What’s the Deal with macOS EDR?
Why EDR on macOS continues to be a challenge and what we can do about it.
From Oatmeal to Elegance
Moving from defense contracting to a silicon-based company was both jarring and exciting. Instead of paying 50 cents for lukewarm coffee and cramming oatmeal mixed with protein powder before heading into the SCIF, I now had access to a plethora of free snacks. Where there were chains of command, there were open floorplans. And instead of an underperforming Windows machine, I now had access to a brand-new MacBook. Almost a decade ago, I switched my default operating system, and I haven't looked back.
Ironically, the open, elegant design (yes, I'm biased) and the increasingly tired status symbol of MacBooks is juxtaposed with a locked-down operating system and, in my opinion, a stark lack of feature parity between macOS and Windows-based endpoint security capabilities. This brings us to the question at hand: What's the deal with macOS EDR? Why is it still so challenging, and what's changing in the landscape?
Why macOS EDR and Detections Are Challenging
Architectural and Design Limitations
macOS is built with a privacy-first mindset, prioritizing user control and data security over external visibility. While this makes it a great choice for individual users, it presents challenges for EDR vendors:
System Integrity Protection (SIP) and the read-only system volume restrict what even administrative users can do, limiting what EDR tools can monitor and modify.
Apple's Endpoint Security Framework (ESF), which replaced kernel extensions (kexts), provides telemetry but lacks the granularity of tools like Sysmon or ETW on Windows. For example, ESF can track file access and process events but doesn't allow deeper insights into in-memory activity or system call inspection.
Limited Telemetry Access
Unlike Windows, macOS doesn't come with robust built-in tools for security monitoring, leaving third-party vendors with fewer data sources to work with:
Unified Logging Noise: macOS's logging system is verbose and often overwhelming. Critical events are buried in a sea of irrelevant logs, making it hard to detect subtle threats.
Lack of Standardized Tools: The absence of native equivalents to tools like Sysmon forces vendors to rely on custom integrations or external utilities, increasing complexity and reducing consistency.
EDR Vendor Legacy Focus on Windows
For years, Windows dominated enterprise environments, and EDR vendors naturally prioritized it:
Market Dynamics: With its larger attack surface and broader adoption, Windows was a more lucrative target for both attackers and defenders.
macOS as Secondary: macOS was historically seen as less critical, leading to fewer resources and less mature detection capabilities.
Complexity of macOS Threat Landscape
macOS-specific threats present unique challenges:
Persistence Mechanisms: Attackers use LaunchDaemons, LaunchAgents, and System Configuration Profiles, which differ greatly from Windows techniques like registry modifications or DLL injections.
Developer and Executive Usage: macOS is popular among developers and executives who run unsigned binaries, custom scripts, and development tools, creating noisy telemetry and making it harder to separate benign activity from malicious behavior.
Threat Intelligence Gaps: Most threat intelligence has historically focused on Windows malware families, leaving macOS threats like Shlayer and Silver Sparrow under-researched.
What's Changing? Why Is macOS Getting More Attention?
macOS adoption in enterprises is growing, driven by a shift to remote work. Employees increasingly prefer macOS for its portability, design, and ecosystem integration. Executives and developers often use macOS, making it a prime target for attackers seeking sensitive intellectual property.
Evolving Threat Landscape
As Windows defenses have matured, attackers are increasingly shifting focus to macOS:
Tailored Malware: Examples like Silver Sparrow, which targets M1 chips, and XLoader, a macOS variant of a popular Windows malware family, highlight this shift.
Sophisticated Techniques: Modern macOS malware includes features like credential theft, cryptojacking, and privilege escalation, driving the need for more advanced detection capabilities.
Apple's Changing Stance
While Apple has historically been restrictive, some recent changes show promise:
Endpoint Security Framework (ESF): Though limited, ESF provides a structured API for accessing macOS events, enabling vendors to implement better detections.
Enterprise Focus: Partnerships with Jamf and tools like Apple Business Essentials indicate that Apple is taking enterprise security needs more seriously.
Vendor Investments in macOS
Cross-Platform Coverage: EDR vendors are now prioritizing macOS as enterprises demand parity across platforms.
Custom Heuristics: Vendors are building macOS-specific detection logic to address unique challenges like LaunchAgent modifications and Keychain abuse.
It's clear that macOS' popularity is prompting attackers and defenders to adapt. Apple is getting more open, vendors are investing more, and attackers have noticed enterprise install bases.
The Bottom Line
macOS EDR struggles due to architectural barriers, limited telemetry, and historical market dynamics, but the situation is improving as enterprise adoption grows and vendors prioritize macOS security.
Here's the high-level view:
Challenges:
Privacy-First Architecture: SIP, sandboxing, and immutable system volumes restrict visibility.
Telemetry Limitations: ESF is a step forward but lacks the granularity of Windows tools.
Threat Intelligence Gaps: macOS-specific threats are less researched, leaving detection rules less robust.
These challenges create a perfect storm for security professionals. We're often left feeling like we're trying to secure a house where we can only see through certain windows, using alarm systems designed for a different building altogether. For years, the industry has accepted this limitation as "just how it is" but that attitude is finally starting to change.
What's Driving Change:
Enterprise Adoption: Growing use of macOS in corporate environments increases demand for robust tools.
Evolving Threats: Sophisticated malware targeting macOS is forcing vendors to adapt.
Apple's Tools: ESF and enterprise-focused features are creating new opportunities for visibility.
Change is good…and change is hard. With a Windows-centric approach to endpoint security dominating the past few decades, transitioning resources is like trying to turn a cargo ship. This will take time, but I’m sure that a course towards bluer waters (excuse the aquatic pun) is on the horizon.
Tools of the Trade: What You Can Do Today
While we wait for vendor solutions to mature, I've found myself reaching for the same handful of tools time and again. These have been my survival kit in the macOS security wilderness:
OSquery: An open-source tool for endpoint visibility, allowing you to query macOS systems using SQL-like syntax. Great for monitoring file system changes, process activity, and network connections. I've used this to hunt down suspicious persistence mechanisms that commercial EDR tools missed entirely.
Objective-See: A suite of free macOS security tools from Patrick Wardle (a legend in the macOS security community), including:
LuLu: A firewall to block unauthorized network traffic. It's caught beaconing malware for me on multiple occasions.
KnockKnock: Detects persistently installed software. Perfect for that "what changed?" moment after a suspicious user action.
BlockBlock: Monitors persistent system modifications in real-time. Think of it as your canary in the coal mine for macOS.
macOS-Specific Threat Intel:
MITRE ATT&CK macOS Matrix: A great resource for understanding macOS-specific TTPs. I print this out and keep it at my desk.
If you've found other great (preferably inexpensive or free) resources, please share in the comments! We're all learning together in this space.
The Road Ahead for macOS EDR
The shift toward enterprise macOS adoption, combined with increased attacker interest and evolving malware sophistication, is forcing EDR vendors to prioritize macOS. While challenges remain, advancements in telemetry access, algorithmic detection, and macOS-specific heuristics are slowly closing the gap.
In the meantime, tools like OSquery and Objective-See, combined with proactive hardening practices, can help you secure your macOS endpoints. As we continue to push for better parity with Windows security tools, it's clear that macOS security is no longer an afterthought…it's a necessity.
Stay secure and stay curious, my friends!
Damien
Great post!