A new malware seems to target developers who work with Apple’s programming environment Xcode. A security company has discovered a malware classified as unusual that can nestle in Xcode projects: The malicious code is injected into Xcode on the Mac and apparently executed as soon as the software is compiled.
The malware then tried to use two exploits to manipulate the browser used by the user – including specifically the developer version and to access data. The malware named XCSSET can also take screenshots and read data from apps such as Skype and Telegram. Ransomware functions for encrypting files are also integrated and can be armed on the server, say the security experts in their analysis. Trend Micro published the new damage in the Mac And from a study.
It seems particularly problematic that the malware can spread over already infected Xcode projects if these are made available. Several developers affected by the malware have been identified who have made their Xcode projects available to third parties via the online platform. The original source of the pest is still unknown. During the investigation of the attackers server, a list of collected IP addresses of many victims was found, the majority of whom are from China.
It Is Unclear How The Malware Gets Into The Xcode Projects
Its code is executed as soon as a project is created. These systems will probably be used primarily by developers, explained the researchers. These Xcode projects have been modified to run malicious code. This ultimately leads to the XCSSET malware being smuggled in.
The distribution method used can only be called clever. Affected developers will unwittingly distribute the malicious trojan to their users in the form of the compromised Xcode projects, and methods of verifying the distributed file would not help as the developers would not know they were distributing malicious files.
