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What kind of malware is Overlord?
Overlord is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) written in the Go programming language. It targets both Windows and macOS systems, with first detections recorded in South Korea. On macOS, Overlord can establish a persistent connection to an attacker-controlled server, capture keyboard and mouse input, and attempt to hijack browsers. If Overlord is detected on a device, it should be removed as soon as possible.
Overlord RAT overview
Overlord is compiled as a macOS Apple Silicon (arm64) binary using Go 1.25.6. Its source code is publicly available on GitHub under an open-source license, with hundreds of commits and active ongoing development. This means its macOS capabilities could expand significantly in the near future.
Once installed on a Mac, Overlord connects to a command-and-control (C2) server and waits for instructions from the operator. The malware also sets up persistence, allowing it to continue running automatically after each system restart. Keyboard and mouse input is captured and forwarded through an internal channel, giving the attacker visibility into what the user is doing.
Overlord's capabilities on macOS
Overlord supports a set of C2 commands for remotely managing the infected device. The "hvnc_start" command is designed to launch a hidden desktop session and stream its contents to the attacker. The "hvnc_start_chrome_injected" and "hvnc_start_browser_injected" commands target Chrome and other browsers, attempting to force-relaunch them with malicious modifications. The "hvnc_lookup" command resolves executable file paths on the victim's system.
On macOS, the hidden virtual desktop and DLL injection features are currently stubs. They are present in the code but not fully functional, returning "HVNC not supported on this platform" when triggered. Process injection into a hidden desktop session and DLL payload extraction are also Windows-only at this time.
That said, persistence and input event capture work on both platforms. These features alone allow an attacker to monitor what the user types and clicks, which can be used for credential theft and surveillance. Browser-related injection commands are included in the macOS build, though their effectiveness on macOS is more limited than on Windows.
| Name | Overlord Malware |
| Threat Type | Remote Access Trojan (RAT), Mac malware, Mac virus |
| Detection Names | Combo Cleaner (Trojan.Generic.39911815), ESET-NOD32 (OSX/Spy.Agent.AO Trojan), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan-Spy.OSX.Agent.n), Symantec (OSX.Trojan.Gen), Full List (VirusTotal) |
| Symptoms | Remote Access Trojans are designed to stealthily infiltrate the victim's computer and remain silent, and thus no particular symptoms are clearly visible on an infected machine. |
| Possible distribution methods | Infected email attachments, malicious online advertisements, social engineering, software vulnerabilities, software 'cracks'. |
| Damage | Stolen passwords and banking information, identity theft, the victim's computer added to a botnet, additional infections, monetary loss, account hijacking, full system compromise. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) |
To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. Download Combo CleanerTo use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by RCS LT, the parent company of PCRisk.com. |
Conclusion
Overlord is a Go-based RAT that can give attackers persistent remote access to infected Macs. Even in its current macOS form, where several advanced features remain as stubs, it captures input events and maintains a live C2 connection.
Victims are at risk of credential theft, browser hijacking, and surveillance. As the project is under active development, its macOS capabilities may grow over time. If Overlord is detected on a device, it should be removed immediately.
More examples of malware targeting macOS are GolangGhost, notnullOSX, and NovaStealer.
How did Overlord infiltrate my computer?
The exact methods used to distribute Overlord are not fully confirmed. First detections were recorded in South Korea, and it is not certain whether the malware has been deployed against real victims or is still in a testing and development phase.
Generally, RATs and similar malware reach victims through phishing emails and social engineering tactics. Malicious programs are typically disguised as legitimate software or bundled with pirated content. In many cases, simply opening an infected file or installer is enough to trigger the infection.
Other common distribution methods include drive-by downloads, fake software installers from third-party sites, peer-to-peer sharing platforms, software cracks, and malicious links sent through email or messaging apps. Some RATs can also spread through local networks or removable storage devices once a foothold is established on one machine.
How to avoid malware?
Be cautious with unexpected emails, links, or attachments, especially from unknown senders. Download software only from official sources such as the Mac App Store or an official developer's website. Avoid pirated programs, key generators, and cracked applications, as these commonly carry hidden malware.
