Search: “crypto-drainer”

18 stories

DomainAll Cyber AIWindow24h 3d 7d 30d AllIn the wild Important only Show duplicates

CategoryAll Phishing & fraud 1 Vulnerability 1

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Crypto customers targeted by scammers after email marketing provider breach

Attackers exploited a Brevo SAML SSO flaw to access 138 accounts and phish crypto customers of Trezor, CoinTracking, and BitBox.

An attacker exploited a flaw in Brevo's SAML SSO handling to access 138 customer accounts on September 10; six accounts were used to send phishing emails and contacts were exported from 43 accounts. Crypto firms Trezor, CoinTracking, and BitBox confirmed customers received phishing emails, with Trezor warning roughly 347,000 newsletter subscribers. The Trezor-themed email cited a fabricated STM32 microcontroller entropy bug and urged recipients to enter wallet backups through a malicious link. Exported contact lists could fuel future targeted phishing attacks.

Malwarebytes LabsSep 11, 15:01 UTC · 5d agoData breach in the wild 6 sources

ClearFake Deploys Crypto Stealer That Uses Vulnerable Driver to Kill EDR Security Tools

Cisco Talos details ClearFake's fake-CAPTCHA chain deploying ZigCryptoStealer with a BYOVD attack that kills EDR processes, observed at a Ukrainian government organization in April 2026.

ClearFake compromises websites, injects JavaScript via a malicious Cloudflare Worker, retrieves instructions from BNB Smart Chain contracts (EtherHiding), and presents a fake Google CAPTCHA that tricks Windows users into pasting a command that loads a remote library over WebDAV via rundll32. The crypto-stealer branch uses DLL side-loading with a signed Chrome component to launch ZigCryptoStealer, which hijacks clipboard cryptocurrency addresses, alongside a signed but vulnerable Windows driver used in a BYOVD attack to terminate EDR processes. A parallel branch delivers Amatera secondary payloads that install a hidden remote-access client providing operator desktop control, with Cisco Talos tracking the remote-loader activity as UAT-10820. Talos observed unusual remote library execution at a Ukrainian government organization in April 2026 and assesses the attacks are part of a broader theft operation rather than a single targeted campaign.

Cyber Security NewsSep 9, 14:26 UTC · 7d agoMalware in the wild1

US Sanctions Iranian $6bn Crypto “Exchange” Shelbit

US sanctioned Iranian firm Shelbit, a fake crypto exchange that TRM Labs says handled $6bn, likely for laundering.

The US has sanctioned Shelbit, an Iranian entity presented as a cryptocurrency exchange. TRM Labs analysis indicates Shelbit was a fake exchange, with roughly $6bn in flows. Sanctions aim to disrupt Iranian illicit crypto finance channels.

Infosecurity MagazineAug 10, 09:00 UTC · Aug 10, 2026Policy & legal

Operation ASTERIX: Anatomy of a Crypto Fraud Pipeline

Rapid7 exposed infrastructure behind a cryptocurrency fraud pipeline using phishing panels, voice-dialing scripts, fake wallets, and AI coding assistants.

Rapid7 researchers identified an exposed web directory on infrastructure used to support a cryptocurrency fraud operation tracked as Operation ASTERIX. The server contained raw phone-number datasets, account-validation tools, enriched lead records, phishing panels, voice-dialing scripts, fake wallet applications, persistence mechanisms, and Telegram exfiltration code. Recovered prompts, shell history, and project files show the operator relied on AI coding assistants to package Electron applications, obfuscate code, troubleshoot builds, and modify phishing infrastructure.

Rapid7 BlogAug 17, 11:29 UTC · Aug 17, 2026Phishing & fraud

Hackers Drain $320 Million From Liquid Network, Then Return Most of It

Hackers exploited an Elements bug to drain about 4,000 BTC (~$320M) from Liquid Network's federation wallet, then returned 3,400 BTC after Blockstream patched.

