New Dockster Mac Trojan Appears on Dalai Lama-related Site

A new trojan horse app called Dockster is targeting Mac users by exploiting a known Java vulnerability. The trojan is apparently being delivered through a website dedicated to the Dalai Lama and once installed can collect user keystrokes and other personal information.

Dockster uses the same vulnerability Flashback took advantage of to hack into victim's Macs, and it's an exploit that has been patched through software updates dating back to OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard and Lion.

"This malware is now known to be in the wild, on a website dedicated to the Dalai Lama, and the remote address contacted by the backdoor is now active," Intego's Lysa Myers said. "This trojan is currently considered low risk as it is not known to have infected users. It has backdoor functionality, including a keylogger component that records an affected user's typing."

The website serving up the trojan isn't intending to hit Mac users with malware and may be a victim of political-related attacks against Tibetan non-government organizations, according to security company F-Secure.

Since the exploit has already been addressed, Mac users that stay current on system and security updates should be safe, but it's always a good idea to avoid websites where you aren't certain whether or not they're safe.