Keep macOS and all installed applications up to date, and be careful with pop-ups, browser notifications, and ads from unfamiliar websites. Use a reputable security tool and perform regular scans. If your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate all threats.
Overlord RAT promoted on GitHub:
Instant automatic malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
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Quick menu:
Unwanted applications removal:
Remove potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:
Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX","NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.
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Mac malware removal and recovery procedure
Common Mac malware behaviors
VisibleAdware injection - browser hijackers and fake search engines
The most common Mac malware. Replaces your default search engine, homepage, or new-tab page with a lookalike domain that funnels every query through ad networks before passing it to a real provider. Often arrives bundled with cracked apps, fake Flash Player updates, or "free media player" downloads (MPlayerX, NicePlayer).
HiddenLaunchAgent / LaunchDaemon persistence
The standard way Mac malware survives reboots. A small .plist file in /Library/LaunchAgents/, /Library/LaunchDaemons/, or ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ tells launchd to run the malware at every login or boot. The .plist often picks a generic-looking name like com.apple.AdobeFlash.plist or com.system.helper.plist to blend in among legitimate Apple files.
HiddenConfiguration Profile abuse
Configuration Profiles are an enterprise feature - they let an IT department enforce policy on managed Macs (homepage, DNS, certificates, password rules). Adware abuses this by silently installing a Profile that locks the browser homepage, default search, or DNS server at the OS level. Manual browser reset doesn't help - the Profile reapplies the hijack. Check System Settings → General → Device Management (or "Profiles" on older macOS).
VisibleFake update prompts (FlashPlayer.dmg variants)
"Your Flash Player is out of date" or "Update your browser to view this content." Adobe killed Flash in 2020 - any current "Flash update" prompt is malware. The Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS) family heavily uses this trick to deliver info-stealers that grab browser passwords, keychain items, and crypto wallet seed phrases. Apple's Software Update never appears as a browser pop-up.
SymptomCryptominer CPU usage
Fans spin loudly, the Mac runs hot, battery drains fast, Activity Monitor shows a process near 100% CPU. Cryptominers run silently in the background to mint cryptocurrency for the attacker. Often delivered via cracked apps from torrent sites, browser extensions, or supply-chain compromises in legitimate Mac software.
HiddenInfo stealing - AMOS, Banshee, Cthulhu, RustDoor
Modern Mac stealer families - AMOS (Atomic macOS Stealer), Banshee, Cthulhu, and RustDoor are the most active - read browser-saved passwords, cookies, autofill data, the macOS Keychain, crypto wallet seed phrases (Exodus, Electrum, Trezor Suite, MetaMask, etc.), and Apple Notes. AMOS is the most prolific overall, distributed via fake software installers, cracked apps, and fake "Spotlight" or "ChatGPT" sites. Once data is exfiltrated, the malware often deletes itself, leaving little trace - which is why credential rotation in Step 10 is critical even after the infection appears gone.
Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar (or open Control Center) and turn Wi-Fi off. If you're on Ethernet, unplug the cable. This stops any active info-stealer or backdoor from sending data out or accepting commands. Keep the network off until you've booted into Safe Mode (next step) - you'll reconnect there briefly to download the scanner.
macOS Safe Mode loads only Apple-trusted kernel extensions and skips most third-party LaunchAgents and user login items, so persistent Mac malware doesn't auto-run while you set up the scanner. Network access works normally in Safe Mode.
- Choose
- Wait until the Mac is fully off
- Press and hold the Power button until "Loading startup options" appears
- Select your startup disk (usually "Macintosh HD")
- Hold Shift, then click Continue in Safe Mode
- Log in - the menu bar will show "Safe Boot" in red
Intel-based Mac
- Choose
- Immediately press and hold the Shift key as the Mac begins to boot
- Release Shift when the login window appears
- Log in - the menu bar will show "Safe Boot" in red
Once Safe Mode has loaded, turn Wi-Fi back on and download Combo Cleaner for Mac. Save the .dmg to your Desktop. You can disconnect Wi-Fi again before scanning if you want extra caution.
Open Activity Monitor (, or Cmd+Space and type "Activity Monitor"). Sort by CPU usage to spot cryptominers and runaway processes.
