Malware infects Mac computers with M1 processors
Two different versions of the malware have been reprogrammed specifically for the M1 Mac. The new processor has been around for only a few months.
After many app developers for Mac adapted their apps for Apple Silicon, malware programmers have now fallen into the funnel.
Mac security researcher Patrick Wardle has released information about a Safari adware extension called GoSearch22 that has been rewritten on M1 processors. It is a Mac adware program that displays ads that are not from the websites you visit.
Security company Red Canary has the opposite Wired They announced that they have detected an original M1 malware that is not identical to GoSearch22.
Adware, disguised as a Safari extension, takes advantage of the goodwill of users who want to expand their browser. They often don’t notice that the extension is showing them ads or redirecting them to malicious websites. Apple’s security measures also don’t help, after all, to install the app and grant it the required rights voluntarily. The only annoying thing is that the second security mechanism also didn’t work – the app was signed with the developer ID.
Then there are virus scanners. Very few Mac users will install it because the motto is still spread that the Mac is immune. This is of course untrue. However, Virustotal hadn’t yet recognized the new variant of the malware, as Wardle had to admit. Hopefully it will change soon.
Do you have a virus scanner on Mac or not. What are the reasons for your decision?
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