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 malware app Westeal and outlined the creator’s ties with other types of malware that robs major streaming services accounts.
Westeal Claims to Be Immune Against Major Antivirus Software
According to the cyber security company, “Westeal” is an development of “Wesupply Crypto Stealer,” another malicious crypto application that has been in circulation for sale since the month of May in 2020. Research suggests that Wesupply’s evolution is being advertised since February 2021.
The study suggests that Westeal was created to capture bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) coming in as well as out of wallets of victims via their clipboard.
Moreover, people who acquire the malicious application gain access to a web-based panel for handling all the actions that are required, including a “victim tracker panel.”
A detail that raises concerns about Palo Alto Networks is the fact that Westeal is said to be invulnerable to the most popular antivirus software.
The malware runs on the subscription model “Complexcodes,” the anon developer of the application earns money by charging 20 euros ($24) monthly for world market onion three months, 50 euro ($60) per month for 3 months and 150 euros ($150) each year.
The Malware Is a ‘Shameless’ Crypto Stealer, Researchers Say
The cybersecurity firm provides additional details about the malware:
“In 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.”