The Iru Blog

Iru Quarterly Threat Report: May 2026

MiniRAT: A Go-based macOS RAT delivered via malicious npm package

Atomic Stealer (AMOS) Returns: ClickFix, Trojanized Crypto Apps, and a New macOS Persistence Mechanism

Atomic Stealer, commonly tracked as AMOS, has earned its place as one of the most persistent threats the macOS threat landscape. Powered by a relentless development cycle and diverse distribution networks, it shows no signs of slowing down. Researchers have extensively documented its signature tactics: "ClickFix" browser social engineering prompts, trojanized application installers, and, most recently, the "malext" variants spread through malvertising campaigns.

macOS Malware Analysis: Music Plugin DMG Loader

On February 4, 2026, security researchers discovered a mass-distributed loader disguised as predominantly cracked music plugin DMGs used to deliver multiple multistage macOS malware, such as Odyssey and MacSyncStealer, in addition to a Mach-O binary containing another loader to an additional payload.

The Security Implications of OpenClaw and Autonomous AI Agents

In recent months, a new class of AI tools has gained momentum, blurring the line between traditional assistants and fully autonomous automation platforms. OpenClaw, previously known as Clawdbot and Moltbot, is designed to execute tasks for users with little ongoing human involvement, including file management, workflow automation, and direct shell command execution. Its rapid viral growth and strong community adoption, with almost 200,000 GitHub stars, have brought attention to a new category of AI tools that operate with deeper system access than most conversational AI platforms.

The hidden risks of the Homebrew Cellar in Vulnerability Management

In the modern macOS ecosystem, Homebrew is a staple: the engine under the hood in software engineers' day to day development, and a productivity enhancer for macOS power users. However, its convenience and ubiquity may introduce a significant blind spot for security teams if they lack visibility into the "Cellar" - the specific location where Homebrew stores its binaries, known as formulae. Its hidden dependencies, lingering outdated binaries, and relaxed permissions can create serious security gaps. When a workstation may be the gateway to cloud and production systems, those gaps matter.

The Dangers of Cracking Tools

This blog article highlights one particular risk that arises from using various tools to crack software: introducing vulnerabilities to their environment. This article provides a general overview, examines past cases, and dives into an actual local privilege escalation vulnerability we uncovered in a macOS software cracker.

Analyzing the MonetaStealer macOS Threat

On January 6, 2026, security researchers at Iru discovered a suspicious Mach-O binary masquerading as a Windows .exe file. Investigation revealed the file is a PyInstaller-compiled binary that executes malware hidden within a .pyc file. Researchers named the malware MonetaStealer. The malware contains limited capabilities and lacks anti-analysis/persistence mechanisms. Researchers believe it is still in its very early development phase and relies heavily on AI code. MonetaStealer maintains a zero-detection rate on VirusTotal as of the time of writing.

Investigating Shai-Hulud: Inside the NPM Supply Chain Worm

On August 26, 2025, attackers exploited a GitHub Actions injection vulnerability inside Nx’s workflow, using a manipulated pull request title to run shell commands and extract the company’s NPM publishing token. With that access, they published malicious versions of trusted Nx packages. Once installed, those packages hijacked local AI command line tools to scan victim systems for credentials, SSH keys, and crypto wallets.

CrashOne - A Starbucks Story - CVE-2025-24277

On a cold autumn day in Budapest in 2024, I met independent security researcher Gergely Kalman at a local Starbucks to swap ideas, dead ends, and updates on our research. Over coffee, we started talking about crash logs, and that’s when we stumbled onto something big.

The Top Cyber Threats Facing SMBs in 2025

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are under siege. Attackers know these organizations often run lean IT teams with limited budgets, making them prime “path of least resistance” targets.

Brewing Trouble: Homebrew Spoofed Sites on the Rise

In September 2025, Iru's security researchers identified multiple spoofed Homebrew installer sites designed to mimic the official brew.sh page. These replicas injected malicious payloads under the guise of a standard install. In this post, we examine the tactics, infrastructure, and impact of the campaign.

The Vulnerability Data Crisis: Why You Can't Trust Your Security Tools

How data processing delays, inaccuracies, and systemic challenges in the National Vulnerability Database are impacting security teams and what you can do about it.

Finding Vulnerabilities in Apple Packages at Scale

This article summarizes work we performed in 2024, which we shared in our “Finding Vulnerabilities in Apple Packages at Scale” talk at MacDevOpsYVR and SecurityFest conferences earlier this year. You can watch the full presentation below: