Cross-Platform Malware Attacks Tech Giants with Specific Target Agenda

With any viable malware threat, cybercrooks usually have a clear target. It was noticed by researchers, through a previously unknown vulnerability in the Java browser plug-in that a Trojan was distributed through developer sites specifically targeting multiple platforms. Apple, Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook were among the targeted platforms in what has been identified as cross-platform malware attack, which was found on systems belonging to employees of the companies belonging to the targeted platforms.

Cross-platform malware has never really been at the forefront of security researcher's radars. However, in the event that cross-platform malware really finds some traction by not being so selective, it could really cause some serious damage.

The recent cross-platform malware attack was on a small scale only infecting company systems. Researchers did not even view this malware as a threat for most home PCs or Macs. The selective cross-platform malware, taking advantage of a recent Java plug-in vulnerability, targeted systems visiting several compromised websites to distribute a Trojan. On the Mac side, the Trojan was actually identified as Pintsized.A, which was designed to bypass Apple Gatekeeper, a feature designed to prevent running software not approved by Apple. Using the Java plug-in allowed the software to prevent Gatekeeper from seeing its execution. For other platforms, much is not known about the malware other than it utilized developer-focused websites as a means of distribution.

For now, Apple, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft have all acknowledged the discovery of the Trojan in employee computers. The lack of additional information from the firms leads to the inconclusiveness of this cross-platform threat. Even though, this threat may not even be that severe, it would be pertinent to have additional data in the event of future like attacks using cross-platform malware.

One bit of information to take with a grain of salt is the fact that the malware has been put to rest as its call to the discovered command-and-control server was rerouted to a system setup by one of the companies that was attacked. Even in finding out this bit of information, the details remain sketchy.

Could it be one of the companies attacked by the cross-platform malware is hiding something serious, or is this threat really nothing to fret about? Until we find out conclusive information, we will continually be on the lookout for new cross-platform malware attacks.