17K Macs infected with botnet malware controlled via Reddit

A group of Russian security researchers has discovered a new malware threat to the Apple Mac OS X that has affected thousands of Macs around the world. Hackers can issue commands to allow this malicious software to gather user data and perform various other system actions on the infected machines.

The machines appear to be infected with malware known as Mac.BackDoor.iWorm. Although the researchers didn’t identify how the bug’s being spread, they did acknowledge that the infected systems receive information from an unconventional portal: Reddit.

Through Reddit’s search function, the infected machines look for specific comments on the site that contain a list of botnet command-and-control servers and ports. The bots then pick a random server to query and through a “special routine,” try and connect the compromised machine to the server.

The researchers said that the majority of infected machines, 26.1 percent, are located in the U.S.

Agencies/Canadajournal