BleepingComputer.com: Mac spyware found bundled with certain programs

Intego, a security software company for Macs, have discovered that certain mac programs are being bundled with a spyware called OSX/OpinionSpy. This spyware will use social engineering to acquire the admin password and then install a backdoor that transmits encrypted information that contains private data.

Their threat risk article, linked to below, states:

"Intego has discovered a spyware application that is installed by a number of freely distributed Mac applications and screen savers found on a variety of websites. This spyware, OSX/OpinionSpy, performs a number of malicious actions, from scanning files to recording user activity, as well as sending information about this activity to remote servers and opening a backdoor on infected Macs."

so mac os is not invincible after all

thegodgen, on Jun 4 2010, 06:30 PM, said:

It never was and never will be invinsible it is just that there is not enough people that own a mac to make it worth it to develop malware for it.

This is not an exploit.... it's spyware. It just snoops on the user and sends the data back. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it doesn't mean Macs are any less/more vulnerable than they used to be. You're comparing apples and oranges. The spyware requires root access and asks for the admin password. It's not like it exploits some flaw in the machine.... it exploits a flaw in the users (the one where they'll give admin access to anything that asks).

That is another reason I don't download screen savers. Even with good security you can still get something bad because you told your security system it's okay let the download happen. What ever O/S you have.