| Cult of Mac

’CrescentCore’ malware attacks your Mac, evades antivirus tools

By

CrescentCore-Flash-update
Don’t install Flash Player. Not even the real one.
Photo: Intego

Security researches have discovered new malware that targets macOS users and evades popular antivirus tools.

“CrescentCore” is distributed as a DMG package that’s disguised as Adobe Flash Player. It can now be found on multiple websites — one of which is “a high-ranking Google search result,” according to Intego.

Virus briefly halts production at iPhone chip-maker TSMC

By

Apple A12 replaces A11 Bionic
TSMC, the company that manufactures all iPhone and iPad processors, including the A11, had a serious virus problem this weekend.
Photo: iFixit

A computer virus infected the fabrication tools and computers at TSMC’s factories that are likely producing Apple’s next-generation iPhone processors. 

The company is still cleaning the malware off its equipment, but expects to be finished by tomorrow.

Chrome adds Windows Defender to protect your Mac

By

Windows Defender Google Chrome
Windows Defender is now available inside Google Chrome.
Photo: Microsoft

Windows Defender, which protects Windows 10 PCs from malware, can now keep your Mac safe from inside Google Chrome.

Microsoft has turned its antivirus app into a Chrome extension that promises to detect phishing links in your emails and dodgy sites that distribute malicious software. It’s 99 percent effective, according to Microsoft, which makes Windows Defender better than rival browser protections.

Intel speeds up chips by offloading virus scans

By

Intel-Kaby-Lake
Intel will task GPUs with antivirus scanning.
Photo: Intel

Intel plans to offload virus scanning to improve the performance of its processors.

It will allow antivirus programs to use its integrated graphics chipsets when scanning for attacks, which will reduce processor and power consumption on some machines. It could mean that you’ll get more use out of your MacBook in between charges.

OSX.Bella trojan discovered installing backdoors into Macs

By

15 inch MacBook Pro Silver
It might be time to update your passwords again.
Photo: Apple

Security researchers have discovered a nasty bit of Mac malware similar to OSX.Dok trojan, which can bypass Apple’s GateKeeper feature.

The new bug, dubbed OSX.Bella, behaves and distributes itself in a completely different manner than OSX.Dok. But once installed, it executes a script that’s just as damaging.

Mac malware skyrockets 744 percent in 2016

By

Mac attacks are on the up!
Mac attacks are on the up!
Photo: Cult of Mac

Still think your Mac is immune to malware? Think again.

According to the latest Threats Report (.pdf) from McAfee Labs, the number of malware attacks on Mac skyrocketed by 744 percent in 2016. The increase was mostly as a result of adware, which isn’t too harmful — but it’s still software you don’t want lurking on your Mac.

Russian Mac malware steals passwords and iPhone backups

By

That fancy new Touch Bar could be dead already.
But there's (probably) no need to panic.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Still think your Mac is immune from viruses? Think again.

Just a week after a new strain of Mac malware was found hidden inside malicious Microsoft Word macros, security researchers have discovered sophisticated new software from Russian hackers that targets your saved passwords and iPhone backups.

Find out if you’ve been infected by sneaky new Mac malware

By

Have you been infected?
Have you been infected?
Photo: Marcin Nowak/Unsplash

Is your Mac infected by newly discovered malware that was ostensibly created by Milan-based HackingTeam in order to gain remote access to your machine?

The new virus uses some old HackingTeam code and some new tricks to hide its tracks, but it’s mostly harmless, according to researchers.

That doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea to get it off your system. Here’s how.