{"id":29211,"date":"2017-02-15T20:01:21","date_gmt":"2017-02-15T12:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=29211"},"modified":"2021-08-18T15:43:27","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T07:43:27","slug":"mac-malware-in-microsoft-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/mac-malware-in-microsoft-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple Users Beware: This Malware Uses MS Word to Infect macOS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Macro-based attacks <strong>stemming from malicious Microsoft Word documents<\/strong> have existed for a while now as it is still considered <strong>one of the most effective ways to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/pc-compromised-signs\/\">compromise a Windows machine<\/a><\/strong>. Now, it appears that this form of attack is making its way to the Mac as well.<\/p>\n<p>Security researchers have managed to identify such an attack on a Mac device by way of a Word file titled <strong>\"U.S. Allies and Rivals Digest Trump\u2019s Victory \u2013  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace\".<\/strong> Hidden inside the file is an embedded macro that can be triggered if a user opens the document in a Word application that has been configured to allow macros.<\/p>\n<p class=\"recommended_top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Read Also:<\/strong>\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/tools-to-protect-computer-from-infected-usb-drives\/\">Secure Your PC From Infected Thumb Drives: Tips & Tools<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>If the user decides to open the file despite the warning that flashes up when opening it, the <strong>embedded macro would proceed to check if the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.obdev.at\/products\/littlesnitch\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">LittleSnitch security firewall is running<\/a><\/strong>. If it isn\u2019t, the macro would then download an encrypted payload from securitychecking.org. Once the download is complete, the <strong>macro would then decrypt the payload<\/strong> using a hard-coded key, followed by the execution of the payload.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mac-malware-in-microsoft-word\/01-download-free-trial.jpg\" width=\"1021\" height=\"459\" alt=\"download free trial\"><\/figure>\n<p>According to security researchers, the Python-based code found in the macro is almost a <strong>direct copy of a known open-source exploit framework for Mac called EmPyre<\/strong>. While researchers are unable to get their hands on the payload that securitychecking.org was serving, the EmPyre components means that the macro could <strong>potentially be used to monitor webcams<\/strong>, steal passwords and encryption keys stored in a keychain, and access browsing histories.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/mac-malware-in-microsoft-word\/02-python-post-exploit.png\" width=\"1631\" height=\"982\" alt=\"python post exploitation\"><\/figure>\n<p>This malicious Word file marks the first time someone has attempted to <strong>compromise a Mac via macro abuse<\/strong>. While the malware isn\u2019t particularly advance, there is no denying that <strong>macros are still highly effective when it comes to compromising a machine<\/strong>. Mac users should probably be extra vigilant when it comes to Word files from now on.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/security\/2017\/02\/mac-malware-has-a-way-to-go-but-its-slowly-catching-up-to-windows\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Ars Technica<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"recommended_top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Read Also:<\/strong>\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/famous-malicious-computer-viruses\/\">Top 10 Deadliest Computer Viruses<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Macro-based attacks stemming from malicious Microsoft Word documents have existed for a while now as it is still considered one of the most effective ways to compromise a Windows machine. Now, it appears that this form of attack is making its way to the Mac as well. Security researchers have managed to identify such an&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3397],"tags":[3933,171,4601],"topic":[4521],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.8 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New Mac Malware Uses MS Word to Infect Systems<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Macro-based attacks stemming from malicious Microsoft Word documents have existed for a while now as it is still considered one of the most effective ways\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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