple doesn’t mislead it just leads. Apple has released I think 4 or 5 operating systems to Microsoft’s 2 or 3. That should tell you something. And what’s even worse is that Apple sells that OS cheaper that Microsoft’s. I'm sorry but in my mind Microsoft is pathetic.

Quite honestly I think you're just another piece on Microsoft’s chessboard, waiting to get played.

dont be so iggnorant.
I don't give crap AND I dont read Mac World. I don't pay for stuff that I will never read.

Have you ever heard of Apple Works. The only reason people use MS office for mac is because it's easier. Not because they have to. Apple Works is almost the same as Office and can be used in cunjunction with. Why does every one get up in arms about Apple? I have yet to understand that. They make some of the best computers out on the market and have almost always been attentive to their customer base. You guys probably think Dell is hot stuff.

Mac's were never designed to play games. Thats what PC are for. the only reason I choose those programs is because they are cross platform. i used normal installs of all the programs and i made sure every thing was exactly the same.

The resent switch from PPC to Intel will not kill apple, it will make them stronger. They had one reason for the switch, that was to get a better power:watt ratio. The PPC is unable to support Apples future designs. What about the switch from the Mottorolla chips to the PPC ones that didn't hurt apple. If anything this is helping. With every one on one set standard processor things will be made easier. That is a fact that cannot be denied.

Calling me and other Mac users "inferior" isn't going to get you any where. As a matter of fact we are not.

You and that other guy that pulls stuff out of Wikipedia are just afraid of change. you guys are unwilling to adapt and change as the markets change. This is what is needed to survive in this arena.


This is gona go no where fast so let drop the subject and go our seperate ways. I do hope you change your mind some day.