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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 review of the app that is malicious Westeal which reveals the developer’s ties with other types of malware, which steals large streaming services accounts.
Westeal Claims to Be Immune Against Major world market link Antivirus Software
According to cyber security company, “Westeal” is an development from “Wesupply Crypto Stealer,” another malicious crypto application which has been available for sale since the month of May in 2020. Research suggests that Wesupply’s evolution is being advertised since February 2021.
The study reveals that Westeal was created to capture Bitcoin (BTC) and the cryptocurrency ethereum (ETH) coming in and out of the 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, including the “victim tracker panel.”
One thing that causes concern by Palo Alto Networks is the fact that Westeal is said to be invulnerable to antivirus software that is a major component.
The malware works with subscription-based models, and “Complexcodes,” the anon developer of the application earns money by charging 20 euro ($24) monthly, 50 euro ($60) over three consecutive months and 125 euros ($150) annually.
The Malware Is a ‘Shameless’ Crypto Stealer, Researchers Say
The cybersecurity firm provides more information on 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.”
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