News: Researchers Discover Malware That Targets Apple Mac Computers and Cryptocurrency Exchanges

[Arcadia]

From Fortune http://fortune.com/2019/01/31/apple-malware-cryptocurrency-exchanges/

“

Cybersecurity researchers from Palo Alto Networks published research on Thursday detailing the security firm’s discovery of new malware that affects Apple’s Mac OS, or operating system. The malware, dubbed CookieMiner, appears to be a variant of the similar OSX.DarthMiner malware that security firm Malwarebytes discovered in December that also targets Apple personal computers, said Jen Miller-Osborn, a deputy director of threat intelligence at Palo Alto Networks and its Unit 42 research team.

Like the older malware, the CookieMiner malware can modify computers so that they covertly install software for the purpose of cryptocurrency mining, in which computers perform online calculations to assist in authenticating cryptocurriency transactions; doing so also generates digital tokens for the user as a reward. In this case, the CookieMiner malware will cause computers to “mine Koto, a lesser-known cryptocurrency that is associated with Japan,” the report said.

What’s different is that the newer CookieMiner lets hackers steal people’s digital cookies in both Apple Safari and GoogleChrome browsers. Cryptocurrency exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, and Bitstamp use cookies to temporarily track users who visit the sites.

Additionally, the malware can steal a person’s saved usernames, passwords, and financial information if that data is saved on the Chrome browser, but not the Safari browser (the researchers didn’t examine Firefox or Microsoft’s Edge browser). Miller-Osborn suspects that hackers developed CookieMiner to do more damage on Google Chrome than Safari because of Chrome’s popularity.

With access to so much user data plus the cryptocurrency-related digital cookies, hackers could sneak into people’s cryptocurrency exchange accounts to withdraw money, a process that the research report said “may be a more efficient way to generate profits than outright cryptocurrency mining.”

Unfortunately, Miller-Osborn said it’s unclear which shady apps are infected with the CookieMiner malware. Palo Alto Networks only knows that it exists, and the firm contacted various cryptocurrency exchanges, along with Apple and Google, about the issue, which she said supported the firm publishing its research.”

 

 

[mumto2]

Thanks for the link.  I think I might understand a bit better now.  I listened to my son “lecture” on this hot topic in the cyber world over the weekend. 😂 He was making sure his sister who is a few classes behind him in her cybersecurity degree understood the full extent .........she certainly does now!   Yes, this has become my family’s dinner table talk! 

[Lanny]

The iPhones have an interesting "feature" now.  I believe this applies to Face Time or Group Face Time or whatever it is called. (We are on Android, but I have read about this)

If someone calls another Face Time  user and they do not answer, the person who calls can listen to their Audio. Also, possibly control some other features of their phone?

Really really really horrible.  You can Google that, if you have not already read about it.  

[Arcadia]

4 minutes ago, Lanny said:

The iPhones have an interesting "feature" now.  I believe this applies to Face Time or Group Face Time or whatever it is called. (We are on Android, but I have read about this)

 

 

[Pen]

Some one needs to report the post above mine , I believe .  I can’t do so.

 

however, I’m glad it bumped this thread back up.  I am trying to understand the implications of the OP.  

Have these CookieMiner things been dealt with , patched, or whatever?  If not, what action should one take to protect oneself?

[Arcadia]

10 minutes ago, Pen said:

Some one needs to report the post above mine , I believe .  I can’t do so.

Have these CookieMiner things been dealt with , patched, or whatever?  If not, what action should one take to protect oneself?

 

The new user post has been reported. I have to click on the flag icon on top right corner.

I can’t find a bug fix report/article for CookieMiner from Apple or Google. The suggested recommendations from the researchers who found the malware were to clear web browser cache often and avoid using Chrome as a web browser since Chrome is the main target.