Posted On 24 Jun 2021

All users of Apple Macs should be seriously considering urgently updating their operating system because hackers have found a way of getting around the inbuilt privacy protection on their computers. The hackers have found a vulnerability allowing them to get permission from the computers without any consent from the users.

The hackers are using a variation of the XCSSET malware which searches out apps that the user will have already given permission for taking screenshots, e.g., Skype or Zoom. The malware then uses these apps to take screenshots which can then be passed back to the hacker without the user ever being aware anything was wrong. Experts also believe that this technique could be used to capture audio and visuals from Webcams and microphones and even key strokes. Clearly access to these elements could not only enable hackers to spy on users but also to harvest their passwords, bank details, and so forth.

It seems that the main targets of the hackers are Mac developers, with the malware targeting XCode projects and then infecting other machines when projects are shared amongst the development community. It is fortuitous, therefore, that Apple have released the new OS Big Sur 11.4 recently which has a specific patch to block this weakness. Mac and MacBook users should select “System Preferences” and “Software Update” and install all updates available to ensure they are protected.