ChatGPT helps to find Mac-based malware on the Dark Web

ChatGPT helps to find Mac-based malware on the Dark Web

ChatGPT helps to find Mac-based malware on the Dark Web.

Security researchers find Mac-based malware on the dark web while looking for new threats with ChatGPT.

There are far fewer online threats that can cause malicious harm to Macs than to Windows-based machines, but that doesn’t mean such threats don’t exist.

In fact, a cybersecurity firm called Guardz discovered a new strain of malware on the dark web just by asking ChatGPT.

Hidden Virtual Network Computers, or HVNC, can gain access to Macs used by small and medium-sized businesses, where malware can steal important information such as login credentials.

After asking OpenAI’s chatbot about other macOS threats on the dark web, Guardz learned of the malware’s existence through ChatGPT.

Guardz’s team also learned that Russian hackers were selling the tool, depositing $100,000 in an escrow account to prove it worked.

Available to people for a $60,000 lifetime fee, the malware runs without user authorization and was tested on multiple macOS versions to ensure compatibility.

HVNC is also extremely complex because it can create a new user session on a different owner’s Mac, completely invisible to them.

Plus, the program works in stealth mode, which means it won’t be detected by tools designed to protect your Mac from malware.

Also, restarting your Mac won’t effectively remove the malware, and while a complete wipe of your Mac will get rid of it, it means you risk losing important data, so it’s not an ideal solution either.

Guardz noted in his blog post that while Macs have historically been less targeted by cybercriminals, possibly due to improved Mac security, more and more malware is being developed for macOS.

Cybercriminals can employ an “attack-as-a-service” business model to infiltrate Macs, leaving businesses vulnerable and at risk of data theft.

One way to protect yourself is to keep your Mac updated to the latest version and to develop habits such as not opening emails from untrusted sources or installing applications outside of Apple’s Mac App Store.