Crypto swiping malware infects 28K users, steals just $6K: Report

Malware has infected tens of thousands of users to take over their devices to mine and try to steal crypto — but it only ended up bagging around $6,000.

Cybersecurity firm Doctor Web reported on Oct. 8 that it detected malware disguising itself as legitimate software, such as office programs, game cheats, and online trading bots.

The cryptojacking and stealing software infected over 28,000 users, mainly in Russia but also in Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey.

The hackers were only able to get hold of about $6,000 worth of crypto, according to Doctor Web. However, it’s unknown how much the malware’s creator may have earned from crypto mining.

The cybersecurity firm said that the sources of the malware included fraudulent GitHub pages and YouTube video descriptions with malicious links.

Once a device is infected, stealthily deployed software hijacks computing resources to mine crypto.

A “Clipper” also monitors crypto wallet addresses users copy onto their device’s clipboard, and the malware replaces it with addresses controlled by the attacker — which is how they swiped a small crypto haul.