Koobface malware jumps to OS X

The threat to OS X users is currently rated as low

The notorious Koobface social networking malware is now targeting Mac OS X systems.

Security firm Intego is reporting that variants of the malware have been targeting Mac users on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Bursting onto the malware scene in 2009, Koobface made headlines by using the popular social networking services to spread among users. Modified versions of the malware were spotted in the wild earlier this summer.

The Mac OS X version of Koobface, however, appears considerably less menacing to users and has been classified by Intego as posing a low security risk.

The company said that a typical Koobface attack on a Mac system will begin as a web-based Java Trojan. The applet is launched when clicking on a link, and users are presented with an alert box warning that the applet is requesting access to the system.

Users who run the Java applet are then infected with the Koobface malware, although what happens from there on in is currently a mystery. Further activity has not been found, and Intego believes that the malware is either poorly coded or currently inactive.

Still, the company is advising users to be vigilant and avoid suspicious links and untrusted Java applets.

"While this is an especially malicious piece of malware, the current Mac OS X
implementation is flawed, and the threat is therefore low," the company said.

"However, Mac users should be aware that this threat exists, and that it is likely to be operative in the future, so this Koobface Trojan horse may become an issue for Macs."