Mac backdoor trojan found

A new Apple trojan possibly designed by pro-Assad hackers is circulating that installs a backdoor allowing attackers to collect system information and ultimately highjack machines.

The malware found by researchers at Intego attempted to download a Syrian Electronic Army image leading the security firm to speculate it was designed by the hacking group.

The Assad loyalists denied the link in a series of tweets.

But the malware, dubbed OS X/Leverage.A, went silent Tuesday after its  command-and-control server went dark and ceased issuing commands, Intego said.

The trojan was considered a low threat and targeted attack. The malware displayed a picture of a couple kissing, researchers said.

This article originally appeared at scmagazineus.com