Microsoft warns crypto users of malware targeting Windows OS

September 8, 2020
By Sam Grant

Multinational tech company Microsoft has sent alerts to crypto users after detecting a malware targeting individuals that use its proprietary operating system Windows

According to the Washington-based tech giant, the malware is designed to gain access into the system and steal financial data. Despite its huge popularity, Microsoft Windows was often criticised in its early days for the lack of solid security compared to other operating systems such as macOS.

Microsoft Windows gets more attacks targeting it than other operating systems on average. This explains why it has been updated with more inherent security features frequently over the years.

Microsoft’s security team communicated the message to crypto investors that use Windows via a Twitter thread. The malware, dubbed Anubis, was first identified in June but it wasn’t being actively distributed at the time.

The tweets read, “A new info-stealing malware we first saw being sold in the cybercriminal underground in June is now actively distributed in the wild. The malware is called Anubis and uses code forked from Loki malware to steal system info, credentials, credit card details, cryptocurrency wallets.”

Microsoft confirmed that although the name of the new malware coincided with that of an Android banking malware, the two were unrelated. According to the MSI team, the malware seemingly has a small range of targets.

“Anubis is deployed in what appears to be limited, initial campaigns that have so far only used a handful of known download URLs and C2 servers,” the thread continued.

MSI also reported that the malware is manageable and Windows users can stop the malware attack using the in-built anti-malware component, Microsoft Defender.

“Microsoft Defender ATP detects the new malware as PWS:MSIL/Anubis.G!MTB,” MSI confirmed.

Microsoft’s threat protection team further added that it’ll continue to track the malware to ensure the Windows users remain completely safe. While the malware attack is manageable, it serves as a reminder to crypto users to keep their digital assets and other financial details securely.