Cryptominer hidden in pirated games lands mostly on Russian computers

Summary: Russian-speaking hackers are exploiting pirated games to distribute the cryptomining software XMRig to unsuspecting users, primarily targeting gamers in Russia and surrounding countries. The malicious versions of popular games, hosted on torrent sites, have been linked to a campaign that took advantage of the holiday season to increase infections. Researchers emphasize the potential for other malware to be included in such pirate distributions, highlighting the significant risks involved.

Affected: gamers and organizations in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Germany, Brazil

Keypoints :

• Malicious games like BeamNG.drive and Garry’s Mod were used to deliver XMRig cryptomining software.
• High piracy rates in Russia make gamers particularly vulnerable to such cyber attacks.
• The campaign coincided with the holiday season, exploiting reduced vigilance among users.
• Attackers employed a sophisticated execution chain to evade detection by antivirus software.
• Researchers identified the campaign as one with no clear attribution to known threat actors.