People check out the new iMac after Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces new versions of the iMac and iLife applications August 7, 2007 in Cupertino, California. (Photo : Getty Images/David Paul Morris)
Apple Mac users have another problem after the "Pegasus" strain as a new malware can reportedly take screenshots and steal most files saved on the hard drive of the computer.
Kaspersky Lab researcher Stefan Ortloff has named the new Mac malware Mokes.A and it can reportedly take a screenshot every half a minute and can also gain access to the user's files. Documents, photos and videos could be stolen by the malware and sent to the remote hacker.
Besides seeing what is on the screen and what is on the hardrive, the Mac virus also has another alarming capability. The Mokes.A malware for the Apple Mac computers is also able to record what the user is typing on their keyboard, Telegraph has learned.
With the help of the screenshots and the keylog, hackers can determine whether a user is trying to logon their bank account any other account which could harm the unsuspecting user. Once the bank account credentials have been stolen, hackers can proceed to siphon money off of them or steal one lump sum although that would be riskier.
Apple just recently launched OS X security updates to patch up the nefarious Pegasus malware that was initially found on iOS devices. Windows and Linux users have already been hit with the Mokes malware and it can be prevented by simply installing an antivirus software and avoiding downloading software from unsecure sources.
The Cupertino-based tech giant still has no comment regarding the issue but security experts believe that Apple will release a patch soon for OS X to patch the Mokes malware vulnerability, TechRadar reported.
Nobody knows who created the Mokes malware or if it is another part of the Israeli-based NGO hacking group that reportedly developed Pegasus to spy on people. Hackers who use the Mokes malware obviously want to gain access to a user's other accounts such as banking or social media accounts.
Apple Mac users are advised to stay away from suspicious links or not to just click on email attachments from persons that they do not know. Installing software should also be kept at a minimum.
