It has been seven weeks since the "Mac Defender" malware first gained significant publicity, and we've seen Apple in response step up its anti-malware efforts with the release of a security update late last month that not only addressed the known Mac Defender variants at that time but also introduced daily checks for new malware definitions. The action significantly expanded the rudimentary anti-malware capabilities introduced with the launch of Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

The creators of the "Mac Defender" malware have not, however, given up in the face of Apple's increased defenses, moving within hours to release a new variant evading detection. Apple responded quickly, however, adding new definitions to detect the variant within a day.

macdefender definitions 061911
That cat-and-mouse game has continued for the past three weeks, with Apple issuing new malware definitions on a nearly daily basis and the File Quarantine functionality defined by Apple's updated Xprotect.plist file now detecting 15 different variants of Mac Defender. While reports of users falling for the ruse and installing Mac Defender have declined in recent weeks as increasing numbers of users have installed the security update and had their anti-malware definitions updated, some users are still reporting difficulties stemming from the software.

Consequently, it seems reasonable to conclude that Apple has significantly eaten into the profitability of the existing Mac Defender scam, but it is unclear whether the malware writers will simply continue to slightly tweak the existing implementation and infect however many computers they can before Apple quickly updates the definitions or if they (and undoubtedly others) have broader plans in mind now that they have determined how Apple is addressing the threat.

Top Rated Comments

dukebound85 Avatar
183 months ago
Yes, OS X is more secure than Windows, but it will only be a matter of time before we will get many more virusses on OS X.

The virusses will be harder to make of course, but it's a logical result of the popularity of the mac platform.

I don't think you know what a virus is if you think macdefender is one
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notjustjay Avatar
183 months ago
OK, so at this point, aren't we solving the wrong problem?

Someone is out there, continually writing and rewriting variants of MacDefender to overcome each of Apple's moves to block it.

Why are we not able to find them and arrest them?

Presumably this is not some teenage hacker looking for fame and glory. There is an actual attempt to profit from this scam by "selling" MacDefender services, right? That means credit cards and bank accounts, right? Doesn't that mean they can be traced?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NAG Avatar
183 months ago
That's just not true. How many times did an app (for iOS) included an unadvertised feature and got through the review? Just last week, this guy who said he 'just' collected passwords, set for his applications (without IP or other user information; we can be sure that not advertising the IP is ********). And about the jailbreaks? How many exploits aren't know to the public you think? The same goes for OS X.

Compared to how many trojans in the various Android marketplaces? Like it or not, curation significantly decreases malware. Openness (or whatever it is that Google is selling) can't protect someone who is not as computer savvy.

I don't think anyone is arguing that the various Apple app stores are completely safe. Apple obviously isn't going through the programs line by line and doing a full audit before publishing an app to the store. They could do better too (too many SEO apps in the store preying on people who just do a simple search). I feel it is a better environment for most users, though.

Essentially, Apple should get rid of that stupid open "safe" preference (ignoring how it is default for some stupid reason) and default new installs to only let you get apps from the app store with a preference somewhere for you to let you use apps from elsewhere. I.E. make people show they have sufficient skill to not fall prey to trojans that go after low hanging fruit.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
183 months ago
This is why the Mac App Store is good.

Ok, you have to be an idiot to install this malware, but if all the main pieces of software for the Mac were available through the Mac App Store, then there wouldn't be a worry. For now.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
andys53 Avatar
183 months ago
But

The way I see it, there are two major threats\entry points which expose a Mac to malware: Apps & Safari (or any other browser). If Apple has more control over the apps (through Mac App Store), and works MORE (a lot more actually) on Safari's security, then I think the Mac will be a more secure system.

It's already perfectly secure, users maybe aren't but you can't blame Apple for that.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justinfreid Avatar
183 months ago
The way I see it, there are two major threats\entry points which expose a Mac to malware: Apps & Safari (or any other browser). If Apple has more control over the apps (through Mac App Store), and works MORE (a lot more actually) on Safari's security, then I think the Mac will be a more secure system.

Sure, those are two of the most important vectors, but I think you also have to consider USB memory sticks and network based file sharing, especially with the addition of AirDrop in Lion, as sources of infection.
Apple seems to have chosen to maintain an ever growing blacklist to keep known malware out of OS X. That's a pretty tall order, but hopefully they can stay ahead of the game.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...