Business

Google Dismantles CryptBot Info-stealing Malware Infrastructure That Hacked 670,000 Computers

Published

2 years ago

April 30, 2023

Google uses Cryptbot info stealer for infecting Chrome users and stealing data, taking down associated malware infrastructure.

The sole goal of this lawsuit is to reduce the victims’ data theft by disrupting the complete infrastructure and distribution network of the CryptBot info-stealing malware.

In 2022, it was reported that CryptBot, which is a Windows malware, infected more than 670,000 computers to steal the following sensitive data from Chrome users:-

Authentication credentials
Social media account logins
Cryptocurrency wallets

Legal Strategy & Disruption

It is believed that the operators and distributors of CryptBot info-stealer are Pakistan-based and run globally. On several types of claims, the legal complaint is based, and the claims are like:-

Computer fraud
Computer abuse
Trademark infringement

Google has been granted a temporary restraining order by the court to disrupt the distributors and infrastructure of CryptBot to restrict its spread.”

Google is authorized by the court to take down active and future domains linked with CryptBot distribution, effectively slowing down the malware network’s expansion and reducing new infections.

The impact of lawsuits extends beyond their immediate outcomes. They can set legal precedents while subjecting the offenders and others involved in the same criminal network to scrutiny and public accountability for their actions.

Here the malware secretly collects data from the infected device without the victim’s knowledge and then sends the collected data to the command and control (C2) server.