Close to 30,000 Mac computers have been infected with a new mysterious malware, according to CNN.
- The security firm Red Canary recently revealed that the malware — which is being called “Silver Sparrow” — isn’t like traditional malware computer viruses.
- The new malware does not “exhibit the behaviors that we’ve come to expect from the usual adware that so often targets macOS systems,” Tony Lambert, an intelligence analyst at Red Canary, wrote in a note on the company’s website.
In fact, “Silver Sparrow” has a self-destruction option that hasn’t been used yet, according to CNN. And it’s unclear how that malware would actually self-destruct.
- “Though we haven’t observed Silver Sparrow delivering additional malicious payloads yet, its forward-looking M1 chip compatibility, global reach, relatively high infection rate, and operational maturity suggest Silver Sparrow is a reasonably serious threat,” researchers wrote on its website.
Should you worry about it?
According to The Verge, the malware couldn’t hide before it was discovered, which allowed Apple to revoke the malware, which means you likely won’t install it on your app.
“But the idea damage could have been done isn’t theoretical: they actually found these strains of malware on Macs in the wild,” per The Verge.
While you may be fine with this piece of malware, “Silver Sparrow” is a sign that new macs could be infected with harmful code. So you may want to keep an eye out for suspicious emails and software, which can lead to malware infecting your device.