GOOGLE Chrome users have been warned over an unlikely app that has been hijacked by cyber crooks to ‘spy’ on people through their webcams.
Hackers have injected malware into a fake version of the popular Super Mario 3: Mario Forever game, which has been infecting unsuspecting players, according to researchers at Cyble.
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The free game is a remake of the Nintendo classic and has been downloaded by millions, according to researchers.
But cyber experts suspect a ‘trojanised’ version of the game – one that is disguising malicious software – is being promoted on gaming forums and social media to prey on gamers.
“Threat Actors (TAs) use game installers to spread various malware because games have a wide user base, and users generally trust game installers as legitimate software,” researcher explained in their report.
The games like the real deal and offers gamers the option to play on the old school TV-style version of the game.
Behind the scenes of your device, however, various different types of malware will be running rampant.
This malware can not only be used to spy on victims through their webcams, capturing images without them knowing.
But it can also be deployed to use the victim’s device to mine cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, steal the passwords they may have stored in their browser and block access to antivirus websites.
The malware campaign is not just targeting Google Chrome browser, but also users of Microsoft Edge.
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“This coin-miner malware campaign leverages the Super Mario Forever game to target gamers and individuals utilising high-performance computing machines for gaming purposes,” researchers wrote.
“Furthermore, the malware also deploys a stealer component to illicitly acquire sensitive information from the victims’ systems, aiming to generate additional financial profits.”
If you’ve downloaded Super Mario 3: Mario Forever game recently, you should scan your computer for malware and remove what your antivirus software recommends.
There are also several ways to know if your webcam has been compromised, and what to do about it.
But all web browsers must ensure they are downloading games from reputable sources and turn on the automatic software update feature on their devices to avoid falling victim to cyber crooks.
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