Security experts warn of Mac OS X Trojan

Security experts have warned that malware which exploits a flaw in the Mac OS X operating system has been spotted in the wild. Apple released a patch to fix the flaw just a few days ago.

However, exploit code for the vulnerability has been posted on security websites, prompting the creation of the malware.

Antivirus firm Symantec said that OSX.Exploit.Launchd is a Trojan horse that exploits the Apple Mac OS X LaunchD Local Format String Vulnerability.

It can provide root access on the Macintosh OSX version 10.4.6 or earlier.

The virus does nothing other than open a shell with full root privileges which is controllable by the attacker. Alternatively, a successful attack may crash the application.

Symantec said that the actual threat level, damage potential and distribution rate are low all round.

A description of the vulnerability can be found here.

Symantec's assessment and instructions for removal of the malware can be found here.

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mac os x security trojan