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pintsized

'Pintsized' malware bypassed GateKeeper to affect tech companies

New findings show the recent malware attack that affected employees of Facebook, Apple, and Twitter was able to do so in part by bypassing Apple's GateKeeper security system in OS X.

Gatekeeper is a new technology in OS X Mountain Lion that allows programs to only execute if they are properly signed or if they only come from the Mac App Store. This works by the system blocking all execution and then settings up group-based rules to allow specific program types to run. For example, the default rule sets are for signed applications and those from the Mac App … Read more

New Mac malware opens secure reverse shell

A new backdoor Trojan for OS X is making the rounds, attempting to set up a secure connection for a remote hacker to connect through and grab private information.

The malware, dubbed "Pintsized" by Intego, is suspected of using a modified implementation of OpenSSH to set up a reverse shell that creates a secure connection to a remote server.

The use of an encrypted connection makes it more difficult to detect and trace, especially since it uses the common SSH protocol. In addition, the malware attempts to hide itself by disguising its files to look like components of … Read more