Bad news for Mac users: hackers have created a complex multipurpose backdoor program that will not only access your computer but will also hook it up to a massive worldwide bot-net.
Russian anti-malware company Dr. Web has announced the discovery on its website, showing the extent of the damage that the worm can do.
Some of the more notable ones include:
• Downloading files
• Putting the computer to sleep
• Executing system instructions
• Opening an inbound connection
• Executing commands from the inbound connection
Dr. Web adds that the worm connects to Reddit to acquire an updated server address list.
The worm will then await instructions from the server once it confirms a connection has been established.
The company reports that 17,658 unique IP addresses were connected to the bot-net set up by the worm’s creators as of September 26, 2014; with the vast majority located in the United States.
The real bad news? Nobody knows exactly how the worm, named Mac.Backdoor.iWorm, got on the Macs in the first place.
Mac users are thus encouraged to install an antivirus program on their device and to download apps only from legitimate sources to minimize the risks of allowing the worm – or malware of all kinds for that matter – from being installed on the system.
Dr. Web adds, of course, that any Mac OS X device protected by Dr. Web Anti-Virus is protected from this threat.
Worried about this update? Still can’t believe Steve Jobs’ famous proclamation of the invulnerability of Apple devices was proven wrong?
Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
*Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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