Browsing tag

cryptocurrency

Hackers Using Trojanized macOS Apps to Deploy Evasive Cryptocurrency Mining Malware

Trojanized versions of legitimate applications are being used to deploy evasive cryptocurrency mining malware on macOS systems. Jamf Threat Labs, which made the discovery, said the XMRig coin miner was executed by means of an unauthorized modification in Final Cut Pro, a video editing software from Apple. “This malware makes use of the Invisible Internet […]

Financially Motivated Threat Actor Strikes with New Ransomware and Clipper Malware

A new financially motivated campaign that commenced in December 2022 has seen the unidentified threat actor behind it deploying a novel ransomware strain dubbed MortalKombat and a clipper malware known as Laplas. Cisco Talos said it “observed the actor scanning the internet for victim machines with an exposed remote desktop protocol (RDP) port 3389.” The […]

Russian Hacker Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Linked to Ryuk Ransomware

A Russian national on February 7, 2023, pleaded guilty in the U.S. to money laundering charges and for attempting to conceal the source of funds obtained in connection with Ryuk ransomware attacks. Denis Mihaqlovic Dubnikov, 30, was arrested in Amsterdam in November 2021 before he was extradited from the Netherlands in August 2022. He is […]

New Threat: Stealthy HeadCrab Malware Compromised Over 1,200 Redis Servers

At least 1,200 Redis database servers worldwide have been corralled into a botnet using an “elusive and severe threat” dubbed HeadCrab since early September 2021. “This advanced threat actor utilizes a state-of-the-art, custom-made malware that is undetectable by agentless and traditional anti-virus solutions to compromise a large number of Redis servers,” Aqua security researcher Asaf […]

Bitzlato Crypto Exchange Founder Arrested for Aiding Cybercriminals

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday announced the arrest of Anatoly Legkodymov (aka Gandalf and Tolik), the cofounder of Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato, for allegedly processing $700 million in illicit funds. The 40-year-old Russian national, who was arrested in Miami, was charged in a U.S. federal court with “conducting a money transmitting […]

Cryptocurrency Mining Campaign Hits Linux Users with Go-based CHAOS Malware

A cryptocurrency mining attack targeting the Linux operating system also involved the use of an open source remote access trojan (RAT) dubbed CHAOS. The threat, which was spotted by Trend Micro in November 2022, remains virtually unchanged in all other aspects, including when it comes to terminating competing malware, security software, and deploying the Monero […]

Researchers ‘Accidentally’ Crash KmsdBot Cryptocurrency Mining Botnet Network

An ongoing analysis into an up-and-coming cryptocurrency mining botnet known as KmsdBot has led to it being accidentally taken down. KmsdBot, as christened by the Akamai Security Intelligence Response Team (SIRT), came to light mid-November 2022 for its ability to brute-force systems with weak SSH credentials. The botnet strikes both Windows and Linux devices spanning […]

Hackers Using Trending TikTok ‘Invisible Challenge’ to Spread Malware

Threat actors are capitalizing on a popular TikTok challenge to trick users into downloading information-stealing malware, according to new research from Checkmarx. The trend, called Invisible Challenge, involves applying a filter known as Invisible Body that just leaves behind a silhouette of the person’s body. But the fact that individuals filming such videos could be […]

This Malware Installs Malicious Browser Extensions to Steal Users’ Passwords and Cryptos

A malicious extension for Chromium-based web browsers has been observed to be distributed via a long-standing Windows information stealer called ViperSoftX. Czech-based cybersecurity company dubbed the rogue browser add-on VenomSoftX owing to its standalone features that enable it to access website visits, steal credentials and clipboard data, and even swap cryptocurrency addresses via an adversary-in-the-middle […]

Researchers Warn of Cyber Criminals Using Go-based Aurora Stealer Malware

A nascent Go-based malware known as Aurora Stealer is being increasingly deployed as part of multiple campaigns designed to steal sensitive information from compromised hosts. “These infection chains leveraged phishing pages impersonating download pages of legitimate software, including cryptocurrency wallets or remote access tools, and the 911 method making use of YouTube videos and SEO-poised […]

