In the first half of 2022, Kaspersky researchers found that the activity of cybercriminals attempting to exploit players increased. Globally, the number of users attacked by malware that collects and distributes sensitive data by emulating some of the most popular games has increased by 13 compared to the first half of 2021.

Players trying to download new games for free from untrusted sources have encountered malware and lost their game accounts and even money as a result. These and other findings were addressed in Kaspersky’s report on game-related threats.

Kaspersky experts observed the most popular threats related to PC and mobile games to assess the current risk situation for games. During the year (July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022), Kaspersky’s security solutions identified more than 384,000 users affected by approximately 92,000 malicious or unwanted unique files emulating 28 games or game series. During the same period, 7,000 906 unique users in Turkey were affected by 5,000 492 malicious and unwanted files.

In addition to the large number of downloaders that can install other unwanted programs and adware, Kaspersky researchers have also discovered Trojan Spy, a category of spyware that can track all data entered on the keyboard and take screenshots.

Often, users encounter malicious files when they try to download games from third-party web pages, not official sites. This is especially true in cases where the game is quite expensive and the player wants to save money by finding a free copy of the game on untrustworthy sites. However, in this case, players lose a lot more than paying for the legitimate version. For example, many malicious files infect devices and steal game account credentials, banking information, and even crypto wallet information.

Attackers try to spread threats by imitating games that have a large audience, newly released and constantly on the radar of players. For example, well-known games such as Roblox, FIFA or Minecraft, as well as new installments of major game series released last year, Elden Ring, Halo and Resident Evil were exploited by attackers who spread the RedLine malware.

RedLine is a password stealing software that steals sensitive data from the victim’s device such as passwords, stored bank card details, cryptocurrency wallet credentials and VPN services. Between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, Kaspersky solutions detected 2,362 unique users who were attacked with RedLine under the guise of popular games, making it the most active threat family for the time period. Redline is often sold at a very low price on various hacker forums. For this reason, it enjoys great popularity among cyber criminals.

In addition to spreading malicious files, attackers continue to create and distribute new phishing pages using games. Kaspersky experts have discovered a new phishing scheme that attacks players for the first time. By mimicking the interface of in-game stores for CS:GO, PUBG, and Warface, scammers create fake pages and promise to offer potential victims a decent arsenal of various weapons and artifacts for free. To receive the gift, players must enter the credentials for their social network accounts such as Facebook or Twitter. After account hijacking, it is very likely that attackers will search personal messages for card details or ask various friends of the victim for money, abusing their trust and carelessness.

Kaspersky Senior Security Researcher Anton V. Ivanovsay: “During the pandemic, the gaming industry has grown tremendously and the number of players has increased several times. Cyber ​​criminals are actively taking advantage of this trend. It is creating more and more new methods and tools to attack players, steal credit card information and game accounts that can contain expensive skins that can be sold later. We expect to see new types of attacks on players in the coming year. For example, attacks on esports, which are gaining popularity all over the world. That’s why it’s very important to be protected at all times so that you don’t lose your money, login details and game account.”

You can learn more about other threats to the game in 2022 on Securelist.

To stay safe while gaming, Kaspersky recommends the following:

• It is safer to only download your games from official stores such as Steam, Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon Appstore. Games in these markets are not 100 safe, but at least they are checked and checked by store representatives. Not every app can enter these stores.
• If you want to buy a game that is not available in major stores, only buy it from the official website. Double-check the website URL and make sure it’s genuine.
• Beware of phishing campaigns and unknown players. If you don’t trust the sender, don’t open links sent via email or game chat. Do not open files that you have received from strangers.
• Do not download pirated software or other illegal content, even if you are redirected from a legitimate website.
• A strong, reliable security solution will be of great help, especially if it does not slow down your computer while gaming, but also protects you from all possible cyber threats. for example Kaspersky Total SecurityWorks seamlessly with Steam and other game services.
• To protect yourself from malware and its activity on mobile devices Kaspersky Internet Security for Android Use a robust security solution such as:

Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency