A cybersecurity researcher named Patrick Wardle has uncovered the first piece of Mac malware that was potentially created specifically for devices running on Apple’s brand new M1 chip. Wardle specializes in Apple products and has created several open-source security tools for the brand. Wardle found the malware when rebuilding tools to be compatible with M1 chips. The M1 chip system was unveiled by Apple in November of last year and is designed to offer users increased performance and higher security.
The M1 chip was created in collaboration with Cupertino, a California-based tech giant that builds security protections into its code execution systems. The sample discovered by Wardle was submitted in late December. The proof of concept had been signed with an Apple developer ID and had allegedly been detected in the wild. The M1-targeting malware was designed to install itself on a victim’s device as a Safari extension. The malicious adware is packed with anti-analysis and detection capabilities.
