The Great Firewall Cracker
Benefit: Once installed, all apps on your Mac will access the internet through the Psiphon network.
| Feature | Legitimate | Malware Variant |
|---------|------------|------------------|
| File size | 28.4 MB | 12.1 MB (stripped of protocol handlers) |
| Info.plist | Contains CFBundleIdentifier = ca.psiphon.PsiphonVPN | Contains com.apple.softwareupdates (spoof) |
| Entitlements | com.apple.security.network.vpn, com.apple.security.application-groups | None (but requests root via AuthorizationExecuteWithPrivileges - deprecated API) |
| Network behavior | Connects to psiphon.ca, amazonaws.com, random UDP 443 | Connects to 185.130.5.xxx:4443 (known C2) |
| Persistence | None (on-demand launch) | Creates ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.helpd.plist | psiphon dmg download
Key features of Psiphon include:
He worked for three hours straight, his eyes burning. When he finally had everything, he moved his cursor to the Psiphon icon in the dock. He clicked Disconnect. The Great Firewall Cracker Benefit : Once installed,
Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, etc.): The official and most secure way to get Psiphon on macOS is via the Mac App Store.
What makes Psiphon special is its fallback chain. In a country that blocks WireGuard and OpenVPN, Psiphon will tunnel SSH over a random port via a domain front—mimicking HTTPS traffic to a news site. Most DMG-based VPNs can’t do that. Provides a standard
.dmg installer for Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs.The green checkmark turned gray. The tunnel collapsed.