Cybersecurity company Varonis has discovered a new cryptojacking virus, dubbed “Norman,” that aims to mine the cryptocurrency Monero (XMR) and evade detection. Varonis published a report about Norman on Aug.14. According to the report, Varonis found Norman as one of many cryptojacking viruses deployed in an attack that infected machines at a mid-size company. Hackers and cybercriminals deploy cryptojacking hardware to use the computing power of unsuspecting users’ machines to mine cryptocurrencies like the privacy oriented coin Monero. Norman in particular is a crypto miner based on XMRig, which is described in the report as a high-performance miner for Monero …
Cybersecurity company Trend Micro claims to have detected a web address spreading a botnet featuring a monero (XMR) mining component alongside a backdoor. The malware was described on Trend Micro’s official blog on June 13. Per the report, the firm attributes the malware to Outlaw Hacking Group, as the techniques employed are almost the same used in its previous operations. The software in question also holds Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) capabilities, “allowing the cybercriminals to monetize their botnet through cryptocurrency mining and by offering DDoS-for-hire services.” Trend Micro also believes that the creators of the malware in question are …
The Blue Mockingbird malware gang has infected more than 1,000 business systems with Monero mining malware since December 2019. The global scale of the hacker group’s operations was revealed by cloud security firm Red Canary on May 26. The report outlined the group’s methodology. The malware attacks servers running ASP.NET applications and exploits a vulnerability to install a web shell on the attacked computer and obtain administrator-level access to modify the server settings. Next, the cybercriminals install the XMRRig application to take advantage of the resources of the infected machines. Most of the infected computers belong to large companies, though …
French police have shut down a massive botnet that has been used for Monero (XMR) cryptojacking. Cryptojacking backed by “massive firepower” BBC News reported the development on Aug. 27. According to the police, the botnet was distributed by sending virus-laden emails with offers for erotic pictures or fast cash, and further propogated through infected USB drives. The virus, called Retadup, ultimately infected 850,000 computers in over 100 countries — thus creating a massive botnet. The chief of C3N — the French police’s cybercrime unit — Jean-Dominique Nollet spoke on France Inter radio about the power of a botnet this size, …
Three strains of crypto mining malware have topped the latest Global Threat Index from Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point, according to a press release published on Jan. 14. Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. is a security solution provider for governments and enterprises globally, with over 100,000 organizations reported to be currently using its security management system. As reported, stealth crypto mining attacks — also known as cryptojacking — work by installing malware that uses a computer’s processing power to mine for cryptocurrencies without the owner’s consent or knowledge. According to Check Point’s Global Threat Index for December 2018, the top …