Mining malware disguised as audio production software could trap both MacOS and Windows users

Webmaster Home June 21 news: Cryptocurrency mining malware has emerged in an endless variety of forms, such as being implanted in Adobe Flash updates and even Windows updates. Now hackers are hiding mining viruses in pirated audio production software.

According to TNW, security researchers at ESET discovered a Monero mining bot called LoudMiner. Hackers have been distributing the software since August 2018, but a pirated version of VST (Visual Studio Technology) was discovered in the past month.

Hiding malware in pirated software is nothing new, but LoudMiner is unique in that it is cross-platform, affecting both MacOS and Windows users.

Researchers believe that the hackers used VST software because it is likely to be installed on a computer with a high-end CPU. When VST software uses a lot of CPU resources, mining activities may be ignored. It is said that there are at least four versions of LoudMiner, which is essentially XMRig Monero cryptocurrency mining software. It is not clear how much cryptocurrency the hackers were able to obtain through this attack.

One victim reported having to reinstall MacOS to remove the flaw, and ESET researchers recommend not installing pirated software to avoid similar attacks.

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