Attackers may... [exploit] this vulnerability en masse... |
Given recent activity, McAfee AVERT Labs forecasts that attackers may attempt to test the viability of exploiting this vulnerability en masse, by producing a reconnaissance Trojan to identify a vulnerable user base. Exploit source code with a payload has been published. Now, the message is 'welcome to zero-day vulnerability land for many Mac OS X users' Only, Mac OS X users are less prepared, less aware and mitigation tools are less evolved. |
It does not do a whole lot right now, but we will see a different type of virus down the road because of this. This is forward-looking, but it lets people know there will be attacks. |
Many people thought the Mac was invulnerable. That's never been true, but the low number of viruses and attack attempts has made it feel true. |
Many think that the Macintosh operating system is impervious to viruses or these kind of security threats. It is not that they are impervious; they are targeted less. |
McAfee does not endorse, at this time, third-party patches. |
They're gaining increased interest from the virus (writing) community. And as these devices become more pervasive, they become a bigger target. |
You talk to a Windows user about the dangers of clicking on the wrong attachments, and they know you're talking about a virus. But there's something about the Mac community.... They don't want to admit when something bad is threatening them. |