{
	"id": "8f3a4e43-02b9-402c-90d4-b2b76e98d940",
	"created_at": "2026-04-06T00:19:31.865824Z",
	"updated_at": "2026-04-10T03:22:02.407142Z",
	"deleted_at": null,
	"sha1_hash": "c7f32a356e2ab937de9596a1a80eb584ff39c140",
	"title": "UpdateAgent macOS Malware",
	"llm_title": "",
	"authors": "",
	"file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
	"file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
	"file_size": 339270,
	"plain_text": "UpdateAgent macOS Malware\r\nBy eSentire Threat Response Unit (TRU)\r\nArchived: 2026-04-05 20:38:47 UTC\r\nAdversaries don’t work 9-5 and neither do we. At eSentire, our 24/7 SOCs are staffed with Elite Threat Hunters\r\nand Cyber Analysts who hunt, investigate, contain and respond to threats within minutes.\r\nWe have discovered some of the most dangerous threats and nation state attacks in our space – including the\r\nKaseya MSP breach and the more_eggs malware.\r\nOur Security Operations Centers are supported with Threat Intelligence, Tactical Threat Response and Advanced\r\nThreat Analytics driven by our Threat Response Unit – the TRU team.\r\nIn TRU Positives, eSentire’s Threat Response Unit (TRU) provides a summary of a recent threat investigation. We\r\noutline how we responded to the confirmed threat and what recommendations we have going forward.\r\nHere’s the latest from our TRU Team…\r\nWhat did we find?\r\nUpdateAgent malware impacting a customer in the software industry, specific to Apple’s macOS operating\r\nsystem.\r\nThe malware is used to deliver additional payloads and maintain a persistent foothold on systems.\r\nAccording to Microsoft, the malware has gone through several iterations since it first appeared in\r\nSeptember 2020.\r\nIn a recent case, analysts identified a suspicious launch agent and traced it to a shell script matching\r\nUpdateAgent’s known behavior patterns and traits, including:\r\n1. Use of CloudFront domains for C2 communications and secondary payloads.\r\n2. Collection of system information (see below).\r\n3. Removal of quarantine bit from payloads to bypass Gatekeeper.\r\n4. Establishing persistence by modifying property list files in the user’s /Library/LaunchAgents\r\ndirectory.\r\n5. Removal of files from device to cover tracks.\r\nUpdateAgent is known to deliver adware as its second stage payload, but there is potential for more severe\r\npayload delivery.\r\nSummary of UpdateAgent's Initiation Shell Script\r\nUpdateAgent collects information about the system and submits it to the C2 domain\r\n(hxxps://dgu8hufljhqqu[.]cloudfront[.]net/pkg) via HTTP POST request:\r\nThe information collected includes the active user, machine ID, operating system, and version.\r\nhttps://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware\r\nPage 1 of 7\n\nThen it, retrieves a DMG file from hxxps://duh59xv2mx0nn[.]cloudfront[.]net, adds the current user to the\r\n‘sudoers’ file and disables the password prompt:\r\nNext, it clears extended attributes on the DMG file to bypass Gatekeeper, which is a security feature in macOS\r\naimed at reducing the likelihood of users accidentally running malware downloaded from the internet.\r\nSimilar to the Mark-of-Web attribute in Windows, macOS applications (such as browsers) add an extended\r\nattribute known as a quarantine flag to files downloaded from the internet. UpdateAgent clears all extended\r\nattributes (including the quarantine flag) using the xattr command.\r\nThen, it uses PlistBuddy in direct mode to add arguments to a property list file.\r\n(com.shenbfgbvgsfssfmrynamdzyetzfnd.plist) under the user’s /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder for persistence:\r\nhttps://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware\r\nPage 2 of 7\n\nLastly, the cleanup actions show as follows:\r\nHow did we find it?\r\nOur MDR for Endpoint service identified the launch agent persistence technique.\r\nWhat did we do?\r\nOur 24/7 SOC cyber analysts alerted the customer, isolated the host and provided details of the infection to\r\nassist with remediation.\r\nWhat can you learn from this TRU positive?\r\nUpdateAgent is initiated by macOS users installing malicious software masquerading as legitimate\r\napplications.