An attacker drained roughly 4,000 of 4,200 BTC (~$320M) from Bitcoin's Liquid Network federation wallet on September 6 by exploiting a bug in Elements, the open-source code powering the sidechain, which allowed unbacked L-BTC tokens that were redeemed for real Bitcoin through SideSwap's authorized peg-out mechanism. The self-described white-hat attackers negotiated publicly via OP_RETURN on-chain messages, demanding the bridge nodes be patched before returning 3,400 BTC (~$262.6M) and keeping about 598 BTC (~$47M). Blockstream confirmed the affected bridge nodes were patched; the network remains paused while federation members complete security work, and experts debate whether the act legally constitutes extortion.

Security AffairsSep 8, 20:35 UTC · 8d agoExploit / PoC in the wild

Fraudsters steal $6 million from Tectonic crypto platform after inflating token price

Attackers inflated Tectonic's Tonic token price 100x in 20 minutes and borrowed $74 million against it, stealing $6 million before Cronos halted activity.

Attackers manipulated the price of Tectonic's thinly traded Tonic token, raising it more than 100-fold in 20 minutes, then used the inflated tokens as collateral to borrow assets in an attempted $74 million theft. About $6 million left the platform; Cronos halted blockchain activity and later restored roughly $69 million in frozen funds via an on-chain rollback. Tectonic plans a phased reopening and a postmortem. TRM Labs says market manipulation now accounts for one in eight crypto hacks, with 32 incidents in 2026, and compares the case to the 2022 Mango Markets manipulation that led to a criminal conviction.

The RecordAug 31, 19:42 UTC · 16d agoPhishing & fraud

Eleethub: A Cryptocurrency Mining Botnet with Rootkit for Self

Unit 42 uncovered Eleethub, a Perl-based Bitcoin mining botnet using a crafted rootkit and libprocesshider to evade detection, still under development with few infections.

Unit 42 discovered an under-development Perl Shellbot campaign that mines Bitcoin using xmrig and emech while evading detection via a rootkit that replaces the ps tool and the LD_PRELOAD-based libprocesshider.so library. Infected devices download a malicious shell script, connect to IRC-based C2 at eleethub.com and the UnderNet network, and can receive commands for UDP/TCP floods, port scans, and HTTP attacks. The botnet can affect Unix systems and Windows 10 hosts running a Linux subsystem, and its operators use the 'Los Zetas' branding, though they are unlikely to be the Mexican drug cartel. Researchers found only a few compromised 'zombies' before the campaign expanded.

Palo Alto Unit 42Aug 19, 12:05 UTC · 28d agoMalware in the wild

Fake GTA 6 leaked copy drains your crypto wallet

A fake GTA 6 leaked-copy website loads a multi-chain crypto wallet drainer that sweeps Solana balances and can steal assets across seven blockchain networks.

A fake Grand Theft Auto VI countdown site offers a supposed leaked copy for $50 or 1 SOL and loads a wallet drainer on page visit. An embedded Solana script transfers nearly the entire wallet balance, while a separate 2.4 MB script built on a legitimate wallet-connector tool targets wallets on Ethereum, Polygon, BNB Smart Chain, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Base, and Fantom, including stablecoins and NFT collections. The drainer geo-blocks CIS countries via a CIS_Protection setting, profiles visitor holdings, and evades automated scanners, suggesting a rented drainer-as-a-service.

Malwarebytes LabsSep 1, 16:07 UTC · 15d agoPhishing & fraud

The Crypto Wallet That Never Opened: Tampered Exodus Installer Hides a Modular RAT

Huntress found tampered Exodus crypto wallet installers delivering a modular RAT that steals credentials rather than wallet funds.

Huntress analysts analyzed tampered installers for the Exodus cryptocurrency wallet that bundle a modular remote access trojan. The implant focuses on harvesting credentials instead of draining wallet balances, suggesting broader access theft. The case highlights installer tampering as a supply-chain-style delivery vector for credential-stealing tooling.

