Adware Trojan for Macs Spotted in the Wild

Time and time again, we're reminded that Windows isn't the only operating system that malware writers target. It's the most popular platform for malware, sure, but it's not the only one. If you're a Mac user, don't let your guard down, and be especially leery of browsers plug-ins you run into, especially those that claim they're required to view a video. Install the wrong one and you'll end up infected with an adware Trojan.

Security researchers at Doctor Web recently discovered Trojan.Yontoo.1, which masquerades as a critical browser plug-in on malicious movie trailer pages. Users are prompted to install the plug-in to view the trailer, at which point they're redirected to another site where Trojan.Yontoo.1 is downloaded.


This particular Trojan is also known to attach itself to media players, video quality enhancement programs, and download accelerators, where it proceeds to install the malicious Yontoo plug-in to Safari, Chrome, and Firefox, the three most popular browsers among Mac OS X users. As always, be extra cautious of any third-party programs you're downloading and installing from the Internet.

If you're a Windows user, stifle those sneers. Doctor Web says that similar schemes exist for Windows PCs