Fake Google Translate Malware Infects 100K PCs With Monero (XMR) Crypto Mining Software
A Turkish-based cryptocurrency malware called ‘Nitrokod’ has infected over 100,000 personal computers across 11 countries.
A new report from cybersecurity firm Check Point Research found that a malware application disguised as a popular desktop application has been making its way across the globe, largely undetected since 2019.
Checkpoint researchers detected a crypto miner malware campaign, which potentially infected thousands of machines worldwide. Dubbed “Nitrokod”, the attack was initially found by Check Point XDR
Disguised Malware Penetrated User’s Applications
The application portrays itself as legitimate software like Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Inc’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) Google Translate and YouTube Music or Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Corporation’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Microsoft Translate.
After being installed on a user’s desktop, the trojanized malware unleashes a multi-stage infection that ends with crypto mining malware. To avoid detection, the malware was first executed only a month after Nitrokod was first installed, found security researchers.
The infection chain continued after a long delay using a scheduled task mechanism, giving the attackers time to clear the evidence, said Check Point Research. The cryptocurrency miner is installed on personal devices in stage 6 of the infection process. The miner installed corresponds to the privacy coin Monero (CRYPTO: MXR).
Unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum, Monero uses cryptography to shield the sender’s and receiver’s addresses and the amount transacted.
How Is Monero Secured
Monero (XMR) is a unique cryptocurrency that is designed to facilitate transactions as secretly as possible. The PoW network does not allow third parties outside of the two wallets involved to see information about their transactions.
The protocol includes the wallets’ transaction amounts, transaction histories, wallet balances, and addresses. Because an amount of MXR does not come attached to a public ledger the same way most cryptocurrencies do and therefore is completely untraceable, it is essentially more fungible than any prominent coin or token on the market, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Another thing that sets Monero apart is its unique dynamic block size, which grows or shrinks according to network demand. It is also set apart, by the way, it’s mined.
