Mac Terminal Malware Scam: Don’t Paste Unsolicited Commands

Here’s a new Mac terminal malware scam to watch for. A client reported running across a suspicious website masquerading as a human verification test. Instead of asking them to click pictures or solve a math equation, this scam prompted them to copy text from the page and paste it into Terminal on their Mac. That text was actually an encoded script which, if executed, would install malware designed to steal passwords, browser data and other sensitive information.

Infected users could lose their login password, browser history and cookies, cryptocurrency wallet information, keychain data, Notes data, and a wide variety of personal files.

The moral of the story: never paste unsolicited commands into Terminal. They may seem innocuous or even unintelligible, but they’re fully capable apps that can wreak havoc on your Mac.

Ready to lock down your Apple devices against these sneaky scams? Reach out to Monge IT today for a comprehensive malware protection plan tailored to Macs. Visit mongeit.consulting/contact/ to get started.