North Korean Hackers Tried to Infect macOS Systems with Fake Cryptocurrency App

A hacking collective called the Lazarus Group has been trying to compromise MacOS systems in an elaborate scam involving cryptocurrency software and a realistic-looking website.

Lazarus Group, a gang of hackers believed to be sponsored by North Korea, tried to penetrate Apple computers running macOS by tricking users into downloading a cryptocurrency application from a seemingly legit website.

The software would, of course, contain malware, infecting the computer and giving users complete remote access. It’s one thing to exploit an existing vulnerability, but when users give the attackers full access via regular channels, the intrusion can be more extensive.

The attackers created a cryptocurrency-trading application, hosted on GitHub to give it more credibility, and built a good-enough website to promote it. Once the user installs the software and grants it administrative privileges, the hackers have a backdoor into the OS.

“It’s not every day we get a new macOS malware…