Latest macOS malware uses trusted search & AI to dupe users

A new Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS) attack vector weaponizes Google searches and a user’s trust in AI chatbots, researchers have found. Once infected, the AMOS can collect data, passwords, and more from the infected Mac with alarming ease.

Atomic Stealer infects macOS, sometimes via novel vectors

While AMOS attacks have been around since 2023, they normally involve people accidentally downloading a malicious file. But this new approach is different. Instead, it simply requires them to copy and paste a single command into the Terminal app.

Researchers at security outfit Huntress identified the new AMOS approach in early December 2025 after a victim reported the incident. Huntress found that the user had searched “Clear disk space on macOS” before choosing one of the two sponsored results.

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