Hamster Kombat players targeted with malware attacks millions of gamers potentially at risk

Date:
Wed, 24 Jul 2024 19:05:44 +0000

Description:
Telegram game already has more than 250 million players, many of which are likely cryptocurrency holders, too.

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Cybercriminals are tapping into the growing popularity of the Hamster Kombat mobile game to infect people with malware , adware, and infostealers, experts have warned.

Researchers from ESET claim to have observed activity against both Android
and Windows users, with the game boasting more than 250 million active participants.

Hamster Kombat is a mobile game that launched in March 2024 built within the instant messaging platform Telegram, which is also the only place where
people can play it.To run Hamster Kombat, a player needs to open the right Telegram bot channel and activate it. In the game, the player is tasked with simple things such as tapping on the screen incessantly. This rewards them with virtual money which should, at some point, translate to the HMSTR cryptocurrency. Fake apps for Android and Windows

Since the game is relatively new, and only available on Telegram, cybercriminals saw it as an opportunity to deliver fake games to unsuspecting victims and thus earn some money. ESET says it saw multiple such examples, including one where a fake Android game called HAMSTER EASY is being distributed online. This application does not contain any legitimate functionality, and instead drops the Ratel Android spyware, which subscribes the victim to premium services and steals their money that way.

In a separate example, Windows users were targeted with a fake game that
ended up deploying the Lumma Stealer. This one is potentially even more disruptive, since its safe to assume that many of the Hamster Kombat players are also cryptocurrency holders. Therefore, the Lumma Stealer can steal cryptocurrency wallet data, resulting in their wallets being emptied.

If you are interested in the Hamster Kombat game, make sure to only access it via the official Telegram channel.

Via BleepingComputer More from TechRadar Pro This fake Pokemon NFT game just wants to take over your Windows PC Here's a list of the best firewalls around today These are the best endpoint security tools right now



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/hamster-kombat-players-targeted-with-ma lware-attacks-millions-of-gamers-potentially-at-risk


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