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Fresh Mac Malware Utilizes GPU, Monitors User Activity

According to security researchers from Sophos the security company, one fresh malicious program, which attacks Apple Mac OS PCs, is circulating in the wild as it utilizes systems' GPU i.e. Graphics Processing Unit for harvesting Bitcoins, the digital currency, as well as monitors users' activity.

The researchers, reportedly stated that the malicious program called DevilRobber (or OSX/Miner-D) had replicas of GraphicConverter ver.7.4, software that edited Mac OS X images and was also uploaded onto file-sharing networks such as torrent sites.

Explaining further, Sophos said that when any user's Mac PC had a malware infection, its performance actually slowed down. The reason being, OSX/Miner-D attempted at churning Bitcoins via capturing plentiful GPU time. Also, when mathematical calculations were conducted, so necessary for harvesting Bitcoins, GPUs proved superior to ordinary CPUs. Hence in conclusion, the current Mac malware was capturing both data and computing time, the security company noted.

Meanwhile, the malware, alongside mining Bitcoins, intercepted the end-user's activity via capturing his screen images as well as usernames and passwords.

Moreover, DevilRobber as well executed a script, which copied and pasted info onto a file named dump.txt, the software company outlined.

Additionally, the malware searched files, which corresponded to "pthc" although according to Sophos, it wasn't right now evident whether it hunted child exploitation content.

Basically, "Pthc" was occasionally utilized online in reference to hardcore porn of pre-teenagers.

The company stated that certainly, GraphicConverter generators hadn't made any mistake themselves - they fell prey to cyber-criminals who utilized own widely-used software for ensnaring Mac users with infection when the latter accessed unauthorized sources for downloading applications. Gmanews.tv published this on October 3, 2011.

Furthermore, according to Sophos, other software probably too had been spread through malware-contaminated torrent websites, alternatively that more techniques would be employed for disseminating the cyber-crooks' Trojan.

Senior Technology Consultant Graham Cluley at Sophos stated that it was natural that Mac users required exercising safe computing as also solely taking down software from authorized Internet sites. However, it was also getting more lucid, week after week that Mac operators required running anti-virus programs with increased seriousness. Softpedia.com published this on October 29, 2011.

Related article: Fark.com Files Suit against Suspected Hacker from Fox13

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