A new family of malware has been discovered, and it’s targeting Apple products.
It’s called “WireLurker.” The malware was discovered by cyber security software maker Palo Alto Networks. WireLurker zeroes in on OS X desktop software and Apple’s iOS mobile operating system.
What does it do?
WireLurker installs malicious third-party apps on iPhones and iPads.
Luckily the malware seems to be targeting users in China right now, reports the New York Times. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the potential to be a larger threat. In fact, as the New York Times notes, Palo Alto Networks says the malware is “the biggest in scale we have ever seen.”
It’s called WireLurker because of the malware’s ability to sense when you plug an iPhone or iPad into your computer running OS X, according to the New York Times. Once that happens, it starts installing malicious apps on your device.
Ryan Olson, director of threat intelligence at Palo Alto networks told the New York Times “Even though this is the first time this is happening, it demonstrates to a lot of attackers that this is a method that can be used to crack through the hard shell that Apple has built around its iOS devices.”
In a statement, Apple said: “We are aware of malicious software available from a download site aimed at users in China, and we’ve blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching. As always, we recommend that users download and install software from trusted sources.”
