RAT coder arrested for installing malware on 10k  Computers

The creator of a remote access trojan (RAT) virus that infected over 10,000 machines while pretending to be game apps has been detained by Ukraine’s cyberpolice. The Khmelnychchyna Cybercrime Department’s release states that its workers, along with the regional police investigative department and the SBU regional department, discovered the 25-year-old perpetrator.

“The guy created viral software and sold it as apps for video games.”

The attacker had real-time access to 600 infected machines at the time of his capture, enabling him to download data, steal passwords, drop new payloads, install or remove applications, take screenshots, and intercept sound or video from the computers’ microphones and webcams.

RAT coder arrested for installing malware on 10k Computers
RAT coder arrested for installing malware on 10k Computers

The attacker then entered his victims’ accounts to take “electronic monies” after gathering that information. It’s unclear if those are bitcoin holdings or deposits made through internet banking. It is unknown if the hacker just targeted computers in Ukraine or if he also attacked machines in other nations.

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Other than using game programs, the authorities had some information regarding how the hacker disseminated the software. Nevertheless, prior malware distribution operations for comparable outbreaks included Google Adwords, malvertising, social media marketing campaigns, emails, and YouTube videos offering game modifications and cheats.

The person who was caught is now being prosecuted for violating Ukraine’s crime law’s section 5 on unlawful interference with the operation of automated information, electronic communication, information and communication systems, and electronic communication networks.

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The maximum punishment for the aforementioned offences is 15 years in jail. While Ukraine and Russia have been at war since February 2022, it has demonstrated amazing resiliency in battling cybercrime and upholding law and order inside its borders.

The nation’s authorities have been putting in a lot of effort to combat a variety of cybercrimes, from shutting down misinformation botnets and apprehending ransomware operators to fighting off sophisticated assaults against institutions of power and infrastructure.

 

Author: Twinkle Sahoo

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