3.2 Million PCs Compromised in a Malware Campaign

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Security researchers at Nordlocker have discovered that 1.2 terabytes of personal details and information were stolen through a customized malware strain which was largely spread through illegal software, including pirated games and a cracked version of Adobe Photoshop. 

Between 2018 and 2020 the malware had infected 3.2 million PCs and stole over 6 million files from infected Desktop and Downloads folders. The stolen files were mostly made up of three million text files, 900,000 image files, and 600,000+ Word files. Inside the treasure trove of stolen data were 1.1 million unique email addresses and 26 million login credentials, among other things.

“Screenshots made by the malware reveal that it spread via illegal software (Adobe Photoshop), Windows cracking tools, and pirated games. Moreover, the malware also photographed the user if the device had a webcam,” NordLocker said.

Researchers said cybercriminal gang accidentally revealed the location of the database containing the stolen data, and once NordLocker was privy, it worked with a third-party company that specializes in researching data breaches to evaluate the database’s contents.