Researchers Spot New Cryptocurrency Stealing Malware Advertised Under a Subscription Model
A cryptocurrency-related malware program has been advertised on darknet forums as the “leading way to make money in 2021,” raising alarms among the cybersecurity community. Palo Alto Networks published a report on the malicious app Westeal which reveals the developer’s ties with other types of malware that steals major streaming services accounts.
Westeal Claims to Be Immune Against Major Antivirus Software
According to the security firm that handles cybersecurity, “Westeal” is an evolution from “Wesupply Crypto Stealer,” another malware-infected crypto program which has been available for sale since the month of May in 2020. Research suggests that Wesupply’s evolution was advertised in February 2021.
The study points out that Westeal was designed to basically take Bitcoin (BTC) and the cryptocurrency ethereum (ETH) going into as well as out of victim’s wallet by using their clipboard.
Moreover, people who acquire the malicious app get access to a website panel for handling all the actions and world market link includes the “victim tracker panel.”
One thing that causes concern about Palo Alto Networks is the fact that Westeal is believed to be immune to the most popular antivirus software.
The malware runs on an subscription model “Complexcodes,” the anon author of the app, earns money by charging 20 euro ($24) each month for three months, 50 euros ($60) in three-month periods, and 125 euros ($150) per year.
The Malware Is a ‘Shameless’ Crypto Stealer, Researchers Say
The cybersecurity firm offers more information about the threat:
“In order to “steal” cryptocurrency from a victim, Westeal uses regular expressions to look for strings matching the patterns of bitcoin and ethereum wallet identifiers being copied to the clipboard. When it matches these, it replaces the copied wallet ID in the clipboard with one supplied by the malware. The victim then pastes the substituted wallet ID for a transaction, and the funds are sent instead to the substitute wallet.”
Still, Palo Alto Networks qualifies Westeal as a “shameless” malware:
“Westeal is a shameless piece of commodity malware with a single, illicit function. Its simplicity is matched by a likely simple effectiveness in the theft of cryptocurrency. The low-sophistication actors who purchase and deploy this malware are thieves, no less so than street pickpockets. Their crimes are as real as their victims. The fast and simple monetization chain and anonymity of cryptocurrency theft, together with the low cost and simplicity of operation, will undoubtedly make this type of crimeware attractive and popular to less-skilled thieves.”