Adload

AdLoad is a stealthy and pervasive malware that belongs to the AdLoad family of threats. This Trojan infiltrates macOS systems, installing adware and potentially harmful applications without user knowledge. Last week, it was revealed that roughly 10,000 macOS systems had been turned into proxy exit nodes by AdLoad, some of which may have been repurposed after being infected with the adware. The malware is known for its deceptive tactics such as the "Adobe Flash Player is out of date" browser scam, tricking users into downloading and installing unwanted applications. The researchers believe that AdLoad might be running a pay-per-install campaign, monetizing access to the infected macOS systems by deploying a legitimate proxy application on them. This activity likely represents AdLoad's method of counting the number of infected systems, supporting their monetization scheme. The disclosure builds upon prior findings from AT&T, suggesting that macOS machines compromised by AdLoad are being corralled into a giant residential proxy botnet. AdLoad is one of the largest known adware strains targeting macOS, indicating that users of these devices are a lucrative target for the adversaries behind this malware. The company's report is a continuation of a previous study conducted by AT&T Alien Labs research on Mac systems turned into proxy exit nodes by AdLoad. The widespread nature of AdLoad, potentially infecting thousands of devices worldwide, underscores the need for vigilant cybersecurity measures among macOS users.