Yesterday, we noted that the attackers behind the "Mac Defender" malware had moved quickly to combat Apple's new security update, within hours releasing a new variant of the malware that was capable of skirting around Apple's new protection.
Xprotect.plist before (left) and after (right) latest update to address new Mac Defender variant
Fortunately for users, Apple has moved almost as quickly as the attackers, quashing any potential fears that the company might be slow to respond to each new threat that appears. As reported by Italian site Spider-Mac [Google translation], Apple has already issued an update to detect the new variant, pushing out a new entry for "OSX.MacDefender.C" to the Xprotect.plist file that contains the signatures for identifying malware.
After the update, users are indeed presented with a warning if they begin to download the latest variant:
As part of the security update earlier this week, Apple included a system to automatically update the Xprotect.plist anti-malware definitions every 24 hours, giving the company the ability to quickly push out new protection for Mac OS X Snow Leopard users. While this is unlikely to be the end of the Mac Defender attackers' efforts, it does appear that Apple is committed to responding and issuing updates to its users as quickly as the attackers can churn out new variants.
Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface.
The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas.
Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial
The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging."
Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs.
We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else.
iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...
The writers of this malware love to see Apple jumping through the hoops they make. This will on,y get worse with 10.7, as per Apples history, new OSes are filled with bugs and exploitable flaws.
You mean like windows where the general advice it not to install it until SP1 is released?
But if Apple stays only one step behind and closes the holes within 24 hours each time, the attackers will soon learn that there isn't that much to be gained by the effort. They'll have to try another approach.
You know, this relatively benign malware is, on balance, a good thing. This will educate Mac users not to click OK on software they did not choose to install. So that when something really serious shows up, they will know better thanks to this mild version that is merely annoying.
The writers of this malware love to see Apple jumping through the hoops they make. This will on,y get worse with 10.7, as per Apples history, new OSes are filled with bugs and exploitable flaws.
Completely irrelevant. MacDefender doesn't take advantage of any flaw or bug in OS X. The only flaw in play here is people's gullibility.
I wouldn't be surprised if the entire thing weren't stage-managed by Apple to give them an argument in favour of a move to an iOS-style Mac App Store-only software model. (Jailbreak your Mac, anyone?)
Here we go again - people running out of real arguments against apple clinging to stupid claims like this ....
This doesn't bode well for Lion's release. Even if these threats don't indicate a material problem with OS X, the fact that Apple has been baited into an arms war makes OS X look less secure.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
