Well-hidden Mac cryptomining malware found

[vtqhtr413]

Content source

https://9to5mac.com/2023/02/23/mac-cryptomining-malware/#more-866488

Cybersecurity company Jamf Threat Labs has found Mac cryptomining malware in pirate copies of Final Cut Pro. The firm says that the cryptojacking malware was particularly well hidden, and not detected by most Mac security apps. Jamf also warned that the power of Apple Silicon Macs is going to make them increasingly popular targets for cryptojacking – where malware uses your machine’s considerable processing power to mine cryptocurrencies for the benefit of attackers. As cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have grown harder and harder to mine, demanding extensive GPU resources, there have been increasing incentives for bad actors to use cryptojacking techniques. This is where they get malware onto a significant number of other people’s devices in order to mine currency for them as a background process.

At the time of our discovery, this particular sample was not being detected as malicious by any security vendors on VirusTotal. A handful of vendors seemed to have started detecting the malware since January 2023, however, some of the maliciously modified applications continue to go unidentified. The source was a well-known Pirate Bay uploader, whose cracked apps include Photoshop, Logic Pro, and Final Cut Pro. The method used to hide the malware from detection is somewhat involved – and Jamf said it was far better disguised than the first two generations. The third generation was where the malware got really sneaky.

Mac cryptomining malware found in pirate copies of Final Cut Pro

Update: Apple has now commented on the findings – see the end of the piece. Cybersecurity company Jamf Threat Labs...

9to5mac.com

 

[MuzzMelbourne]

I guess the key phrase here is "found in... pirated copies of Final Cut Pro".

The old maxim "you get what you paid for" really applies here.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

You compromise MacOS system (which is harder than Windows) with pirated software, and you install crypto mining malware?

I don't see how that's worth the cost, not sure you would make a decent amount of money beyond a $1 or $2.