Computer security experts warn of first ransomware to hit Apple Macs

Computer security experts warn that hackers have created the first ransomware program to lock Apple Macs.

Computer security experts warn that ransomware hackers have targeted Apple Mac users for the first time with malicious software that will lock their computer and demand a payment for it to be unlocked.

In a blog post from the Palo Alto Networks Research Centre, Claud Xiao and Jin Chen describe the KeRanger virus which they call “the first fully functional ransomware seen on the OS X platform”.

The security experts found the malicious code in a version of the Transmission BitTorrent program.

“It’s possible that Transmission’s official website was compromised and the files were replaced by re-compiled malicious versions, but we can’t confirm how this infection occurred,” the security warning says.

Disguising malware as a readme file is genius. Nobody ever looks at those.

— Jonathan Ździarski (@JZdziarski) March 6, 2016

Users who have downloaded the infected program will have their computers locked up in three days and receive a demand for payment.

It is no clear how much money the program demands but typically ransomware asks for payment of $500 to $1500.

Security experts recommend that computers users never pay a ransom because it encourages further payment and there is never a guarantee the hackers will unlock the infected computer in exchange.

Computer security expert Jonathan Zdziarski this morning said the hackers hid the malicious code in the program’s readme file, a file which is typically a text file with instructions on the software’s features.

Apple has flagged the infected program so that it will no longer install on an Apple Mac and Transmission has issued a program update.

Those steps will prevent further infections but security experts warn that there is no way of knowing how many computers were hit before the malicious code was identified.

The security experts recommend people who have been infected restore their computer using a backup created before the program’s installation.

Originally published as Computer security experts warn of first ransomware to hit Apple Macs