This Malware Generated $2 Million After Abusing 222,000 Windows Systems

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Avast researchers published a report on Thursday regarding the discovery of a cryptocurrency mining malware that abuses Windows Safe mode and has likely generated more than 9,000 Monero coins (estimated today at around $2 million) after exploiting more than 222,000 Windows systems since 2018.

The latest version of Crackonosh, as Avast dubbed it, spreads through illegal and cracked copies of popular software also known as “warez” which is distributed on various torrent sites and forums.

The malware continues to infect systems worldwide, affecting 222,000 unique devices in more than a dozen countries since December 2020. As of May, the malware was still getting about 1,000 hits a day. The researchers already spotted 30 different versions of the malware, with the latest one that was published in November 2020. 

According to Daniel Beneš, a malware analyst for antivirus maker Avast, the worst-hit region is the Philippines, with 18,448 victims; followed by Brazil (16,584); India (13,779); Poland (12,727); the United States (11,856); and the United Kingdom (8,946).

The researchers started investigating the threat after they received reports that

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