Free Privileged Account Discovery Tool: Identify & secure credentials to stop lateral movement. Download Free

BeyondTrust
  • Products
    Privileged Password Management
    Discover, manage, audit, and monitor privileged accounts
    Password Safe DevOps Secrets Safe
    Endpoint Privilege Management
    Manage privileges on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix endpoints
    Windows and Mac Unix and Linux Active Directory Bridge
    Secure Remote Access
    Centrally manage and secure remote access for service desks and vendors
    Remote Support Privileged Remote Access
    BeyondInsight Analytics
    See All Solutions
  • Resources

    Universal Privilege Management

    Our innovative Universal Privilege Management approach secures every user, asset, and session across your entire enterprise.

    Watch Video

    Learn

    Case Studies
    Competitor Comparisons
    Datasheets
    Glossary
    Product Demos
    Whitepapers

    Attend

    Events
    Go Beyond
    Training
    Webinars

    Support

    Changelog
    Professional Services
    Technical Documentation
  • Blog
  • Partners
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Services
  • Training
  • Events
  • Company

Mac users targeted in first ransomware attack

March 7, 2016

  • Blog
  • Archive

On Sunday researchers discovered what is believed to be the world’s first ransomware that specifically targets OS X machines.

The KeRanger malware, which imposes a 72-hour lockout window unless the victim pays 1 bitcoin (approximately $410), appears to have been first discovered via a rogue version of Transmission, a popular BitTorrent client.

James Maude, Senior Security Engineer at Avecto commented:

"Ransomware has rapidly become one of the biggest cyber threats around. From early strains of CryptoLocker to the latest Locky variants it has become big business for cyber criminals. As with any successful business they are constantly looking to expand by targeting websites, mobile devices and now Apple Macs.

"This represents an interesting twist in the tale of Mac malware as previously many strains first appeared hidden in pirated software on torrent sites. In this case the attackers seems to have targeted the torrent client itself rather than the downloads. As with most Mac malware this strain is exploiting the fact that users routinely login with privileged admin accounts and are free to download and install software from unknown sources. In this case the Gatekeeper check was bypassed using a genuine developer certificate, but as researcher Patrick Wardle has previously demonstrated there are plenty of ways an attacker can bypass Apple’s built-in security boundaries.

"In the enterprise this problem is often magnified by the fact OS X users are logging on to devices with full admin accounts. KeRanger exploits the fact that the user has an admin account to install itself into the system library folder and infect the OS. On the Windows platform provisioning all your users with admin account is unthinkable, but when it comes to Macs organisations often 'think different'.

"Macs in the enterprise are increasingly becoming the weak link in security that attackers are all too happy to exploit. We are seeing an increasing number of malware strains and attacks targeting Mac users who are often left almost unprotected. Our advice is to follow the same best practice on all your devices no matter what the operating system is: patching, least privilege and allow listing applications."

Kevin Franks, Marketing Communications Manager

Stay Up To Date

Get the latest news, ideas, and tactics from BeyondTrust. You may unsubscribe at any time.

I agree to receive product related communications from BeyondTrust as detailed in the Privacy Policy, and I may manage my preferences or withdraw my consent at any time.

You May Also Be Interested In:

Webcasts

Rising CISOs: Ransomware, Cyber Extortion, Cloud Compromise, oh my!

Whitepapers

A Zero Trust Approach to Windows & Mac Endpoint Security

Whitepapers

Mapping BeyondTrust Solutions to the Qatar National Information Assurance Policy v2.0

BeyondTrust Logo
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Keep up with BeyondTrust

I agree to receive product related communications from BeyondTrust as detailed in the Privacy Policy, and I may manage my preferences or withdraw my consent at any time.

Customer Support
Contact Sales

Products

  • Endpoint Privilege Management
  • Password Management
  • Privileged Remote Access
  • DevOps Secrets Safe
  • Remote Support

Resources

  • Blog
  • Case Studies
  • Competitor Comparisons
  • Datasheets
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Webcasts
  • Whitepapers

About

  • Company
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Leadership Team
  • Partner Program
  • Press

Languages

  • English
  • German
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Japanese
  • Privacy
  • Security
  • Manage Cookies
  • WEEE Compliance

Copyright © 1999 — 2020 BeyondTrust Corporation. All rights reserved. Other trademarks identified on this page are owned by their respective owners. BeyondTrust Corporation is not a chartered bank or trust company, or depository institution. It is not authorized to accept deposits or trust accounts and is not licensed or regulated by any state or federal banking authority.