\r\nUpdateAgent has seen continuous improvement since it first emerged.\r\nWhile adware payloads may seem low-risk, the potential for follow-on malware exists.\r\nAdditionally, the information collected and sent via UpdateAgent’s heartbeat mechanism could be\r\nused to target the system for follow-on attacks.\r\nRecommendations from our Threat Response Unit (TRU) Team:\r\nEncourage good security hygiene among your users through phishing and security awareness training.\r\nOnly download and install applications from trusted locations.\r\nFor additional protection, validate the file hash if the vendor provides the hash information\r\nIgnore unsolicited pop-ups or application download requests. Do not click on the unsolicited pop-up\r\nlinks.\r\nMonitor for modifications to plist files in auto-run locations such as /Library/LaunchAgents/.\r\nRestrict access/monitor for changes to sudoers file and launch agents folders.\r\nAsk Yourself\r\n1. What level of visibility do you have across your network, endpoint, and overall environment to detect\r\nmalicious behavior at scale?\r\n2. What level of managed endpoint support do you have in place?\r\n3. What level of managed endpoint support do you have in place?\r\n4. Are you monitoring your endpoints 24/7 and what degree of control do you have to initiate a kill switch\r\nwhen required?\r\nIndicators of Compromise\r\nhttps://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware\r\nPage 3 of 7\n\nIndicator “Note\r\n28C2FF8C6F78EB61361DECE949108910 Initiation Shell Script\r\ndgu8hufljhqqu[.]cloudfront[.]net Command and Control\r\nduh59xv2mx0nn[.]cloudfront[.]net Payload Hosting\r\neSentire’s Threat Response Unit (TRU) is a world-class team of threat researchers who develop new detections\r\nenriched by original threat intelligence and leverage new machine learning models that correlate multi-signal data\r\nand automate rapid response to advanced threats.\r\nIf you are not currently engaged with an MDR provider, eSentire MDR can help you reclaim the advantage and\r\nput your business ahead of disruption.\r\nLearn what it means to have an elite team of Threat Hunters and Researchers that works for you. Connect with an\r\neSentire Security Specialist.\r\nTo learn how your organization can build cyber resilience and prevent business disruption with eSentire’s Next\r\nLevel MDR, connect with an eSentire Security Specialist now.\r\nhttps://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware\r\nPage 4 of 7\n\nGET STARTED\r\nABOUT ESENTIRE’S THREAT RESPONSE UNIT (TRU)\r\nThe eSentire Threat Response Unit (TRU) is an industry-leading threat research team committed to helping your\r\norganization become more resilient. TRU is an elite team of threat hunters and researchers that supports our 24/7\r\nSecurity Operations Centers (SOCs), builds threat detection models across the eSentire XDR Cloud Platform, and\r\nworks as an extension of your security team to continuously improve our Managed Detection and Response\r\nservice. By providing complete visibility across your attack surface and performing global threat sweeps and\r\nproactive hypothesis-driven threat hunts augmented by original threat research, we are laser-focused on defending\r\nyour organization against known and unknown threats.\r\nhttps://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware\r\nPage 5 of 7\n\nBack to blog\r\nTake Your Cybersecurity Program to the Next Level with eSentire MDR.\r\nBUILD A QUOTE\r\nin this blog\r\nWhat did we find?Summary of UpdateAgent's Initiation Shell ScriptHow did we find it? What did we do? What\r\ncan you learn from this TRU positive?\r\nhttps://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware\r\nPage 6 of 7\n\nSource: https://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware\r\nhttps://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware\r\nPage 7 of 7",
	"extraction_quality": 1,
	"language": "EN",
	"sources": [
		"Malpedia"
	],
	"references": [
		"https://www.esentire.com/blog/updateagent-macos-malware"
	],
	"report_names": [
		"updateagent-macos-malware"
	],
	"threat_actors": [],
	"ts_created_at": 1775434771,
	"ts_updated_at": 1775791322,
	"ts_creation_date": 0,
	"ts_modification_date": 0,
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