Researchers: North Korean hackers develop new malware that can bypass Apple notarization and invade macOS systems

North Korean hackers appear to have developed malware that can evade Apple's security checks. Apple-focused Jamf Threat Labs researchers said the apps appear to be experimental. This is the first time they have seen this technique used to hack into Apple's macOS operating system, but it will not run on the latest system. The researchers found that the Microsoft VirusTotal online scanning service reported the apps as harmless, but they were actually malicious. Variants of the apps were written in Go and Python and used Google Flutter apps. Flutter is an open source development toolkit that can be used to create multi-platform apps. Five of the six malicious apps were signed with a developer account and temporarily notarized by Apple. "The domains and techniques in this malware are very similar to those used in other North Korean hacker malware, and there are signs that this malware was once signed and even temporarily passed Apple's notarization process," the researchers wrote. "It is unclear whether this malware has been used to attack any targets or if the attackers are preparing a new method of distribution," they added. They concluded that this "is likely a test of weaponization on a larger scale." (Cointelegraph)