Home technology cyber-security A New Malware, 2.3 Million Cryptocurrency addresses at risk

A New Malware, 2.3 Million Cryptocurrency addresses at risk

Cyber Security

CIO Bulletin
2018-07-05

A new malware has entered the fray to give cybersecurity a scare and it is called Cryptocurrency Clipboard hijackers. It has reportedly put 2.3 million crypto wallets in danger. The malware replaces the addresses in the Windows clipboard with another address of hacker’s choice. The crypto addresses are very long and usually copied and pasted for ease of use. As the change happens in the Windows clipboard most people would not even notice that the switch has occurred.

The malware uses an 82 MB DLL file that acts as a DirectX service. The DLL file has 2.5 million lines of Bitcoin addresses. The malware tends to work in the background so it is not easy to spot its activities.

With swapped addresses retrieving sent cryptocurrencies is close to impossible. Virus engines are now flagging this DLL file as dangerous to ensure the safety of the users. It is important that cryptocurrency users double-check where they are sending their crypto money before sending them. An anti-virus scan is also recommended to keep computers free of any malicious software. The issue can be totally avoided by not visiting suspicious websites.