Still, the Mac App Store is a decent first place to check. Open the store, search for the app you want, and click “Get” then “Download.” Your application will download and show up in your “Applications” folder. Updates are all handled by the store, which is convenient, and any application you purchase on one Mac will work on another. Download VirtualBox and install it like you would any other Mac application. Then launch it and click the blue 'New' button in the toolbar to create a new virtual machine. Download Microsoft Teams now and get connected across devices on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Collaborate better with the Microsoft Teams app. Get all the features of Windows 10 Home operating system plus Remote Desktop, Windows Information Protection., BitLocker. and a suite of tools designed for business use. Licensed for one PC or Mac.

Malware

We found an EXE application that specifically runs on Mac to download an adware and info stealer, sidestepping built-in protection systems on the platform such as Gatekeeper.

Update as of 6:00 P.M. PST, May 3, 2019: Our continued observation of the malware sample showed that it spoofs popular Mac apps, instead of being included in the app installers themselves as previously reported. We made the corrections in the technical analysis in this post. We would also like to thank Objective Development for clarifying this issue.

Update as of 5:00 P.M. PST, February 18, 2019: Further analysis on the sample indicated that it does not bypass the Gatekeeper mechanism as previously reported. We made the necessary changes in the technical analysis in this post. We would also like to thank Apple Product Security team for reaching out to us to clarify this issue.

EXE is the official executable file format used for Windows to signify that they only run on Windows platforms, and to serve as a security feature. By default, attempting to run an EXE file on a Mac or Linux OS will only show an error notification.

However, we found EXE files in the wild delivering malicious payload on macOS recently. While no specific attack pattern is seen, our telemetry showed the highest numbers for infections to be in the United Kingdom, Australia, Armenia, Luxembourg, South Africa, and the United States.

Behavior

The samples pose as installers of popular apps and are often available for download from various torrent websites. Examples of the applications they pose as are as follows:

• Paragon_NTFS_for_Mac_OS_Sierra_Fully_Activated.zip
• Wondershare_Filmora_924_Patched_Mac_OSX_X.zip
• LennarDigital_Sylenth1_VSTi_AU_v3_203_MAC_OSX.zip
• Sylenth1_v331_Purple_Skin__Sound_Radix_32Lives_v109.zip
• TORRENTINSTANT.COM+-+Traktor_Pro_2_for_MAC_v321.zip
• Little_Snitch_583_MAC_OS_X.zip

When the downloaded .ZIP file is extracted, it contains a .DMG file hosting the supposed installer of the spoofed app.

Figure 1. Sample of the malicious file

Figure 2. Installer contained in the .DMG sample we analyzed posing as a legitimate application

Inspecting the installer contents, we found the unusual presence of the .EXE file bundled inside the app, verified to be a Windows executable responsible for the malicious payload.

Figure 3. Suspicious .EXE bundled for Mac app installer

When the installer is executed, the main file also launched the executable as it is enabled by the mono framework included in the bundle. This framework allows the execution of Microsoft .NET applications across platforms such as OSX.

Once run, the malware collects the following system information:

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• ModelName
• ModelIdentifier
• ProcessorSpeed
• ProcessorDetails
• NumberofProcessors
• NumberofCores
• Memory
• BootROMVersion
• SMCVersion
• SerialNumber
• UUID

Under the /Application directory, the malware also scans for all the basic and installed apps and sends all the information to the C&C server:

• App Store.app
• Automator.app
• Calculator.app
• Calendar.app
• Chess.app
• Contacts.app
• DVD Player.app
• Dashboard.app
• FaceTime.app
• Font Book.app
• Image Capture.app
• iTunes.app
• Launchpad.app
• Mail.app
• Maps.app
• Messages.app
• Mission Control.app
• Notes.app
• Photo Booth.app
• Photos.app
• Preview.app
• QuickTime Player.app
• Reminders.app
• Safari.app
• Siri.app
• Stickies.app
• System Preferences.app
• TextEdit.app
• Time Machine.app
• UtilitiesiBooks.app

It downloads the following files from the Internet and saves it to the directory ~/Library/X2441139MAC/Temp/:

• hxxp://install.osxappdownload.com/download/mcwnet
• hxxp://reiteration-a.akamaihd.net/INSREZBHAZUIKGLAASDZFAHUYDWNBYTRWMFSOGZQNJYCAP/FlashPlayer.dmg
• hxxp://cdn.macapproduct.com/installer/macsearch.dmg

Figure 4. Downloaded files saved in the directory

These .DMG files are mounted and executed as soon as they are ready, as well as displaying a PUA during execution.

