Keep an eye out for these bogus Safari and Chrome updates that infect Macs with AMOS

Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS), a potent new malware that was released in early 2023 and targets Apple users, is becoming a bigger danger. As of right now, hostile actors are using the most recent version of the malware to implant AMOS inside phony Mac Safari and Chrome browser upgrades. We’ll go over how it operates and how to stay safe from this risk.

To recap, AMOS is a potent piece of malware that may steal files, credit card details, cryptocurrency wallets, iCloud Keychain passwords, and more from a victim’s computer once it has been installed. Following the identification of the initial AMOS attacks in March and April, Malwarebytes security researchers found in September that Mac users were using phony Google Search advertisements to install AMOS.

Malwarebytes warns that phony Safari and Chrome browser updates are now being used to install AMOS on victims’ Macs in the most recent chapter of the malicious malware (via Ankit Anubhav). The new method with AMOS is known as “ClearFake,” which was a well-known assault that was previously observed against Windows computers.

An intriguing recent development is that Mac users are now receiving AMOS through a fraudulent browser update chain identified as “ClearFake.” This might be the first time that one of the most popular social engineering campaigns, which were previously exclusive to Windows, branches out into other operating systems in addition to geolocation.

Threat actors use compromised websites to distribute phony Chrome and Safari updates to carry out their approach. This is the phony Safari update, which is obvious to Apple experts because it has extremely outdated Safari and iCloud symbols. However, since it utilizes Apple’s standard update language, a lot of people could be duped.

How to defend yourself from the Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS)

Thankfully, there is no way to stop this new attack technique.

• Update Chrome directly from Google or within the Chrome app, or Safari straight from your Mac’s System Preferences. Avoid downloading software from unreliable or unknown sources.
• If software asks you to disable macOS GateKeeper protections, proceed with caution.
• Verify the website’s creation date if you decide to download an app from anywhere other than Apple’s Mac App Store.

How to detect malware on your Mac

Malwarebytes provides a free program (for individuals) that may be used to identify and eliminate malware and adware on Mac computers. For personal use, Malwarebytes also provides its Browser Guard for Edge, Firefox, and Chrome at no cost.