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New OSX parasitic virus found

Symantec report proof-of-concept file infector for Mac.

Analysts at Symantec have received samples of a proof-of-concept file infector for the Apple Mac OSX platform. The virus, dubbed 'OSX/Macarena' after the mid-nineties chart hit and dance craze, is capable of infecting any files executed once it is running - as long as they are in the same directory as the original viral file. The parasite has no payload other than replication.

This new finding is unlikely to put an end to the long-running debate over Mac security, recently stirred up by the the iPod virus issue and the resulting war of words between Apple and Microsoft,' said John Hawes, Technical Consultant at Virus Bulletin. 'With its fairly limited capabilities, Symantec have classed the finding as very low risk, but Mac users should hopefully be reminded that they aren't invulnernable to malware, and should take the usual precautions.

Symantec's analysis of the virus is here, and a blog entry from Peter Ferrie on the findings is here.

Go to Symantec website.

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