Click each unfamiliar process and choose (Cmd+I) to see:
- Path - anything in
/private/tmp/,~/Library/Application Support/<random-name>/, or with a generic-looking bundle ID is suspicious - Code signing - Apple's processes are signed by "Apple" or "Software Signing." Adhoc-signed or unsigned binaries from third parties warrant investigation
- Open Files and Ports - shows what the process is touching on disk and network
Download KnockKnock by Objective-See (Patrick Wardle's free tool, the Mac equivalent of Sysinternals Autoruns). It lists every place macOS malware can persist in a single window: LaunchAgents, LaunchDaemons, Login Items, Cron Jobs, Browser Extensions, Kernel Extensions, Authorization Plug-ins, Mail Plug-ins, Quicklook, Spotlight, and more.
Run KnockKnock and toggle "Filter Signed Items" to focus on unsigned or non-Apple-signed entries. Click any suspicious item to see its file path and code-signing status.
If you'd rather check manually, open Finder → (Shift+Cmd+G) and visit each path:
/Library/LaunchAgents/- system-wide, runs at login for any user/Library/LaunchDaemons/- system-wide, runs at boot before login~/Library/LaunchAgents/- user-level, runs at this user's login~/Library/Application Support/- where adware drops its data folder, often with a random or app-mimicking name
Then check additional persistence locations in System Settings:
- Login Items & Extensions - . Click anything you don't recognize and remove it
- Background Items - same panel, "Allow in the Background" section. Mac malware often shows up as a background item with an obscure name
- Configuration Profiles - (or "Profiles" on older macOS). Remove any Profile you didn't install yourself
<key>Program</key> and <key>ProgramArguments</key> values tell you exactly what executable runs and from where. Don't delete yet - write down the file paths and entry names. We'll remove them after the Combo Cleaner scan in Step 7.
Mac malware sometimes redirects bank, Apple, antivirus, and update domains to attacker-controlled servers via the hosts file or DNS settings.
Hosts file: Open Terminal () and run:
sudo nano /etc/hosts
Legitimate entries are commented with #. Any uncommented IP-to-domain mapping is suspicious - especially redirects for apple.com, icloud.com, your bank, or your password manager. Press Ctrl+X to exit nano without saving.
DNS settings: → click your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) → Details → DNS. Confirm DNS servers point to your ISP, your router, or a known public resolver (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Google 8.8.8.8). Anything else has been hijacked.
chase.com and you'll be at the attacker's clone.Open the .dmg you downloaded in Step 2. Drag the Combo Cleaner icon to the Applications folder. Open it from Launchpad (or Applications), allow it to update its threat database, then click Start Combo Scan and let it complete fully. Review what it found and apply the recommended actions.
Reopen KnockKnock (or revisit the Finder paths from Step 4). Anything you flagged that's still present hasn't been caught by the automated scan. For each remaining suspicious entry:
- Note the executable path the .plist references (right-click the .plist → Open With → TextEdit, look at
<key>Program</key>) - Move the .plist to Trash
- Move the executable file at the referenced path to Trash
- Empty the Trash
Then go to /Applications and remove any unwanted apps the malware installed. Common adware-installed app names: MPlayerX, NicePlayer, MyShopcoupon, Advanced Mac Cleaner, Mac Cleanup Pro. Drag them to Trash, then check ~/Library/Application Support/ for any folder with the same name and delete it too.
Mac adware persists in browser extensions, search engine settings, homepage, and notification permissions. Reset each browser you use:
- Safari: - uninstall anything you don't recognize. Then - restore your preferred default search engine. Then - remove all unfamiliar sites. For a deep reset: → "all history."
- Chrome: visit
chrome://settings/reset→ "Restore settings to their original defaults." Thenchrome://settings/content/notificationsand remove unfamiliar sites. - Firefox: open
about:support→ Refresh Firefox. Then check .
Review installed extensions in each browser and remove anything you don't recognize, especially extensions you didn't install yourself.
