malware directed at Mac Computers is not as that affecting PC's, but this doesn't mean that it's not existent or that it isn't as malicious as any other. For some reason, though, Mac users have come to believe that their machines are not prone to malware attacks. Some recent cases of Mac malware indicate that Mac users should take the same precautions as the users of any other operating system, as confirmed by recent discoveries like MacSpy or MacRansom, two types of malware available for purchase on the Dark Web. Another recent malware targeting Macs is causing even more stir: this FruitFly - that's its name - can sting indeed.
Barely detectable malware can take over the control of your Mac
FruitFly malware has already been detected this year by the research group "Malwarebytes," and Apple quickly released a security patch. But, as pointed out by "Synack" researcher Patrick Wardle at the recent Black Hat annual conference, the FruitFly malware has developed a new strain. It is a highly invasive malware, that serves the main purpose of spying on the Mac users, even letting the malware controller know when the user gets online or starts using the machine after it was idle for a while. Even worse, it can take control of the attacked Mac, including its webcam, mouse, and keyboard.
In the report Wardle prepared, he stated that the FruitFly malware is barely detectable to the ordinary user and can infect the computer from any source - a dodgy website, email attachment or a downloaded file.
As he reported, judging by the code it uses, it seems that the malware was around for at least a decade, but that it is adaptable to the current Mac IOS systems. What is also interesting, is the fact that most of the attacked individual users are located in the US, and it seems that, at least initially, it was directed at users at biomedical research institutions.
What is to be done
It is obvious that the FruitFly malware is not eradicated, meaning that the Mac malware, as any other, will keep multiplying. So it is evident that carefree days for Mac users are over and that they will also have to resort to more stringent security on their machines.
Still, what happens when a malware uses such stealth methods as FruitFly does?
Among other things, Wardle discovered during his research of this malware is that the malware controller can oversee as many infected Mac machines at any moment as he needs to.
One of the wise things to do would be to contact security research institutions such as "Malwarebytes" and "Synack," as they are always developing countermeasures to the malware. Wardle himself has developed a tool to combat FruitFly called "Oversight," which notifies users when somebody attempts to activate their webcam or microphone remotely.
