Malware which could commander infected systems
"malware dubbed Fruitfly, which could commandeer infected macOS and Windows PC systems."
I'm confused, did the malware infect the systems or were they already infected. What exactly was the infection vector on the infected macOS and Windows PC systems? Were none of these infected systems running a firewall and anti-malware software.
Oh, wait here's a link to a detailed analysis of the FruitFly malware:
"FruitFly .. is thought to have flown under the radar for many years. In this paper we’ll begin by analysing the malware’s dropper, an obfuscated Perl script"
"Though OSX/FruitFly.B’s initial infection vector remains unknown .. we do know that it is installed persistently".
Well that about answers everything, you have to configure your Mac to run obfuscated Perl scripts when you click on them. For Windows I guess the old fashioned method of clicking on a malicious URL or opening an infected email attachment would do. Lastly, given that these infections occurred at research facilities and universities, just what use was the malware detection tools for the money.