A group of security researchers has discovered a new cryptocurrency-related macOS malware believed to be the product of North Korean hackers at the Lazarus Group.
On Dec. 4 tech-focused publication Bleeping Computer reported that malware researcher: Dinesh Devadoss encountered a malicious software on a website called:
“Unioncrypto.vip,”– which advertised a “smart cryptocurrency arbitrage trading platform.”
The website did not cite any download links but hosted a malware package under the name
“UnionCryptoTrader”
According to the researchers, the malware can retrieve a payload from a remote location and run it in memory, not common for macOS, but more typical for Windows.
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After conducting an analysis of the newly detected malware, security researcher Patrick Wardle determined “clear overlaps” with malware found by MalwareHunterTeam in mid-October, which purportedly led to the Lazarus group.
During the time, the researchers detected that Lazarus had created another malware targeting Apple Macs that masquerades behind a fake cryptocurrency firm.
Recent Updates On North Korea
North Korea is reportedly developing its own cryptocurrency similar to Bitcoin (BTC). It is developing its own cryptocurrency in evade international sanctions and to fight against “the U.S. dominated global financial system.”
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United States prosecutors announced the arrest of Virgil Griffith, who allegedly traveled to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to train on how to use cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology to evade sanctions.
Following the news, the co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin declared his solidarity with Virgil Griffith, the American citizen arrested for training on blockchain in North Korea.
Source: Cointelegraph | Bleeping Computer | Image: Think Stock | Koddos