A newly discovered bug, patched in macOS 11.3, allowed hackers to circumvent much of Apple’s built-in malware detection for programs downloaded from the internet. Here, Apple CEO Tim Cook announces the new Mac Pro as he delivers the keynote address during the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Apple patched what noted Mac security researcher Patrick Wardle described to SC Media as “the worst macOS bug in recent memory.” An adware group had already been using the bug in the wild.
The bug, patched in macOS 11.3, allowed hackers to circumvent much of Apple’s built-in malware detection for programs downloaded from the internet. MacOS knows to apply additional scrutiny to downloads by activating the “com.apple.quarantine” attribute. When all goes well, programs with that attribute trigger Apple’s suite of system warnings and outright blocking of suspicious applications — File Quarantine, Gatekeeper, and notarization. Apple released macOS 11.3 on Monday.
The problem stemmed from how Macs install programs. Macs have the ability to wrap a normal installation bundle around a script instead of a traditional program. When a developer uses that technique, and when those bundles lacked a metadata file ..
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