Macworld UK has learned of a dangerous malware that deletes the Home folder on a Mac. The file is cunningly disguised as a Word 2004 for Mac demo – from the forthcoming Office 2004 for Mac suite. A Macworld reader alerted the magazine to the malware after he downloaded the file from Limewire. The reader told Macworld: "I downloaded the file in the hope that perhaps Microsoft had released some sort of public beta. The file unzipped, and to my delight the Microsoft icon looked genuine and trustworthy." However, he added: "I clicked on the installer file, and to my horror in 10 seconds the attachment had wiped my entire Home folder!"
Mac malicious
Macworld has been able to acquire the file from Limewire, and has received confirmation from Internet security company Intego that its contents appear to be malicious. Intego was initially criticized for exaggerating the threat of the concept Trojan Horse identified last month.