Researchers warn that downloading the pirated copies of Spider-Man: No Way home include new variations of previously known strains of malware.
- A new malware is being spread on pirated copies of Spider-Man: No Way home.
- This malware is capable of adding exclusions to Windows Defender.
Researchers warn that downloading the pirated copies of Spider-Man: No Way home include new variations of previously known strains of malware.
ReasonLabs research team discovered Monero miners attached to Russian torrent files of the new film Spider-Man: No way home.
According to ReasonLabs, the malware crypto miner is capable of putting in exclusions to Windows Defender. This means that Windows Defender might not detect the malware at all.
“The malware is not signed and written in .net, and as of this date, it is not present in ‘VirusTotal‘. The malware tries to stay away from examining eyes by using ‘legitimate’ names for the files and processes that it creates.”
“We recommend taking extra caution when downloading the content of any kind from non-official sources — whether it’s a document in an email from an unknown sender, a cracked programme from a fishy download portal, or a file from a torrent download,” explained the team.
This malware does not compromise any personal data, but the damage caused can be seen in the user’s electricity bills. The damage can be seen on the user's device as often miners need high CPU usage, which results in the computer slowing down drastically.
ReasonLabs said it is still researching the origins of the miner but noted that they are constantly seeing miners deployed as common programmes, popular app, files of interest, current events, etc.
It is not clear how many times the file has been downloaded but noted that it had been around for some time.
The researchers added that always try to collect information about the file and think twice before clicking on it. To see the real file extension, open a folder, go to ‘View’ and check ‘File name extensions. This will help you see the full file type.
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