Security News
Users looking to activate Windows without using a digital license or a product key are being targeted by tainted installers to deploy malware designed to plunder credentials and other information in cryptocurrency wallets. Deployed via cracked software, the latest attack involves the malware masquerading as KMSPico.
Threat actors are distributing altered KMSpico installers to infect Windows devices with malware that steals cryptocurrency wallets. KMSPico is a popular Microsoft Windows and Office product activator that emulates a Windows Key Management Services server to activate licenses fraudulently.
Threat actors are exploiting improperly-secured Google Cloud Platform instances to download cryptocurrency mining software to the compromised systems as well as abusing its infrastructure to install ransomware, stage phishing campaigns, and even generate traffic to YouTube videos for view count manipulation. "While cloud customers continue to face a variety of threats across applications and infrastructure, many successful attacks are due to poor hygiene and a lack of basic control implementation," Google's Cybersecurity Action Team outlined as part of its recent Threat Horizons report published last week.
I have long been annoyed that the word “crypto” has been co-opted by the blockchain people, and no longer refers to “cryptography.” I’m not the only one.
Cybersecurity researchers on Monday took the wraps off a new Android trojan that takes advantage of accessibility features on the devices to siphon credentials from banking and cryptocurrency services in Italy, the U.K., and the U.S. Dubbed "SharkBot" by Cleafy, the malware is designed to strike a total of 27 targets - counting 22 unnamed international banks in Italy and the U.K. as well as five cryptocurrency apps in the U.S. - at least since late October 2021 and is believed to be in its early stages of development, with no overlaps found to that of any known families. "The main goal of SharkBot is to initiate money transfers from the compromised devices via Automatic Transfer Systems technique bypassing multi-factor authentication mechanisms," the researchers said in a report.
China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has expelled a communist party member for allowing cryptocurrency mining to happen, corruption, and other infractions. A Saturday announcement by the commission stated that Xiao Yi, formerly a member and vice chairman of the Jiangxi Provincial Political Consultative Conference, was stripped of his post and lost his qualifications as a representative to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
The SQUID cryptocurrency peaked at a price of $2,861 before plummeting to $0 around 5:40 a.m. ET., according to the website CoinMarketCap. This kind of theft, commonly called a "Rug pull" by crypto investors, happens when the creators of the crypto quickly cash out their coins for real money, draining the liquidity pool from the exchange.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns that victims of various fraud schemes are increasingly asked by criminals to use cryptocurrency ATMs and Quick Response codes, making it harder to recover their financial losses. "The FBI has seen an increase in scammers directing victims to use physical cryptocurrency ATMs and digital QR codes to complete payment transactions," the federal law enforcement agency said.
In what maybe peak hype, Squid Game has its own cryptocurrency. As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven't covered.
Sadly, a lot of the cryptocurrency news that we write about on Naked Security involves cybercriminals getting mixed up in things, often with depressing results. Well, we're delighted to bring you much happier news today of a cryptocurrency "Venture" with a lighter side, this time under the "Leadership" of a certain Mr. Goxx.