Figure 5. One of the adwares downloaded posing as a popular app

This malware runs specifically to target Mac users. Attempting to run the sample in Windows displays an error notification.

Figure 6. Error notification when installer is executed in Windows

Currently, running EXE on other platforms would have no impact on non-Windows systems such as MacOS. A mono framework installed in the system is required to compile or load these executables and libraries. In this case, however, the bundling of the said framework with the malicious files becomes a workaround to enable EXE files to run on Mac systems. As for the native library differences between Windows and MacOS, the mono framework supports DLL mapping to support Windows-only dependencies to their MacOS counterparts. Overall, this technique may be done to overcome a malicious user’s Objective-c coding limitations.

Conclusion

We suspect that this specific malware can be used for future inter-platform attacks, where a single executable can perform its payload on different operating systems. We believe that the cybercriminals are still studying the development and opportunities from this malware bundled in apps and available in torrent sites. We will continue investigating how cybercriminals can use this information and routine. Users should avoid or refrain from downloading files, programs, and software from unverified sources and websites, and install a multi-layered protection for their individual and enterprise systems.

Trend Micro Solutions

The following Trend Micro products detect and block this threat:

Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac
Trend Micro Smart Protection Suites

Indicators of Compromise

Mac vs Windows. Windows vs Mac. Why choose if you can get the best of both worlds by dual booting? Install Windows on Mac so you can jump back and forth from one operating system to another on the same computer.

By now, the practice is well-established and Windows can work on Mac well. In this article, we’ll have a deep look at installing Windows on Mac. Don’t worry, we’ll have your back the whole way through!

Boot Camp for Mac vs virtualization software

If you want to install Windows on your Mac, you have two options. You can either use Mac Boot Camp, a native feature of the macOS operating system, or you can use a third party virtualization program. Both methods have their own pros and cons, so let’s dive in.

Boot Camp is built into the operating system of all Macs. If you go to your Applications > Utilities folder, you’ll see the Boot Camp Assistant app. It makes the separate partition on your hard drive for installing and running Windows. Once Windows is installed in Boot Camp, every time you turn on your Mac, you will be asked to choose the operating system you want to run. This means that in order to switch from macOS to Windows, you need to reboot your computer.

Advantages

• built into your operating system
• easy to use — Boot Camp Assistant guides you through the installation process
• puts less strain on your Mac’s memory and processing power
• completely free (not Windows of course)
• easy to update

Disadvantages

• you need to reboot your computer to switch between the systems
• transferring data between operating systems isn’t easy

Virtualization programs are third-party applications that allow to install a separate operating system on one machine. They run like any other app on your Mac, so you can see the entire Windows desktop within a window on your computer.

Among the most popular virtualization programs are VirtualBox, Parallels, and VMware. Each one has its peculiarities, but we’ll try to sum up what they have in common.

Advantages

• you can run both operating systems at the same time
• easy file integration between systems

Disadvantages

• you need at least 8 GB of RAM for Mac to run smoothly
• virtualization apps are not cheap
• updates are not free

Depending on your specific needs, you can choose the option that works best for you. But we suggest using Boot Camp. It’s a free native feature of your operating system, running directly on your hardware. Therefore, it will be faster than any other method. And below, you’ll find all information on how to run Boot Camp on your Mac.

How to use Boot Camp: Preparing your Mac

1. Check the system requirements

Some versions of Windows require a certain processor and more hard drive space than the others. Therefore, you have to check the documentation that came with your copy of Windows to learn what you need.

You also need to make sure that your Mac is compatible with the version of Windows you want to install. For instance, Windows 10 is supported on these models:

• MacBook (2015 and later)
• MacBook Pro (2012 and later)
• MacBook Air (2012 and later)
• iMac (2012 and later)
• Mac Mini (2012 and later)

2. Clean up your hard drive

You need to have at least 55 GB of free disk space on your startup drive for installing Windows on a Mac. And if you don’t feel like spending the next several hours cleaning your Mac manually, you can use a powerful utility CleanMyMac X to find and remove all the junk from your startup disk.

CleanMyMac has everything to finish the 3-hour task of cleaning your hard drive in less than 5 minutes. It will scan every inch of your system and remove gigabytes of junk in two clicks. By the way, CleanMyMac finds about 75 GB of junk on average — more than enough for a smooth Windows installation.

