Watch out for MacStealer and AMOS, cautions Malwarebytes. Relying solely on Mac devices for security against cyber threats may not be effective in 2024, according to new research.
Malwarebytes’ recent report indicates a surge in threats targeting Apple’s Mac devices, emphasizing the need for users to exercise caution while navigating the internet, regardless of their device.
The notion that “Macs are safe” or “Macs are immune to malware” is no longer valid. Criminals are increasingly targeting the Mac platform due to its growing popularity, orchestrating attacks that affect both Mac and Windows users simultaneously, notes Malwarebytes.
MacStealer, highlighted in the company’s 2024 State of Malware report, is an emerging infostealer designed to target Mac users. It is adept at pilfering sensitive information such as cookies, passwords, and credit card data from popular browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome, and Brave. Additionally, MacStealer can extract various file types and access the KeyChain database. There are indications that its developers are also working on expanding its capabilities to include data from the Safari browser and the Notes app.
The report also raises concerns about a campaign identified in September 2023 that distributed the Atomic Stealer (also known as AMOS) to Mac users through malicious advertisements. Similar to MacStealer, AMOS can harvest passwords from browsers and the Apple KeyChain, as well as steal various files and cryptocurrency.
Malware accounted for 11% of all threat detections on Macs last year. Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) and ads constituted the largest category, representing 30% of all threat detections. Notable mentions among these were Adware.OperatorMac (13%), OSX.Genieo (11%), and OSX.Vsearch (11%).