ClickLock Mac malware locks apps until you give in
A routine "verify you are human" page should never ask you to open Terminal, the Mac app used to run computer commands.Yet that is how a new malware attack appears to get onto a Mac.
The page tells you to copy and paste a command into Terminal.It then shows a convincing progress bar while the command quietly downloads malicious software in the background.Next, a password box may appear that looks like a normal macOS request.
If you cancel it, the malware can come back after you sign in again and repeatedly close Finder, your browser and other apps.Your Mac may feel almost impossible to use until you enter your login password.The malware, called ClickLock, is built to steal personal information from your Mac.
It searches for saved passwords, browser data and cryptocurrency wallet files.It can also install a hidden tool that lets an attacker reconnect to your computer later and control it remotely.Researchers at cybersecurity company Group-IB discovered the malicious script on VirusTotal, an online service that checks files for threats.
Someone first uploaded it there on June 9, 2026, yet none of the security tools on the platform detected it at the time of the researchers' report.Group-IB says the campaign has targeted at least 100 systems across 33 countries since May.Here is how ClickLock takes over a Mac and what you can do to protect yourself.CyberGuy Live: Missed "Sick of Spam?" Get the replay and checklistOur free CyberGuy Live class, "Sick of Spam?" , has ended, but you can still watch the full replay and download our spam-stopping checklist.
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