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Brilliant. So we better hand the world over on a silver platter and let robots to control every single aspect of our lives. :rolleyes:
Apple is already working on this. Breathe - Breathe - Breathe says the AppleWatch, and someday when it stop saying Breathe - Breathe - Breathe, their users black out.
 
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So, now I know this thing exists and I know how to check for it (/Library/LaunchAgents), but I still don't know how one actually gets this thing? Isn't that the crucial information that should be the first step? Prevention?

I've been around the internet long enough to know not to open suspicious/random email attachments, downloads, links, ... but I'd like to know whether this remains true for this one or whether there are other ways to potentially get infected.

Really not a helpful article. At all.

(But sure, keep having philosophical debates on whether Malware is a Virus or not, in the comments here... )
 
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No matter what these Mac’s are protected. Let’s be real here.

When was the last time you encountered your Mac got a virus?
Malware is not the same thing as a virus. If your Mac got infected with this Malware and you didn't know it, you could be at risk for identity theft and other online account take-overs that were not 2FA protected.
 
Is this something the T2 chip could negate?
If not, I guess I could change my security settings to download software from the App Store only.
 
There are probably many different ways being used by bad actors. I found the following.

"Victims are tricked into downloading XLoader via spoofed emails that contain malicious Microsoft Office documents."

 
macOS is much more secure but users often doesn't have a clue. Macs can install software other than App Store and you like it or not, this is the main cause of malware diffusion. Cheap users want to download movies and software without paying = they get infected.
People still download movies? I thought there's Popcorn time.
I'd like to say that one of the reasons why people download movies is also because region locks and not being able to buy the movies.
 
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There are probably many different ways being used by bad actors. I found the following.

"Victims are tricked into downloading XLoader via spoofed emails that contain malicious Microsoft Office documents."

Good thing I only use Microsoft Office on my work computer.
 
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There are probably many different ways being used by bad actors. I found the following.

"Victims are tricked into downloading XLoader via spoofed emails that contain malicious Microsoft Office documents."

This is pretty clueless from that article:

For more technical details to assist in detection and removal, Check Point recommended using the AutoRun feature of Windows Explorer to:

  1. Check your username in the OS.
  2. Go to /Users/[username]/Library/LaunchAgents directory.
  3. Check for suspicious filenames in this directory (they gave this random name as an example: /Users/user/Library/LaunchAgents/com.wznlVRt83Jsd.HPyT0b4Hwxh.plist).
  4. Remove the suspicious file.

I'm not sure if it is Check Point that doesn't know anything about macOS or ThreatPost. Either way the bolded quote is particularly windows centric that most Mac users won't be able to decipher. Luckily they actually gives steps to check.

Anyone caught by this is pretty unsophisticated. I'm not saying it isn't a problem but this isn't something that will catch most experienced Mac users. I'd love a demonstration of how many dialogs the clueless user has to accept before this trojan will install.
 
For $49 bucks a month, that’s cheaper than what Adobe takes from me. And the program is probably less buggy.
 
XProtect is called anti-virus by Apple.

99A48DB2-C966-4D22-8A83-1B3432CD184B.jpeg


Sometimes, I don’t understand this forum. What is the value of that debate?

//

I wonder what protections it’s evading quite easily. $49 is quite cheap.
 
Well how does one become infected with malware like this in the first place?

  1. You pirated software
  2. You installed shareware from disreputable places
  3. You pirated software
  4. You fell victim to phishing emails or text messages
  5. You pirated software
  6. A rogue advertisement convinced you to install some fake cleaner or antivirus app
  7. You pirated software
  8. You installed a weird game you downloaded from a weird website
  9. You pirated software
  10. You don't run an adblocker
Most of the malware out there is adware that hijacks your browser home page and search and delivers pop-ups, etc. Some install background digital currency miners. Others steal passwords and hack your bank accounts, etc. The really dangerous stuff would most likely be blocked by macOS security measures providing you've been updating macOS all along. Considerable numbers of Mac users either do not update or refuse to buy a new Mac when their old one has become obsolete. I just spoke with someone who had a 13 year old iMac. Very vulnerable to attacks.

I am not so sure I buy all the hype on XLoader. it apparently steals passwords from "from web browsers and some email clients (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Edge, IE, Outlook,Thunderbird, Foxmail)". No mention of the keychain or Safari or 1Password or the like. I would need to see the professional analysis by Check Point Software to know more.

Most of this stuff doesn't use an exploit it relies on the user granting it permissions to install and run.

The worst stuff is nation-state such as that Messages attack that an Israeli security firm developed and only sells to governments. This is an active ZeroDay that Apple has yet to discover and patch. All they have to do is text message an iOS/iPadOS/macOS and they own your device. But mostly those targeted are activists and journalists, etc.
 
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If you can get infected just by visiting a website, that can be hard to control. It doesn't happen often, but every now and then I make a typo while typing in a URL and end up at the wrong place.
These days, it’s quite hard to be infected by just visiting a website. Even those PWN contests have to lower the requirements or no one would win :)
 
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