A cryptocurrency-related phishing scam that uses malware called a drainer is one of the most widely used tactics these days. From November 2022 to November 2023, ‘Inferno Drainer’, a well-known multichain cryptocurrency drainer, was operational under the scam-as-a-service paradigm.
On sophisticated phishing websites, victims were deceived into linking their cryptocurrency wallets to the attackers’ infrastructure.
Group-IB found that at least 100 distinct cryptocurrency brands were impersonated on more than 16,000 distinct domains connected to Inferno Drainer’s phishing activities.
Compounding the problem are zero-day vulnerabilities like the MOVEit SQLi, Zimbra XSS, and 300+ such vulnerabilities that get discovered each month. Delays in fixing these vulnerabilities lead to compliance issues, these delay can be minimized with a unique feature on AppTrana that helps you to get “Zero vulnerability report” within 72 hours.
Malicious scripts observed in Inferno Drainer impersonated well-known Web3 protocols to link cryptocurrency wallets and obtain permission from the user to approve a transaction.
The hackers used prominent Web3 protocols, including Coinbase, WalletConnect, and Seaport, as a way to launch fraudulent transactions.
According to its website, Seaport is a Web3 marketplace protocol developed by OpenSea for effective and secure NFT trading.
Coinbase and WalletConnect are protocols that enable self-custody cryptocurrency wallets to connect with Web3 decentralized apps (DApp).
A user must manually approve transaction requests in their wallet after approving a DApp’s connection request (via WalletConnect).
“Once the connection with the wallet is secured, Inferno Drainer spoofed these protocols under the guise of various DApps to initialize malicious transactions,” reads the report.
To win a prize or other money reward, users are asked to link their accounts and authorize a transaction, but by doing so, they expose themselves to getting fraudulent transaction requests from the operators of the drainer.
The malware was uploaded to websites posing as official cryptocurrency token projects and propagated over Discord and X (previously Twitter).
Although the developer has now closed down Inferno Drainer, its popularity over the last 12 months has created many opportunities for criminals to accumulate wealth.
Its clients are still using it, and there’s no indication that their desire to steal NFTs and tokens has diminished.
When connecting your wallets, use caution and avoid pursuing free tokens and NFT giveaways known as airdrops.
The only way to stop similar attacks in the future is to conduct thorough investigations and bring offenders accountable. Victims must report their attacks to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
Try Kelltron’s cost-effective penetration testing services to evaluate digital systems security. available.
A groundbreaking technique for Kerberos relaying over HTTP, leveraging multicast poisoning, has been recently detailed…
Since mid-2024, cybersecurity researchers have been monitoring a sophisticated Android malware campaign dubbed "Tria Stealer,"…
Proton, the globally recognized provider of privacy-focused services such as Proton VPN and Proton Pass,…
The cybersecurity landscape faces increasing challenges as Arcus Media ransomware emerges as a highly sophisticated…
Proofpoint researchers have identified a marked increase in phishing campaigns and malicious domain registrations designed…
A recent investigation by Unit 42 of Palo Alto Networks has uncovered a sophisticated, state-sponsored…