Malware Affects More Than 28,000 Individuals, Yielding Just $6,000 in Cryptocurrency

A recent surge of malware infections has affected more than 28,000 users, mainly targeting their devices to mine and expropriate cryptocurrency.

Nonetheless, despite the extensive nature of the operation, the hackers were able to secure only approximately $6,000 in digital assets, as reported by cybersecurity firm Doctor Web.

On October 8, Doctor Web disclosed that the malware, which masqueraded as legitimate software, infiltrated users’ devices by presenting itself as office applications, game cheats, and online trading bots.

Malware Affects Users in Various Countries

The malware’s influence spanned multiple countries, including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey.

The cybercriminals utilized advanced methods to avoid detection.

They employed password-protected archives to circumvent antivirus scans and disguised harmful files as system components.

The malware also leveraged legitimate software to execute malicious scripts, complicating the identification of the threat for users.

Once installed, the malware harnessed the computing power of the infected device to mine cryptocurrency.

Furthermore, it included a “Clipper” function that monitored and modified crypto wallet addresses copied to the device’s clipboard.

This enabled the attackers to substitute the user’s intended wallet address with one they controlled, redirecting funds to their own accounts.

The cybersecurity firm pointed out that many users became victims of the malware by downloading pirated software from counterfeit GitHub pages and harmful links found in YouTube video descriptions.

Doctor Web stressed the necessity of acquiring software from official sources to avert such infections.

While the malware succeeded in infecting tens of thousands of devices, the financial returns were unexpectedly low, with only about $6,000 taken through altered wallet addresses.

The profits from the crypto-mining operations remain uncertain.

This incident follows a warning issued in September by Binance, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange, regarding heightened activity from similar clipboard-altering malware, which resulted in significant losses for users.

More recently, it was disclosed that cybersecurity scammers are employing automated email responses to infiltrate systems and deploy stealthy crypto mining malware.

This follows another malware threat identified in August.

The “Cthulhu Stealer,” which targets MacOS systems, similarly disguises itself as legitimate software and aims at personal information, including MetaMask passwords, IP addresses, and cold wallet private keys.

Fraudulent Wallet App Expropriates $70K in Crypto

As reported, a deceptive crypto wallet application on Google Play has stolen $70,000 from users in a sophisticated scam that has been characterized as a world-first for exclusively targeting mobile users.

The malicious app, named WalletConnect, imitated the reputable WalletConnect protocol but was, in reality, a sophisticated scheme to drain crypto wallets.

The misleading app succeeded in tricking over 10,000 users into downloading it, according to Check Point Research (CPR), the cybersecurity firm that uncovered the scam.

The scammers behind the app were acutely aware of the common challenges faced by web3 users, such as compatibility issues and the lack of widespread support for WalletConnect across various wallets.

They cleverly promoted the fraudulent app as a solution to these issues, capitalizing on the absence of an official WalletConnect app on the Play Store.

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