Hackers generate $2 million worth of crypto by infecting gamers PC’s with malware

‘Crackonosh’ is hidden in free versions of games like NBA 2K19, Grand Theft Auto V, Far Cry 5, The Sims 4, and Jurassic World Evolution.

The malware has been used to generate $2 million worth of a cryptocurrency known as Moreno since at least June 2018.

Some 220,000 users have been infected worldwide and 800 devices are being infected every day, according to Avast. Brazil, India, and the Philippines are among the worst affected countries, while the U.S. has also seen many cases. 

Avast discovered the malware after customers reported the firm’s antivirus was missing from their systems, citing one example of a user posting on Reddit. 

The malware takes steps to prevent it from infecting users from installing Windows Updates or installing it.