New Adware Trojan Targets Mac OS X Computers

AdwareA new Mac OS X Trojan is making the rounds, installing an adware plug-in that renders ads on Web pages to generate revenue for its author. Dubbed Trojan.Yontoo.1, it is the most prominent of an increasing number of adware Trojans making the rounds, according to Russian antivirus company Dr. Web, the same company that discovered the Flashback virus last year. “Criminals profit from affiliate ad network programs, and their interest in users of Apple-compatible computers grows day by day,” Dr. Web said yesterday in a statement. “Recently discovered, Trojan.Yontoo.1 can serve as a striking example of such software.” The Trojan has a number of avenues for installation, perhaps the most interesting of which is a series of specially crafted movie trailers that include a dialog box that imitates a common prompt for plug-in installation. Once the “install plug-in” button is clicked, victims are redirected to a site where the Trojan is downloaded.

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Author:

Shelly Palmer

Shelly Palmer is Fox 5 New York's On-air Tech Expert (WNYW-TV) and the host of Fox Television's monthly show Shelly Palmer Digital Living. He also hosts United Stations Radio Network's, Shelly Palmer Digital Living Daily, a daily syndicated radio report that features insightful commentary and a unique insiders take on the biggest stories in technology, media, and entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group, LLC an industry-leading advisory and business development firm and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards).