It’s not uncommon to see different varieties of viruses and malware being offered for sale online by hackers. It’s quite common on Dark Web forums, where they trade it. However, it’s not as common to find malware that’s truly easy to use, allowing anyone to steal passwords or control devices. In this article, we’ll explore a rather sophisticated piece of malware that’s being sold.
We’re going to give you some recommendations so you can protect yourself and avoid problems. You should not only avoid being infected with this type of malware, but also with any other type that could affect your online privacy. They could easily steal your passwords, see everything you do online, etc.
Dangerous malware is put up for sale
Specifically, it’s the HiddenMiner malware. It has appeared on Dark Web forums, and security researchers who have detected it consider it to be quite sophisticated. It’s a Monero cryptocurrency miner with high stealth capabilities. This means the victim can have it on their computer without even realizing it.
But the most striking thing is that it’s very easy to use. This allows anyone, even those without extensive experience, to use it against other users. A significant problem, that many cybercriminals could start launching attacks of this type.
This threat targets Windows users, and the latest version allows for highly customized attacks. The attacker will have a wide range of capabilities. Furthermore, installation is very simple, requiring just one click, making things much easier for hackers.
It has a module known as AntiVM, which allows it to evade detection and analysis in virtual machine environments. It also doesn’t require administrator privileges to operate, which is an added problem. It hides processes and installation folders by implementing rootkit techniques.
If you’re wondering how much this type of malware costs online, the price is between €40 and €100. It varies depending on the features and options available. As you can see, it’s quite affordable for a cybercriminal who wants to exploit it, and it’s also designed so that anyone, even those with little experience, can use it.
Always protect yourself
So, what should you do to protect yourself and avoid being infected with this or any similar threat? First and foremost, use common sense. Be careful with any file you download from the Internet. Avoid installing software from unofficial sources and make sure you don’t make any configuration errors.
We also consider it essential to keep everything up-to-date. In many cases, vulnerabilities emerge that hackers can exploit. These bugs and security flaws are fixed through updates and keeping everything up to date with the latest versions and patches.
On the other hand, having a good antivirus is a great solution for detecting malware. Although you may encounter more evasive versions, like this HiddenMiner we discussed, good security software can be very useful in your daily life and reduce risks. There are even routers with antivirus.