HuntressSep 1, 04:00 UTC · 15d agoMalware in the wild

Grok exfiltrates user data when malicious instructions are encrypted

Researchers show Grok can be made to exfiltrate user data via Cryptographic Context Injection, a newly documented technique that bypasses LLM safety guardrails.

According to Ars Technica, Grok exfiltrates user data when malicious instructions are encrypted, a technique called Cryptographic Context Injection. The method is described as the latest documented way to break LLM safety guardrails, showing that encrypted content can carry hidden instructions past safeguards. The finding underscores gaps in how large language models validate and execute context from external sources.

Ars Technica · SecurityAug 20, 13:00 UTC · 27d agoAI safety & security1

Go-Based macOS Malware Steals Crypto and Secrets

Security researchers detected Go-based macOS malware stealing cryptocurrency, passwords, and other secrets from infected systems.

A Go-based malware variant targeting macOS has been detected in active use. The malware steals cryptocurrency, passwords, and other sensitive secrets from infected Macs.

Infosecurity MagazineAug 10, 10:00 UTC · Aug 10, 2026Malware in the wild

Researchers Built a Fake Crypto Startup and Hired Three Suspected North Korean IT Workers

Security researchers hired three suspected North Korean IT workers at a fake DeFi startup, documenting forged IDs, AI-edited images and post-hire system access.

Researchers from BCA LTD, NorthScan and ANY.RUN built a fake DeFi protocol called Ballena Azul and hired three suspected Famous Chollima operatives through a real recruiting pipeline. The hires submitted inconsistent or AI-processed identity documents, including a driver's license whose metadata showed Google Gemini processing and a SynthID watermark. On day one the workers profiled their assigned VMs, checked their egress country, and one installed Chrome Remote Desktop and logged into GitHub. The findings were presented at DEF CON 34 and align with a July 31 joint government alert on DPRK IT worker schemes.

The Hacker NewsAug 11, 12:48 UTC · Aug 11, 2026Threat actor

Off Guard: Breaking LiteLLM from authentication bypass to cloud compromise

Wiz found LiteLLM auth bypass (CVE-2026-59822) and post-auth RCE (CVE-2026-59821) chainable to cloud compromise; the bypass is in CISA KEV with in-the-wild exploitation.

Wiz scanned roughly 3,074 internet-facing LiteLLM deployments and found 9.6% accepted the default master key sk-1234 or required no authentication, making post-auth attacks effectively pre-auth. The MCP endpoint accepts any Bearer token and grants a valid session (CVE-2026-59822), confirmed exploited in the wild via honeypots and added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Custom code guardrails allow post-auth root-level RCE via exec(compile(...)) (CVE-2026-59821), while pass-through endpoints lack URL validation, enabling cloud credential theft in post-auth scenarios. All assigned vulnerabilities have been patched; the research was presented at DEF CON 34.

Wiz BlogSep 9, 16:06 UTC · 7d agoExploit / PoC in the wildCVE-2026-59822 CVE-2026-598211

Hackers drain $320M in Bitcoin from Liquid Network, claim they're the good guys

Attackers withdrew about 4,000 BTC (~$320M) from Liquid Network's federation wallet via a SideSwap peg-out, claiming whitehat status.

Hackers drained roughly $320 million in Bitcoin — about 4,000 BTC, 95% of holdings — from the federation wallet backing Blockstream's Liquid Network sidechain. The withdrawal occurred through SideSwap using its Peg-out Authorization Key (PAK), yet no PAK appears to have been compromised, and the exact mechanism remains under investigation. The actors embedded an on-chain message identifying themselves as whitehats, asked Blockstream to patch federation nodes first, and promised to return most of the funds after fixes are confirmed. Liquid disabled its bridge nodes and asked exchanges to suspend L-BTC deposits and withdrawals; other Liquid assets and the Bitcoin network were unaffected.

