If you often download pirated apps or games, be careful. Because there are unscrupulous people who use pirated games to spread crypto miner malware.
Security researchers from antivirus manufacturer Avast discovered a new cryptocurrency mining malware called Crackonosh. The malware spread through popular games such as Grand Theft Auto V, NBA 2K19, and pirated versions of Pro Evolution Soccer 2018.
Avast says the Crackonosh malware is not immediately activated after the pirated game is installed and only attacks when the victim is unaware. This malware is only active after the PC has been restarted several times which then forces the system into safe mode, so that all software and security features are easily removed.
This malware can protect itself from detection by turning off Windows Update and removing all security software. If a mining program is already running, this malware can slow down your PC, cause components to crash, and make your electricity bill swell.
Avast only discovered this malware after several users reported that the antivirus software on their devices was suddenly deleted. Avast currently detects around 800 cases of infection per day, and in total there are already more than 222,000 cases.
Until now, the Crackanosh malware has been found in many countries such as the Philippines (18,448 victims), Brazil (16,584 victims), India (13,779 victims), Poland (12,727 victims), the United States (11,856 victims) and the United Kingdom (8,946 victims).
The main goal of Crackonosh is to install XMRig, a cryptocurrency miner. Through this operation, cybercriminals successfully mined Monero cryptocurrency amounting to USD 2 million or around Rp 14 billion.
"Crackonosh shows that trying to get free games can bring something unexpected - malware. And we can see this is very profitable for malware creators," said Christopher Budd from Avast, as quoted by the BBC, Monday (28/6/2021).
Avast also asks players to think again when they want to download pirated games, because if the game is free then something is usually stolen. This malware will not stop spreading as long as pirated games remain available on online forums.