Although it is true that some Trojans use vulnerabilities like the current ARDAgent vulnerability to gain root access, they do not need to. The core message about Trojans is getting lost amidst all the talk about plugging this vulnerability. Even if there was not a single vulnerability in OS X we would be at the mercy of Trojans. That’s the whole point of Trojans. Any program you run can do anything you can do. Let’s think about that for a moment, what can you do on your system without needing a password? Here’s a short list for starters:
- You can run programs.
- You can read, edit, and delete files
- You can use the network
- You can set programs to auto-start each time you log in
Remember, a Trojan is just an ordinary program that pretends to do something you want, but actually does something else. It could delete all your files. It could run a key logger and phone home with your credit card number, user names and passwords, bank details etc.. It could use your machine to send spam. It can set itself to automatically run each time you log in and continue with it’s nefarious actions. It can do all this WITHOUT the need to exploit a single vulnerability in your OS or your software. If you can do it, a Trojan can. Think about that for a second, it’s not a comforting thought!
