New Strain Of Malware Targeting Mac Users

Six months after it was discovered, a Mac malware is still causing a stir.

The recently discovered Fruitfly malware is a stealthy, but highly-invasive, malware for Macs that went undetected for years. The controller of the malware has the capability to remotely take complete control of an infected computer -- files, webcam, screen, keyboard and mouse.

But despite its recent discovery, little is known about the malware.

Apple released security patches for Fruitfly earlier this year, but variants of the malware have since emerged. The core of the malware is an obfuscated perl script using antiquated code, with indicators in the code that suggest the malware may go back almost half a decade or more, security experts say. 

Nevertheless, the malware still works well on modern versions of macOS, including Yosemite. Fruitfly connects and communicates with a command and control server, where an attacker can remotely spy on and control an infected Mac.

But what it does, and why, aren't widely known.   Questions remain over where the malware came from, and what purpose it performs.

More information on FruitFly can be found on ZDNet.