Hackers Use Infected PC Games to Make Millions of Mining Cryptocurrencies

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Antivirus company Avast has discovered new malware named Crackonosh which is hidden in free versions of popular PC games. The malware hijacks your computer for use in crypto mining.

Crypto mining malware is hidden deep within versions of popular titles like Grand Theft Auto V, Far Cry 5, The Sims 4 and Jurassic World Evolution as well as various games in the NBA2K series. It should be noted that the versions of these games that are affected are not from legitimate sources, rather they are pirated copies making the rounds on forums and torrent sites.

Once downloaded and installed, Crackonosh then feels at home in the computer’s processor to hijack it and use it to mine cryptocurrencies for hackers. Reports so far show that Crackonosh mining malware has made more than $ 2 million in crypto from its creators since June 2018. The coin Crackonosh is focusing on mining is Monero.

In an interview with CNBC, Daniel Benes, researcher for Avast, said that the malware takes all the resources available to the computer, so the computer does not respond. Benes also said that users will notice their computers are slower and continue to see performance degradation due to overuse. The malware does well to protect itself by disabling Windows updates and uninstalling your antivirus software. Avast said it believes the Crackonosh malware is of Czech origin, with its name meaning mountain spirit in local lore.

By some estimates, more than 200,000 Avast users worldwide have been infected by nearly 1,000 additional devices exposed daily. It was only Avast users who were affected, the total number of infections worldwide is likely to be much larger.

Crackonosh attack is only the latest to target gamers

Crackonosh isn’t the first time cybercriminals have targeted video games to help them carry out attacks. While many of these attacks target players who acquire their software illegally, some end up in legitimate copies of games distributed online.

A recent hacking campaign involving Steam, one of the most popular places online to buy digital copies of games, was attempted earlier in June. According to Akamai, cyber attacks on gamers have jumped about 350% since the start of the pandemic.

Benes concludes his statements on this by saying that as long as players continue to download illegal and unregulated games, attackers will continue to target and profit from them. The key to remember is that you really can’t get something for nothing, and when you’re trying to steal software there’s a good chance someone is trying to steal from you.

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