Security researchers Red Canary discovered a new malware that infected 40,000 Mac computers.
Mac computers have a reputation for being safer than Windows PCs, and they are less likely to be targeted. But that may be because there are just a lot fewer users.
While the folks at Malwarebytes detected this malware on tens of thousands of computers, no one is sure yet exactly how it got there. However, since it’s part of a package labeled updater, it probably was attached to a fake update.
Experts aren’t even sure yet what the malware is intended to do. So far, it just sits on the Mac and waits for commands.
Security researcher Tony Lambert says that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t worry about the malware. Though we haven’t observed Silver Sparrow delivering additional malicious payloads yet, its forward-looking M1 chip compatibility, global reach, relatively high infection rate, and operational maturity suggest Silver Sparrow is a reasonably serious threat, uniquely positioned to deliver a potentially impactful payload at a moment’s notice.”
Malwarebytes says it’s the first known malware to target Apple’s new M1 chip. They’ve detected Sparrow in 163 countries, though the majority of infections are in U.S., UK, Canada, and France.
Fortunately, Malwarebytes can detect that particular piece of malware. Both free and paid versions of the program work with your Mac.
You can download the free version by following this link: https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac-download/