MACs Are Now Vulnerable to More Viruses

Macs are not immune to viruses, they just haven’t been the target of widespread attacks due to their low market share — Macs account for just 10% of the global computer market, according to Computerworld. But that’s changing, as evidenced by the viruses described in this Norton Antivirus article.

The latest, and potentially deadliest, Mac Malware goes by the name Tarmac.

What Is Tarmac and What Does it Do?

Tarmac is a Trojan virus that’s also referred to as OSX/Tarmac. It’s activated by infected ads that distribute the OSX/Shlayer.D malware to your Mac. This malware launches a fake Adobe Flash executable disguised as an update/installation program.

Once downloaded, Tarmac may be used by its creators to install and execute other malware. Here’s how it currently manifests:

1. Tarmac is contracted when you click on a malicious online ad (current distribution method).
2. A fake Adobe Flash Player installer is displayed.
3. The malware makes repeated attempts to get you to give up the administrator password for your machine.
4. If you give up your administrator’s password, the virus can access your macOS operating system without you physically entering the password.

The goal of the cybercriminals behind Tarmac is murky at best. Some security researchers believe that Tarmac is currently collecting data and testing the capability of the virus. ZDNet recently reported that viruses installed on test machines weren’t communicating with its command-and-control servers. Others report that the Tarmac trojan is spyware coded to steal passwords and pass them on to a remote server.