MacOS users could be vulnerable to a new form of ransomware discovered by security professionals at the firm SentinelOne. MacOS owners have been warned to monitor device security closely after the new malware variant known as ThiefQuest began to target victims, encrypting entire systems, and stealing personal data from the device.
Users are then sent a ransom request, and if it is not met, ThiefQuest is programmed to completely destroy the device and delete all items within. SentinelOne first believed that the malware lacked sophistication when investigating the ransom message, which asks victims to pay $50 within 72 hours to recover files. However, according to SentinelOne, the note did not provide any contact for information about decryption. This lead SentinelOne to discover that ThiefQuest used a custom encryption routine, and therefore its code is unrelated to public-key encryption methods common in these attack types.