New Laplas Clipper Malware Targeting Cryptocurrency Users via SmokeLoader

Cryptocurrency users are being targeted with a new clipper malware strain dubbed Laplas by means of another malware known as SmokeLoader. SmokeLoader, which is delivered by means of weaponized documents sent through spear-phishing emails, further acts as a conduit for other commodity trojans like SystemBC and Raccoon Stealer 2.0, according to an analysis from Cyble. […]

New Cryptojacking Campaign Targeting Vulnerable Docker and Kubernetes Instances

A new cryptojacking campaign has been uncovered targeting vulnerable Docker and Kubernetes infrastructures as part of opportunistic attacks designed to illicitly mine cryptocurrency. Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike dubbed the activity Kiss-a-dog, with its command-and-control infrastructure overlapping with those associated with other groups like TeamTNT, which are known to strike misconfigured Docker and Kubernetes instances. The intrusions, […]

Multiple Campaigns Exploit VMware Vulnerability to Deploy Crypto Miners and Ransomware

A now-patched vulnerability in VMware Workspace ONE Access has been observed being exploited to deliver both cryptocurrency miners and ransomware on affected machines. “The attacker intends to utilize a victim’s resources as much as possible, not only to install RAR1Ransom for extortion, but also to spread GuardMiner to collect cryptocurrency,” Fortinet FortiGuard Labs researcher Cara […]

Over 39,000 Unauthenticated Redis Instances Found Exposed on the Internet

An unknown attacker targeted tens of thousands of unauthenticated Redis servers exposed on the internet in an attempt to install a cryptocurrency miner. It’s not immediately known if all of these hosts were successfully compromised. Nonetheless, it was made possible by means of a “lesser-known technique” designed to trick the servers into writing data to […]

Hackers Targeting WebLogic Servers and Docker APIs for Mining Cryptocurrencies

Malicious actors such as Kinsing are taking advantage of both recently disclosed and older security flaws in Oracle WebLogic Server to deliver cryptocurrency-mining malware. Cybersecurity company Trend Micro said it found the financially-motivated group leveraging the vulnerability to drop Python scripts with capabilities to disable operating system (OS) security features such as Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux), […]

New Stealthy Shikitega Malware Targeting Linux Systems and IoT Devices

A new piece of stealthy Linux malware called Shikitega has been uncovered adopting a multi-stage infection chain to compromise endpoints and IoT devices and deposit additional payloads. “An attacker can gain full control of the system, in addition to the cryptocurrency miner that will be executed and set to persist,” AT&T Alien Labs said in […]

Crypto Miners Using Tox P2P Messenger as Command and Control Server

Threat actors have begun to use the Tox peer-to-peer instant messaging service as a command-and-control method, marking a shift from its earlier role as a contact method for ransomware negotiations. The findings from Uptycs, which analyzed an Executable and Linkable Format (ELF) artifact (“72client“) that functions as a bot and can run scripts on the […]

SOVA Android Banking Trojan Returns With New Capabilities and Targets

The SOVA Android banking trojan is continuing to be actively developed with upgraded capabilities to target no less than 200 mobile applications, including banking apps and crypto exchanges and wallets, up from 90 apps when it started out. That’s according to the latest findings from Italian cybersecurity firm Cleafy, which found newer versions of the […]

Tornado Cash Developer Arrested After U.S. Sanctions the Cryptocurrency Mixer

Dutch authorities on Friday announced the arrest of a software developer in Amsterdam who is alleged to be working for Tornado Cash, days after the U.S. sanctioned the decentralized crypto mixing service. The 29-year-old individual is “suspected of involvement in concealing criminal financial flows and facilitating money laundering” through the service, the Dutch Fiscal Information […]

Hackers Increasingly Using WebAssembly Coded Cryptominers to Evade Detection

As many as 207 websites have been infected with malicious code designed to launch a cryptocurrency miner by leveraging WebAssembly (Wasm) on the browser. Web security company Sucuri, which published details of the campaign, said it launched an investigation after one of its clients had their computer slowed down significantly every time upon navigating to […]