MacOS error allowed malware to pass through the security system

Mac computers have been found to have the “most serious” vulnerability that hackers have used to break into PCs. According to the researchers, this error allowed the malware to remain unnoticed by Apple”s security tools. At the moment, Cupertino”s have already released a patch that fixes the vulnerability, but experts warn that this does not mean complete security for the device.

Security researcher Cedric Owens and the head of the cybersecurity company Jamf Protect Jaron Bradley discovered a vulnerability in the operating system for Mac computers, according to the portal The Vice.

According to experts, hackers used this bug to attack using the malware Slayer, which allows you to gain full control of the victim”s computer, bypassing Apple”s protection tools on macOS, such as Gatekeeper and File Quarantine.

These mechanisms are designed to block files downloaded by the user from the Internet and not checked by Apple for malware.

In their technical analysis, the Jamf researchers said that Slayer was spread by” poisoning ” search engines — a method by which hackers spread their malware faster by promoting a link to a website with the program in the first search lines.

Owens explained that the error was in the “systolic” system, which evaluates applications before launching them. The hacker could disguise the malware and force Gatekeeper not to check it when the user opens the file.

“This is the worst and potentially most serious vulnerability for macOS users, given that it bypasses Gatekeeper… and all the user will need to do is open the file, ” said Patrick Wardle, an independent researcher specializing in macOS.

Researchers reported the bug to Apple on March 25, 2021, and this week the company released a patch in the latest version of macOS Big Sur 11.3 that fixed it. All Mac owners are advised to urgently update their software to the latest version.