Identify Malware & Viruses in your Mac by name
When the media reports about new malware and virus attacks, it is common for macOS users to think they are immune. For years, it has been assumed that Macs do not get infected with malware or viruses.
We’ve posted an article explaining some of the most common signs that can tell your device may be infected. Read our previous post.
Can Macs get viruses? Yes, with the growing popularity of Macs and the advanced sophistication of malware, there are more and more documented cases of attacks against Apple computers. What’s more, it is reported that malware for Mac is on the rise in recent years. While a PC is much more likely to fall victim to malware or viruses, MacBooks are not invulnerable.
Apple systems can be infected by viruses in the same way as Windows computers. Basically, a computer virus is a piece of code that harms your computer by damaging files, destroying data and creating chaos without your permission. What differentiates viruses is that they self-replicate, that is, they create copies of themselves in files, computers and data channels, all inadvertently. In fact, viruses are not the biggest problem; now, digital dangers come from various forms of malware (spyware, adware, Trojans, etc.) that can infiltrate Apple devices. However, not because there is malware that can infect the Macs, your computer will automatically become a victim. The proliferation of Mac-specific malware has also caused an increase in antivirus tools for Mac, and there has never been a better time to get one.
At Goinsta Repairs We truly care about our customers and consider them part of our family.
In an effort to help you identify and unmask any sort of potential threat that can harm your Apple computer, We are sharing this updated list of the most common malware and viruses and a brief explanation of what they are capable of doing.
To have a better understanding, We advise you to first learn the difference between Malware and Viruses.
The MacStealer malware can steal passwords, cookies, and financial information from Firefox, Google Chrome, and Brave browsers, including being able to extract the KeyChain database which stores your passwords.
Macs running macOS Catalina or later, with either Intel or Apple M-series chips.
Crypto-mining is linked to cracked or pirated software of Final Cut Pro that are downloaded from unauthorized vendors on the internet.
XMRig is actually a genuine, open-source utility, but used maliciously it ruins macOS, running in the background mining and resulting on a negative impact on your Mac’s performance. Mined cryptocurrency is sent to the attacker’s wallet and it bypasses the Activity monitor, so you will not see it there.
It stops the regular operation of the Activity Monitor when launched and relaunches when the user quits Activity Monitor. Apple says it has updated macOS’s Xprotect to catch this malware.
Provides a backdoor onto the target system. Targeting a vulnerability in a 3rd party Unix tool.
Malware disguised as job postings.
VPN app with two malicious binaries: ‘software updated’ and ‘covid’.
Spyware downloader that uses public cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Yandex Disk and iCloud.
Supply chain attack with screen capture, keylogging, and remote file retrieval.
Hoping that users might mistype and download the malware instead of legitimate pykafka.
Distributed via a Disk Image masquerading as a collection of Bitget Apps.
Distributed as a CorelDraw file that was hosted on a Google Drive.
Included code for searching and writing files, dumping the keychain, running a remote desktop and more.
Chrome browser extension that could steal information, hijack the search engine queries, and serve adware.
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