Hong Kong: Activists’ Macs infected with complex malware

Mac users beware. Apple’s own browser “Safari” seems to be at great risk. If you use the program to surf the World Wide Web, you should definitely watch out for a malware called “DazzleSpy”. It can not only take over your Mac remotely. On top of that, data theft is said to be possible.

Problem occurred in Hong Kong

The pest has come to the attention of Hong Kong. The activists fighting for independence from China there have apparently fallen victim to the so-called “DazzleSpy”. Interestingly, the malware discovered by IT security experts from Google is said to be a customized malware for macOS. This is a rather rare phenomenon in the field of computer viruses. After all, it is usually the case that viruses on Apple’s operating system have a corresponding Windows counterpart as their model. Consequently, Macs seem to be specifically targeted. The most dangerous feature of the Mac virus is the way it is caught. According to experts, it is already enough to access an affected page using Safari.

Who is behind it?

It is quite striking that such a complex malware was used by activists in Hong Kong, of all places. It was not only extremely “easy” to catch the virus. Once it has arrived on the Mac, it can also cause a lot of damage. For example, the extensive spyware features ensure that the most sensitive personal data of the respective user can be collected. On top of that, remote control can also be used to start Mac functions such as the microphone unnoticed. So, there must be real professionals behind this, who usually charge high prices. It is therefore hardly surprising that ESET’s security experts suspect that the client is most likely a state. In view of the still ongoing protests in Hong Kong, China is probably the most obvious actor in this regard.

Danger recognized and averted

Fortunately, it has since been possible to contain the major security problem that emanated from DazzleSpy. While filling the security hole, the scope of the malware has only comprehensively come to light. Thus, DazzleSpy was able to gain admin rights and thus read out the entire computer. We are curious when and if it will be found out which masterminds are behind the perfidious cyberattack.