There’s a very worrying new threat targeting Windows users and it’s not a warning an ignore. Microsoft fans are pretty used to the barrage of malware that targets these devices on a daily basis but hackers have now found an ingenious new way to infect PCs and it’s easy to see how some are being fooled. According to the security experts at Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL), cyber crooks are trying to cash in by using the lure of free access to one of the most popular games on the planet.
Nintendo’s Super Mario 3: Mario Forever, has millions of followers since it was first released on Windows all the way back in 2003.
That popularity appears to have caught the attention of hackers who have recently released a fake version of this classic game which not only installs Mario onto Windows devices but also a swathe of vicious malware which can set about siphoning off personal details.
Data that it can hack includes personal web searches, online passwords, browser cookies and even authentication tokens for software such as Minecraft, Roblox, and Telegram.
In the wrong hands, these codes and passwords could leave users vulnerable to a range of cyber crimes including identity theft.
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It appears that crooks are targeting users via adverts on social media platforms which show the colourful game and offer a free download.
Speaking about the threat, Cybil said in blog post: “Recently, CRIL identified a trojanized Super Mario Bros game installer that delivers multiple malicious components, including an XMR miner, SupremeBot mining client, and the Open-source Umbral stealer. The malware files were found bundled with a legitimate installer file of super-mario-forever-v702e. “
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If you think you may have installed this game recently then now is a really good time to scan your PC for viruses and bugs.
Should an alert pop up on the screen it could be worth taking time to reset your passwords especially for sites such as banks and email sites such as Gmail.
Even if you haven’t installed Mario from the web this attack highlights why it’s a bad idea to install anything onto a device without checking things first.
Only download files from a trusted source and avoid anything that hasn’t come from an official online marketplace.
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