Kaspersky Lab finds virus stealing cryptocurrencies from e-wallets

MOSCOW, Nov 2 (PRIME) -- Russian antivirus software maker Kaspersky Lab has detected a Trojan virus stealing cryptocurrencies – such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Dash, Monero, and others – from users’ electronic wallets, the company said on Thursday in a statement.

“Cryptocurrencies have gradually turned from a faraway technology of the new world into an element of daily life. They are actively distributed across the globe and becoming more accessible for users, but they are also becoming a more attractive target for cybercriminals,” Kaspersky Lab antivirus expert Sergei Yunakovsky said.

Bitcoin wallets owners were the hardest hit, as perpetrators stole 23 bitcoins, worth now some U.S. $140,000. Stolen money in other cryptocurrencies amounted from several dollars to several thousands of dollars.

The virus, named CryptoShuffler, uses human inattentiveness. Owners of crypto wallets usually do copy-paste to insert the number of a recipient, and hackers trace a device clipboard and replace the number with their own account during money remittance.

End