![]() ![]() Malicious users, this meant that malware needed to be coded with a payload Although not an impossibly large hurdle to Power PC processors, which use different instruction sets and assembly language As a result, most malicious code writersĬhoose to target Windows so that they can have a much wider impact.Īnother factor is that until recently Mac OS X was designed to run only on Reasons for this chief among them the fact that there are far fewer Macs in the Malware that have been created to exploit flaws in Mac OS X. Secure operating system is that there are very few viruses or other forms of What really makes this example seem like evidence of Mac OS X as a perfectly This is what most people point to as proof that Mac OS X must Using a Mac without changing any of the default install settings for months Some adware, or a virus on it pretty quickly. If you boot up and surf the Web using a Windows PC without installing orĬonfiguring any security tools, it will likely pick up some piece of spyware, It is important to give certificates the protection they need so they can’t be used maliciously.101 Reasons to Switch to the Mac (Digital Shortcut) ![]() “The implications of this study shows that certificate owners need to keep a careful eye on them to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. “Our investigation shines a light on an often unknown and seedier secret life of code-signing certificates, which is completely unknown to their owners,” DiMaggio concluded. The file the exploit delivered was a self-extracting executable that ultimately installed malware Symantec dubs Nidiran. One of the group’s booby-trapped webpages, for example, was able to exploit a 2014 vulnerability in a Microsoft Windows component known as Object Linking and Embedding when it was viewed with Internet Explorer. This means that untrusted software may not be allowed to run unless it is signed.”ĭigitally signed certificates allow Suckfly exploits to work seamlessly without calling attention to themselves. Attempts to sign malware with code-signing certificates have become more common as the Internet and security systems have moved towards a more trust and reputation oriented model. “Attackers are taking the time and effort to steal certificates because it is becoming necessary to gain a foothold on a targeted computer. “Signing malware with code-signing certificates is becoming more common, as seen in this investigation and the other attacks we have discussed,” Symantec researcher Jon DiMaggio wrote in Tuesday’s blog post. The certificate-theft attacks come as operating systems increasingly make code signing a requirement for installing apps. Sometimes, software developers inadvertently publish their signing keys, as was the case in September with modem manufacturer D-Link. Black Vine, a separate APT group responsible for the devastating 2014 breach of health insurer Anthem, is yet another example. Malware dubbed Winnti that came to light in 2013 targeting more than 30 online video game companies also used stolen certificates, as did an advanced persistent threat group known as Hidden Lynx that was exposed the same year. The Stuxnet worm that disrupted Iran’s nuclear program six years ago was signed with legitimate certificates from companies located in Taiwan. It’s by no means the first time advanced malware outfits have used stolen certificates. While the physical proximity is suspicious, the researchers ultimately speculated the certificate thefts weren’t the result of any physical attack and were most likely the result of the owners being infected with malware that had the ability to search for and extract signing certificates. Curiously, all nine of the compromised companies are located within a few miles of each other in Seoul. When the researchers searched for other executable files that used the same credential, they eventually uncovered three more custom tools from the same group of black-hat hackers.Īfter tracing the hacking group’s traffic to IP addresses in Chengdu, China, Symantec researchers ultimately identified a much larger collection of custom-developed backdoors and hacking tools that were signed by nine different certificates from nine different companies. ![]() Company researchers first came upon the group last year when they identified a brute-force server message-block scanner that was signed with a certificate belonging to a South Korean mobile software developer. Since 2014, the group has used no fewer than nine separate signing certificates from nine separate companies to digitally sign its hacking wares, according to a blog post published Tuesday by security firm Symantec. For a gang called Suckfly, one of the keys is having plenty of stolen code-signing certificates on hand to give its custom malware the appearance of legitimacy. There are lots of ways to ensure the success of an advanced hacking operation. Enlarge / By default, Mac OS X allows applications to run only if they are signed with a valid certificate. ![]()
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