A new form of malware has been discovered to be targeting Apple MacOS user, with researches saying that it is tied to a state-backed hacking operation. The malware campaign has been identified by cybersecurity analysts at Trend Micro, who have linked campaign back to the Vietnamese backed group OceanLotus, also known as APT32.

OceanLotus has been known to target their attacks at organisations working in Vietnam such as media, research and construction. However, their motivation for their attacks are not yet fully understood, but the aim of their campaigns is thought to be to using espionage to aid Vietnamese-owned companies.

The Apple MacOS backdoor provides the bad actors with a window into the compromised machine, which will enable them to snoop on the users and also steal their confidential information and sensitive business documents.