New Apple macOS Big Sur feature to hamper adware operations
Credit:
ZDNet
With macOS 11, also known as Big Sur, Apple has removed the ability to install macOS profile configurations from the command-line.
This ability was previously a core feature of macOS' enterprise package, which allows system administrators to deploy new configurations company-wide via automated scripts.
However, the ability to deploy a new profile config via the command-line has also been abused by malware gangs or adware strains, who used it because it was silent and didn't require any type of user interaction. Hackers or malware authors who gained access to Mac Deployment servers or who infected just one Mac, abused the command-line to deploy their own malicious configurations to hijack proxy settings, change default apps, and more.