Bootleg Final Cut Pro Copies Are Teeming With Mac Cryptomining Malware

Apple Mac users have been warned of the notorious group behind the deployment of crypto mining malware. The dangerous security threat was discovered to be thriving in the pirated copies of Final Cut Pro.

According to Jamf Threat Labs, a cybersecurity firm, this malicious cryptojacking software can bypass Mac security apps. This means that it can stay undetected in the system for quite a long time.

Apple Silicon Macs Are Easy Targets For Crypto Mining Malware

As 9to5Mac reports, more hackers find it easier to infect Apple Macs, making them a popular target to spread crypto mining malware.

Over the past years, crypto miners seek high-end PCs to mine Bitcoin and other cryptos. Since this process requires a heavy GPU process, the only thing to hasten up the technique is by getting a better computer.

Unfortunately, crypto mining has attracted a lot of hackers to deploy malware to devices so they could steal money from the miners.

As more vulnerable apps become available, the hijackers only find more outlets to infect the systems with dangerous software.

Because of this, cryptojacking has become commonplace and treated as a usual security issue. When this happens, your device will be more inefficient because it demands more power to be more effective.

The recent case that Jamf Threat Labs found out is all about a Mac crypto mining malware that dodges security checks coming from Mac apps.

"During routine monitoring of our threat detections seen in the wild, we encountered an alert indicating XMRig usage, a command line crypto-mining tool. While XMRig is commonly used for legitimate purposes, its adaptable, open-source design has also made it a popular choice for malicious actors," the team wrote in a blog post.

Mac Malware Stays Hidden

Cybersecurity experts saw that the Final Cut Pro, particularly the pirated copies of the video editing tool is heavily infested by malware.

The team discovered that the infected version of the software has been running XMRig in the background.

While several security vendors reportedly improved their detection features, the malware is still operating at full throttle. It has been running unidentified up to this date.

Aside from the bootleg copies of Final Cut Pro, the Mac crypto mining malware can also be found in the pirated Logic Pro and Photoshop apps.

How the Malware Infects Final Cut Pro Copies

The cybercriminals behind this campaign know how to properly set up the malware via "trojanized executable runs." This means that when you tap the icon of the Final Cut Pro, you are already activating the malware inside.

When this takes place, there will be some components that will appear as hidden files in the working copy of the video editing software.

Moreover, the XMRig command line components will be downloaded once the bad actor connects to the web server. The new version of Final Cut Pro will be opened and the malware will now remain hidden even from your activity monitor.

This scheme is not yet new on Mac. Back in February 2022, Microsoft issued a warning to all users that the Mac malware was quickly evolving. At that time, it could morph into another form and even launch adware campaigns.