Wardle confirmed that Apple had approved code used by the popular Shlayer malware, which security firm Kaspersky said is the 'most common threat' that Macs faced in 2019. But Dantini and Wardle found that one malicious Flash installer had code notarized by Apple and would run on Macs. These campaigns are common and have been around for years - even if Flash is rarely used these days - and most run unnotarized code, which Macs block immediately when opened. Peter Dantini, working with Patrick Wardle, a well-known Mac security researcher, found a malware campaign disguised as an Adobe Flash installer. Microsoft Issues Emergency Update to their Malware Protection Engine. But security researchers say they have found the first Mac malware inadvertently notarized by Apple. Hwid Spoofer, Get unbanned, Remove Hwid ban, Hardware ID changer How the hwid. Apps that don't pass the security sniff test are denied, and are blocked from running. If approved, the Mac's in-built security screening software, Gatekeeper, allows the app to run. From a report: The process, which Apple calls 'notarization,' scans an app for security issues and malicious content. But last year Apple took its toughest approach yet by requiring developers to submit their apps for security checks in order to run on millions of Macs unhindered. Apple has some of the strictest rules to prevent malicious software from landing in its app store, even if on occasion a bad app slips through the net.