This fake Pokemon NFT game just wants to take over your Windows PC

Date:
Mon, 09 Jan 2023 21:24:47 +0000

Description:
Fake Pokemon NFT game could just give fraudsters access to target devices.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Hackers are utilising the continued popularity of the Pokemon universe and
the bizarre rise of non-fungible tokens (NFT) to trick people into installing remote access tools (RAT), take over their devices, and steal any valuables they might find.

Cybersecurity researchers from ASEC recently discovered at least two
malicious websites - beta-pokemoncards[.]io, and pokemon-go[.]io pretending
to host a Pokemon game that also offers NFT cards that can be traded, eventually for profit.

The websites have since been taken down, but while they were active they had
a download button called Play on PC that distributed NetSupport. Distributing NetSupport

In theory, NetSupport is legitimate software. Its built on Windows, and
allows cross-platform remote access, giving IT administrators and technicians a way to remotely access various endpoints and fix any potential problems.
The program supports Windows, Windows Mobile, Mac, Linux, and Solaris.

In practice, NetSupport is being used by threat actors to gain unauthorized access to target systems. The first signs of activity on this campaign were
in December last year. Earlier samples from VirusTotal, the publication also found, showed the same operators pushing a fake Visual Studio file instead of the Pokemon game.

The identity of the threat actor behind the campaign remains unknown.

Non-fungible tokens are part of a wider cryptocurrency market and as such are a major target for fraudsters and hackers. Recent research has shown that the Web3 industry (decentralized internet based on the blockchain, the same tech that powers NFTs) lost almost $4 billion last year to fraud and cybercrime. Read more

The Web3 industry lost billions to crypto fraud last year

Crypto scams are now a billion-dollar market

These are the best endpoint protection tools right now

As more organizations started building new systems, fraudsters were quick to come out of the woodwork, and now Web3 bug bounty provider Immunefi has claimed exactly $3,948,856,037 worth of cryptocurrencies was lost in the Web3 ecosystem in 2022, to fraud, hacks, and scams. The silver lining, the researchers are saying, is the fact that the overall losses dropped by more than half (51.2%) year-on-year. In 2021, the industry had lost
$8,088,338,239.

The constant battle against fraudsters isnt slowing the industrys growth, though. Immunefi expects it to grow from $3.2 billion last year, to $81.5 billion in the next seven years, increasing 43.7% CAGR. Check out the best firewalls today

Via: BleepingComputer



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/this-fake-pokemon-nft-game-just-wants-to-take-o ver-your-windows-pc


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