Beware fake Snow Leopard sites

Security firm Trend Micro warns of Web sites that purport to offer free copies of the forthcoming new Mac OS but instead deliver malware.

Elinor Mills Former Staff Writer

Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service and the Associated Press.

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Elinor Mills

Aug. 28, 2009 4:48 p.m. PT

People eager to get a copy of the latest version of the Mac operating system, Snow Leopard, should be wary of sites offering free copies because they are likely to get some nasty malware instead, according to antivirus company Trend Micro.

Trend Micro said in a blog posting on Wednesday that it had discovered several fake Snow Leopard download sites that serve up a DNS (domain name system) changer Trojan dubbed OSX_JAHLAV.K instead.

The Trojan alters the DNS configuration and includes two additional IP addresses in its DSN server, the blog states. Users can then be redirected to phishing sites, some of which are reportedly hosting rogue antivirus software called FAKEAV, Trend Micro said.

Snow Leopard is due to be released to the public on Friday. (See CNET review.) Mac users should get Snow Leopard directly from Apple, Trend Micro said.