Computer pranks that simulate Trojan infections are invading the Web

Computer pranks that simulate Trojan infections are invading the Web: As Halloween approaches,
applications, fake websites, spam and Trojans all put on a disguise to try to trick users. PandaLabs has been
detecting attacks like these since August. However, these have intensified over the last few days and we are
seeing old specimens ‘coming to live’, new strains and fake applications that only attempt to scare users a little
bit. Even though computer pranks are nothing new, they get massively distributed in the days leading up to
Halloween in order to terrorize users. These applications are actually harmless, as they really do not contain
any malware or Trojans. [Date: 27 October 2010; Source: http://www.net-
security.org/malware_news.php?id=1508]

Boonana Trojan for Mac OS X spreads via social media

Boonana Trojan for Mac OS X spreads via social media: SecureMac has discovered a new Trojan horse in
the wild that affects Mac OS X, including Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6). The Trojan horse, Trojan.osx.boonana.a,
is spreading through social networking sites, including Facebook, disguised as a video. ... When a user clicks
the infected link, the Trojan initially runs as a Java applet, which downloads other files to the computer,
including an installer, which launches automatically. When run, the installer modifies system files to bypass
the need for passwords, allowing outside access to all files on the system. Additionally, the Trojan sets itself to
run invisibly in the background at startup, and periodically checks in with command and control servers to
report information on the infected system. While running, the Trojan horse hijacks user accounts to spread
itself further via spam messages. Users have reported the Trojan is spreading through e-mail as well as social
media sites. [Date: 27 October 2010; Source: http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=1509]