Intego discovers high threat OSX/OpinionSpy spyware application

In a press memo, Mac security specialist Intego announced the discovery of a spyware application connected by a few freely available Mac OS X applications. This application is apparently capable of activities from “scanning files to recording user activity, as well as sending information about this activity to remote servers and opening a backdoor on infected Macs.” Labeled as high risk, this malware has been existent in a different form on Windows since 2008 and is usually installed via misleading text about a “market research” program.

According to the security company, their own products, Intego VirusBarrier X5 and X6, will detect and remove anything associated with this malware. Simply deleting the application that installed the spyware won’t remove it, either, as it can continue to operate and even update itself even after the removal of the initial app.

In other words, simply be careful of what you are installing on your computer.

See:

• Preliminary List of Applications that Install OSX/OpinionSpy Spyware
• OSX/OpinionSpy Spyware Installed by Freely Distributed Mac Applications

Image via [Spazio Apple]