Mac malware was the secret key behind an Ohio man’s 13-year spree of creating child pornography, according to inditement filed by the US Department of Justice.
By using the Mac malware known as Fruitfly, 28-year-old Phillip Durachinsky allegedly produced child pornography after tapping into his victim’s webcams and other personal information completely without them knowing.
According to the charges in the DoJ’s filing, Durachinsky would watch people in secret while taking detailed notes of their activities. For certain victims, Durachinsky would have FruitFly notify him when a victim was searching for pornography.
“For more than 13 years, Phillip Durachinsky allegedly infected with malware the computers of thousands of Americans and stole their most personal data and communications,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan.
FruitFly worked on macOS and wormed its way onto computers across the country, from home PCs to computers at the U.S. Department of Energy. Thousands of Macs were infected and a Windows version was developed as well.
The software was particularly notable because it’s able to work on Macs. Apple’s platform is known for being less vulnerable to vulnerable, but the case shows the dangers users still face.
Details on the child pornography charges are scant. The DoJ notes that between October 2011 and January 2017, Durachinsky “did use a minor and minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct.”
Via: Forbes