Here’s how to clean your Mac with CleanMyMac X:

1. Download CleanMyMac here.
2. Run the app and click Scan.
3. Click Run.

That’s it! Gigabytes of junk are gone from your computer forever.

3. Back up your Mac

Finally, you should also perform a backup of your Mac in case something goes wrong. Although, it happens very rarely, it’s always better to back up your important data. There are a few methods of backing up your Mac, so choose the most convenient one for you.

You can make automatic backups with Time Machine — software that comes with your Mac. It backs up all data, so you can recover individual files or your entire system from your backups. You may also store files in iCloud and access them whenever you need. iCloud comes with 5 GB of free storage but you can upgrade it any time. If you have an external storage device, you can copy some files and folders on it.

We do recommend you to back up your Mac before installing Windows as it minimizes the chance of losing important data.

How to Install Windows with Boot Camp

Here’s how to install Boot Camp. The installation can be a little time consuming, but it is by no means difficult. Check out the details below.

Step 1: Get a Windows disk image

First of all, you need to get the Windows disk image (ISO file) from the Microsoft website. Here’s how to download it:

1. Visit the Windows 10 disk image download website.
2. Go to the Select edition menu and choose Windows 10.
3. Click Confirm.
4. Choose the language of installation and click Confirm.
5. Click 64-bit Download and then click Save.

The ISO file now will be downloaded to your Mac.

Step 2: Open Boot Camp Assistant

Boot Camp Assistant guides you through installing Windows on your Mac. You just have to follow the onscreen instructions. To launch the Boot Camp Assistant, go to Applications > Utilities folder. Click continue and Boot Camp for Mac will automatically locate the ISO file on your system.

Step 3: Create a partition for Windows

When you are done with the Assistant, your Mac restarts to the Windows installer. When you are asked where you want to install Windows, choose the BOOTCAMP partition and click Format.

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*Note that this step is only required if you’re using a flash drive or optical drive to install Windows. In other cases, the right partition will be selected and formatted for you automatically.

Step 4: Install Windows

To finish the installation, you have to follow the onscreen instructions. Take a long breath — the next 12 steps may seem like climbing Everest, but it’s much easier than you think. Here’s how to install Windows on a Mac:

1. Choose your ISO file and click the Install button.
2. Type your Password and click OK. You will see the Windows Setup screen.
3. Select your language.
4. Click Install Now.
5. Type your product key if you have it. Otherwise, click 'I don’t have a product key'.
6. Select Windows 10 Pro or Windows Home and then click Next.
7. Click Drive 0 Partition X: BOOTCAMP.
8. Click Next. Windows 10 will be installed.
9. When the Setup screen appears, click either Use Express Settings or Customize Your Installation. We recommend you to choose the Customize button and disable most, if not all of the switches.
10. Then you’ll be asked to create an account. Type a username. You can also add a password if you want.
11. Click Next.
12. Choose whether you want to use the Cortana personal assistant or not. You can disable it by clicking Not Now button.

Windows will boot fully so you can use it normally.

On the Welcome to Boot Camp Installer box, click Next and accept the terms in the license agreement. Then click Install to proceed. When the installer completes, click Finish to reboot your machine.

Step 5: Restart your Mac

By default, your Mac will still boot to macOS. To access Windows, you have to turn your Mac off and then turn it on while holding the Option (Alt) key. You will be asked from which drive you’d like to boot.

Note that while in Windows, the Mac’s Command key functions as the Windows key, while the Option key functions as the Alt key. If you have a Touch Bar, you’ll see a complete set of buttons, similar to the Control Strip in macOS.

How to remove Windows from your Mac

How To Download Microsoft Windows Applications On Mac

If for some reasons you don’t need Windows anymore, you can permanently remove it from your Mac. Follow these steps:

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1. Boot into macOS, launch Boot Camp Assistant and click Continue.
2. Choose 'Remove Windows 7 or later version' or 'Remove Windows 10 or later version'.
3. Click Restore when you see the Restore Disk to a Single Volume option.

The Boot Camp Assistant will automatically remove Windows from your Mac.

Warning: All data, including software and files, stored on the Windows partition will be deleted, so make the backup copies first.

Download Windows 10 On Mac

That may seem like a lot of steps, but it doesn’t take all that long to install Windows on a Mac. Now you can enjoy two operating systems and switch between them right when you need. Cheers!

How To Download Microsoft Windows Applications On Mac

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