It is a broad misconception that Macs do not catch any viruses; the truth lies in the fact that even they can be vulnerable to virus attacks as hackers begin to focus on Apple computers.
As it has been reported by BleepingComputer, fresh in the wild variant of modular Mac malware known as XCSSET. The update has been made better in its detection evasion capability.
It is persistence in the high-end MacBook system, and tapping the reports of Apple’s tools for compromising unsuspecting users. These are dangers that Microsoft discovers on its threats intelligence social network.
They keep bumping into this new variant under limited attacks. However, it poses a risk of stealing the contents of digital wallets or cryptocurrency apps installed on the Mac and being able to read notes from the Apple Notes app.
Initially identified in 2020, XCSSET showed no major changes until the year 2022. The recent strain, however, promises no confusion to hide itself on the already infected Macs, two methods for keeping its hold on the compromised devices, and some unique infection strategies employing Apple’s Xcode.
For those who don’t know, Xcode is a set of developer tools when it comes to developing, testing, and distributing apps around Apple platforms. Developers either create projects in Xcode from scratch or use other sources’ resources for their projects.
By making enhancements to Xcode as an infection vector with XCSSET, the attackers have extended the utility of the malware as widely as possible. For instance, it could allow the malicious creation of Mac applications to be marketed through Apple’s Mac App Store.
It is not advisable to install applications that are Xcode projects on a Mac since one is most likely not a developer; for such applications, it is best to download them through the merit of reputable sources only.