Some Mac malware tries to weaken built-in security to make persistence easier. Verify each is on:
- Gatekeeper (blocks unsigned apps): → scroll to Allow applications downloaded from → confirm "App Store and identified developers" is selected (not "Anywhere"). If the malware added itself to the allow-list, the entry appears in the same panel - remove it.
- FileVault (full-disk encryption): → confirm "FileVault is on for this disk." If it was disabled by malware, turn it back on.
- System Integrity Protection (SIP): open Terminal and run
csrutil status. Output should be "System Integrity Protection status: enabled." If disabled, you'll need to reboot into Recovery Mode and runcsrutil enablefrom there.
Then run macOS Software Update () to apply the latest security patches.
If the malware was an info-stealer (AMOS, Banshee, Cthulhu, or RustDoor families are extremely common on Mac), assume every password saved in your browser is compromised. So is your iCloud Keychain if it was unlocked while the malware ran. Change passwords from a different, known-clean device - your iPhone is fine if it's not infected.
Recommended order:
- Apple ID first - it controls iCloud, Find My, Apple Pay, and the App Store
- Primary email - the recovery hub for everything else
- Banking and financial accounts
- Password manager master password (if you use one)
- Crypto wallet seed phrases - if you store any seed phrase or private key on the Mac, AMOS specifically targets these. Move funds to a fresh wallet from a clean device immediately, before changing other passwords
- Social media, shopping, and remaining accounts
Where available, enable phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (passkeys / hardware keys / authenticator apps) - SMS-based MFA is bypassable.
Reconnect to the network and run one final full scan with Combo Cleaner. Open and confirm nothing suspicious has reappeared. Open Activity Monitor and verify no unfamiliar process is using significant CPU.
Over the next 7 days, watch for symptom recurrence: high CPU when the Mac is idle, browser redirects returning, fake update prompts, or unfamiliar Login Items reappearing. If anything returns, you missed a persistence point and the procedure needs to be repeated - or you may have a deeper compromise that requires a clean macOS reinstall.
When to reinstall macOS instead
Manual removal isn't always the right answer. Reinstalling macOS from scratch is the only way to be 100% certain when:
- The malware reappears after every removal attempt
- A kernel extension or system-level component was modified
- Confirmed credential-theft malware ran with admin rights - the system likely has multiple unknown payloads
- The Mac is used for online banking, crypto wallets, business email, or anything where partial doubt isn't acceptable
macOS reinstall is straightforward: shut down → boot to Recovery (Apple Silicon: hold the Power button → Options; Intel: Cmd+R during boot) → Erase Mac → Reinstall macOS. Back up documents to external storage first, scan the backup with Combo Cleaner before restoring it, and reinstall apps fresh - never restore them from a backup of the infected system.
Important: Manual removal of Mac malware requires care - deleting the wrong .plist or system app can prevent macOS from booting normally. If you're not confident identifying system files from malicious files, run an automated scan with Combo Cleaner for Mac and stop there - that path catches the vast majority of consumer Mac malware without the risk of breaking macOS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
My computer is infected with Overlord malware, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?
Formatting will fully remove Overlord, but it will also delete all data stored on the device. Before taking such a drastic step, it is generally better to first attempt removal using a trusted security tool like Combo Cleaner.
What are the biggest issues that Overlord malware can cause?
Overlord can give an attacker persistent remote access to an infected Mac, including the ability to capture keystrokes and attempt browser hijacking. This can result in stolen credentials, account hijacking, identity theft, and in more serious cases, full system compromise.
What is the purpose of Overlord malware?
The purpose of Overlord is to give attackers remote control over infected devices. It is designed to maintain a persistent C2 connection, capture keyboard and mouse input, and attempt browser hijacking, enabling ongoing surveillance and credential theft.
How did Overlord malware infiltrate my computer?
Malware is mainly distributed via trojans, drive-by downloads, phishing emails, malicious attachments, pirated software, cracking tools, and fake updates. Some programs can also spread through local networks or removable storage devices.
Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?
Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove most known threats. However, advanced malware may hide deep within the system, so running a full scan is always recommended to ensure complete removal.
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Tomas Meskauskas
Expert security researcher, professional malware analyst
I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats.
PCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT.
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DonatePCrisk security portal is brought by a company RCS LT.
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