The Register · SecuritySep 7, 13:26 UTC · 9d agoExploit / PoC in the wild

JSCeal Hides Crypto Malware in V8 Bytecode

Check Point details JSCeal, a crypto-stealing malware delivered as compiled V8 bytecode, and built a decompiler pipeline to expose its capabilities.

JSCeal, tracked by Check Point Research since early 2025, is a cryptocurrency stealer delivered as heavily obfuscated JavaScript compiled to V8 bytecode (.jsc) and run by a bundled Node.js runtime. Check Point, presenting at Black Hat USA 2026, extended the open-source View8 decompiler into a pipeline that recovered readable code from 23 samples, revealing theft of browser credentials and cookies, Telegram sessions, keystrokes, screenshots, HTTPS traffic interception with attacker-controlled certificates, and automated Google account takeover. Targeted overrides rewrite content for Binance, Bybit, and Ledger users. Later samples added AES-256-CBC encryption with externally supplied keys and expanded targeting to macOS.

Security AffairsSep 7, 10:19 UTC · 9d agoMalware1

Massive Redis Cryptojacking Campaign Hijacks Thousands of Linux Servers

RedisRaider cryptojacking campaign compromises thousands of exposed, unauthenticated Linux Redis servers using cron persistence to deploy XMRig Monero miners.

Hunt.io researchers track a large-scale cryptojacking operation named RedisRaider that scans IPv4 ranges for Redis services exposed on TCP port 6379 and targets instances accepting unauthenticated connections. From a master list of 12,966 candidate hosts, 2,342 were confirmed to accept commands without authentication. Attackers abuse Redis commands (CONFIG SET dir/dbfilename, SET, BGSAVE) to write malicious cron entries into /etc/cron.d or /var/spool/cron, launching XMRig-based Monero miners, with branches including SSH authorized-key injection, Lua probing, and WordPress spraying. The article also references CVE-2026-81934, a Redis TLS use-after-free allowing unauthenticated command execution, fixed in releases including 8.2.9, 8.4.6, 8.6.6, 8.8.2, and 8.10.1.

GBHackersSep 9, 05:28 UTC · 7d agoExploit / PoC in the wildCVE-2026-81934

Global sinkhole operation ends Sality botnet’s 23-year run

Law enforcement, CrowdStrike, and Shadowserver sinkholed the 23-year-old Sality P2P botnet, cutting 15,000+ infected machines from its operator.

Sality, active since 2003 as a file-infecting virus with two P2P networks (versions 3 and 4), distributed credential thieves, spam, proxies, and DDoS payloads, and most recently delivered the EggJagger clipboard hijacker that swapped cryptocurrency wallet addresses for at least $150,000 in operator profit. A coordinated sinkhole operation replaced the botnet's super-peer list with defender-controlled sinkholes, and investigators in the US, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania seized payload domains. The Shadowserver Foundation is coordinating ISP and CERT notifications to infected device owners.

Help Net SecuritySep 2, 00:00 UTC · 14d agoMalware1

International Operation Disrupts Sality P2P Botnet

US-led international operation with Europol, CrowdStrike, and Shadowserver sinkholed the 20-year-old Sality P2P botnet, once exceeding one million infected machines.

On August 31, 2026, authorities from the US, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, supported by Europol, CrowdStrike, and the Shadowserver Foundation, disrupted the Sality P2P botnet by sinkholing communications and seizing domains. Sality has operated for over 20 years, at its peak controlling more than one million infected machines used for credential theft, spam, proxy services, crypto-theft, and DDoS attacks, with over 11 million unique IP addresses linked to its infrastructure since 2017. The disruption exploited the botnet's super-peer reputation mechanism by removing legitimate peers via protocol-level manipulation and inserting sinkhole entries into emptied peer lists.

Infosecurity MagazineSep 3, 08:30 UTC · 13d agoMalware