New MacOS Ransomware Hides in Pirated Program

New malware found on a Russian forum takes advantage of the apparently insatiable appetite for pirated software. In this case, a torrent for application firewall Little Snitch actually opens into a downloader for MacOS-based ransomware.

According to researchers at Malwarebytes, there are obvious visual indications that the file downloaded is not a legitimate Little Snitch installer. The malware presents itself as a much more primitive installer rather than the quite professional, legitimate installation tool.

But the malware seems to have difficulty installing and running, according to the researchers, who test-ran it in their lab. It finally encrypts files after three days, multiple reboots, but with some help from the researchers.

There is still much to learn about this new ransomware, including which encryption routines it is using and whether it's under active development, they note. In the meantime, they recommend maintaining a very good data backup and recovery routine as insurance against all ransomware.

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