Crackonosh operator earned nearly $2 million in Monero from GTA and The Sims fans

Since 2018, the creator of the malware Crackonosh has mined over 9,000 Monero ($1.8 million at current prices) using a hidden miner. Avast сообщила.

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The malware spreads Crackonosh through pirated copies of popular software, as well as the games NBA 2019, GTA V, Far Cry 5, The Sims 4 and Jurassic World Evolution.

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The malware can disable system updates and delete antivirus software, after which it installs the XMRig cryptominer.

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“The attack can be noticed by a sharp slowdown in the computer’s performance and high electricity bills,” Avast noted.

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Researchers have found more than 222,000 unique devices infected with Crackonosh. Each day, around 800 users fall victim. Most victims live in the United States, Brazil, India, Poland, and the Philippines.

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The malware operator is believed to be based in the Czech Republic.

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Earlier Avast released a report on increased activity Chinese botnet DirtyMoe. In the first half of 2021, the number of infected systems grew from 10,000 to 100,000. The majority of those affected are in Russia.

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