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Max OS X trojan makes Bitcoins

by on01 November 2011

apple

Just as well Macs can't be hacked... oh

There is a new Mac OS X Trojan bundle which hijacks the processing power of video cards (GPUs) to generate Bitcoins, a popular type of virtual currency.

Now, we know what you are saying, Macs are the most secure computers in the world and only Windows machines get viruses. So the reason your machine is running like an asthmatic ant with a heavy load of shopping is probably because you have not bought the lastest iPhone 4S yet and are out of favour with the Apple gods.

Dubbed DevilRobber, the new Trojan is being distributed together with several software applications via BitTorrent sites. Of course no Apple user would dream of using hacked software which had not been blessed by the spirit of Steve Jobs in his iTunes walled garden.

Mac antivirus vendor Intego warned that the malware is part Trojan horse and part backdoor, as it opens ports and can accept commands from command and control servers.  It also nicks data and Bitcoin virtual money. Finally it is spyware, as it sends personal data to remote servers.

Now we know you are saying that you never visit these sites, and you would never download hot software, and this is a Mac antivirus software maker so it is obviously FUD so that they will sell their software. But according to them the Bitcoin mining program that DevilRobber installs on infected computers is called DiabloMiner and is a legitimate Java-based application used in the virtual currency's production. The DevilRobber trojan steals processing power, which can lead to slow computer performance, as well as actual Bitcoins, which are kept in virtual wallets on the victim's machine.


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