MacVirus
No, I don’t have a cold. And nor does my Mac, despite yet another silly scare article about the evils of malware. This one looks like a slightly fleshed-out press release from Sophos complete with video link to a scare video on Sophos’ website. Such things usually make me want to scream. It is all about an HDTV player called MacCinema whose installer apparently contains a evil trojan virus called OSX.RSPlug-F. It is not a new piece of malware but is a repackaging of the MacAccess trojan, which has been around for more than a year. Note that this is NOT a virus – you can’t you can’t “catch” it except by voluntarily downloading it and giving the installer your admin password. Downloading it from a site you have never seen before. Duh.
This is the internet equivalent of spending the night in an unlicensed Thai brothel and forgetting to take your condoms.
File it under “not a good idea”.
Even if you are seven sorts of stupid and download and install this thing, it is not destructive and can be easily removed. Instructions for removal are here. Should you be a bit technically challenged and have an unreasonable fear of command lines, you can download the completely and absolutely free open-source ClamXav 2.0.3. Don’t worry about the hokey name (typical of open-source - Geeks! - sigh), it is very easy to use and eats OSX.RSPlug-F for breakfast. In fact, there is nothing that ClamXav can’t do that the commercial equivalents can, except lighten your wallet.
After you have run ClamXav and cleaned your mess up, you can kick yourself some more for downloading this useless piece of garbage when Apple’s free Quicktime 7 will play HDTV files anyway. Hang your head in shame.
Now repeat after me:
- I will not download pirated or unlicensed software when there is a wealth of legitimate open-source software available to me.
- I will not download stuff from unknown sites. I will remember I am supposed to be an intelligent Mac user and will only use Apple’s site or Versiontracker to find my free downloads.
- Porn sites are not our friends.
- Because I have already demonstrated stupidity, I will run ClamXav after every installation of downloaded software.
Now get back out there and let’s be careful today…
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