Tsunami & DevilRobber: scary new Mac malware hits the scene

Macs have become a popular destination for malware. The typically safe and secure Apple OS now faces two new security threats – one which could affect Pirate Bay users. “Tsunami” and “DevilRobber” are two nasty trojans.

The “Tsunami” bug is aptly-named. “The name derives from one of the commands that can be sent to computers running the malicious code, to flood a target with internet traffic,” said Graham Cluley, Sophos senior technology consultant.

According to Sophos, “Tsunami” has applications for denial-of-service and remote access cyber attacks. The backdoor trojan has been tweaked to attack PowerPC and 32-bit Intel x86 Macs.

Just in time for Halloween, the “DevilRobber” spyware may frighten Mac-using Pirate Bay members. It’s spread via torrents sites, Sophos confirmed. However, it also includes a little trick: Bitcoin mining.

“[DevilRobber] tries to generate Bitcoins, the currency of the anonymous digital cash system, by stealing lots of GPU time,” explained Cluley. It also steals Bitcoins and sensitive user info such as usernames and passwords, added the security specialist.

Cluley reiterated past warnings toward Mac users. “There may be a lot less malware for Mac OS X than there is for Windows, but many Mac users are making themselves an unnecessarily soft target by imagining that they are somehow magically protected from threats,” he said.

Earlier this month, the company divulged a new variant of the Mac “Flashback” malware was making the rounds.