Hackers start spreading malware targeting crypto wallets through YouTube

Analysts believe that PennyWise is mainly targeting Zcash and Ethereum

06.07.2022 - 08:15

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What’s new? A malware called PennyWise has been discovered on YouTube. It can steal data from 30 crypto wallets, including cold ones, as well as from crypto-browser extensions and apps. Analysts at Cyble said that the malware is targeting Zcash and Ethereum. PennyWise is distributed under the guise of free mining software, with links placed under tutorial videos.

Cyble’s research

What else is known about the malware? Analysts reported that PennyWise is built using an unknown crypter, making it difficult to remove it. It can take screenshots of the screen to determine which country the victim is located in and stops working if it turns out that the user is in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, or Kazakhstan. According to experts, this is done to avoid checks by law enforcement agencies of these countries.

In February, hackers began spreading malware for illegal mining and password stealing through NFTs. ESET Threat Intelligence noted that hackers usually put viruses in game tokens that allegedly contain superpowers or rare weapons.

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