MACS ARE VULNERABLE TO THUNDERSTRIKE 2 FIRMWARE MALWARE

Macs have long been said to be immune to viruses and malware -- but there is a long list of vulnerabilities that show this to be a false. Apple's claims that its hardware was not vulnerable to the firmware security flaws as PCs is proven wrong.

At the InfoSec event in Las Vegas which focuses on different security topics, Trammell Hudson, Xeno Kovah, and Corey Kallenberg will show that Macs are just as vulnerable to remote attacks as PCs using the Thunderstrike 2 backdoor.

Thunderstrike 2 is impressive in its efficacy. The malware can be remotely installed and can spread between Macs even if they are not connected. Thunderstrike 2 locks itself into firmware which makes it impossible to remove even after reinstalling OS X. Security software are unable to detect it. Xeno Kovah says:

For most users that's really a throw-your-machine-away kind of situation. Most people and organizations don't have the wherewithal to physically open up their machine and electrically reprogram the chip

Apple has previously stated that in order to become infected with firmware malware, direct physical access to a Mac is required. Although there is a wide-spread belief that Macs are more secure than PCs. There are far more PCs in use than Macs, so it make sense to hit as many system as possible with PC-specific attacks.

What do you think about Thunderstrike2 vulnerability? Let me in the comments.