With all the hacking going on in cyberspace, we consumers would like to think that our files our safe in our computers because they are password protected.  But since Apple’s release of their Mac OS X Lion, others have been outing glitches and vulnerabilities in the updated OS.

Mac users are now facing attacks from viruses, changing the tune of a group that used to brag that their “immunity” to virus attacks is what elevates them above PC users.  Some of these viruses are the Mac Defender, the malware Olyx backdoor that resembles GhostNet, first seen in 2009, which targeted older versions of Windows. The new version, however, contains a malicious executable file which is decidedly Mac-focused. It also includes a signed digital certificate to help it evade defenses.

The application disguises itself as a Google application support file, then remains dormant until the infected user logs in. At that point, “the backdoor initiates a remote connection request to IP address 121.254.173.57, where it continues to make attempts until established,” said Meths Ferrer at the Microsoft Malware Protection Center.

Then, once the malware connects, “the remote attacker may take advantage of the backdoor file management feature which allows it to upload, download, and navigate through files and [directories].” But he said the valid digital certificate used by Olyx has now been revoked, which should neuter the attack.

It seems as though malware designers are focused on bringing Apple to its knees.  Apple’s ‘virus-free’ mantra seemed to have ticked-off virus makers, as they are now upgrading their viruses to solely attack Macs.  Apple’s likely to address these issues, but others are already taking advantage of the situation.

Passware Inc., a provider of password recovery, decryption, and electronic evidence discovery software, announces that Passware Kit Forensic v11 – a new version of its flagship product – recovers Mac OS user login passwords from computer memory in a matter of minutes.

Passware President Dmitry Sumin notes, “Long touted as a stable and secure operating system, Mac users are cautioned that the newest operating system has a potential vulnerability that enables password extraction from devices running Mac OS Lion.”

Passware Kit is the first commercial software that recovers login passwords for Mac OS users in a matter of minutes. It supports all modern versions of Mac OS, including 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and 10.7 (Lion), the latest version. The software acquires the target computer memory image over FireWire, and then scans it and extracts login passwords for the given system.