Security News > 2021 > June > Hackers Crack Pirated Games with Cryptojacking Malware

A new Monero cryptojacking malware distributed via "Cracked" versions of popular online games is wiping out antivirus programs and surreptitiously mining cryptocurrency in more than a dozen countries, researchers have found.

Dubbed "Crackonosh," the malware - which has been active since June 2018 - lurks in pirated versions of Grand Theft Auto V, NBA 2K19 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 that gamers can download free in forums, according to a report posted online Thursday by researchers at Avast.

The name means "Mountain spirit" in Czech folklore, a reference to the researchers' belief that the creators of the malware are from the Czech Republic.

Cracked software is a version of commercial software that is often offered for free but often with a catch - the code of the software has been tampered with, typically to insert malware or for some other purpose beneficial to whoever cracked it.

The infection vector of the malware works like this: First someone downloads and installs the cracked software, the installer of which runs maintenance.

Researchers backtracked even further to get to the root of how the malware makes it onto an infected device, they explained.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/hackers-crack-pirated-games-malware/167263/