Hackers Are Using the New Spider-Man Film to Distribute Monero-Mining Malware through Torrent Sites

Attempting to download a pirated copy of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” may prove to be expensive. Hackers Are Using the New Spider-Man Film to Distribute Monero-Mining Malware through Torrent Sites

According to a new investigation by cybersecurity firm ReasonLabs, cybercriminals are attempting to capitalise on the tremendous public interest in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” by inserting cryptocurrency mining malware in pirated versions of the smash film that are spreading through torrent networks.

The organisation detected a torrent file containing a self-compiled version of “xmrig,” a popular open-source tool for mining the Monero cryptocurrency. By disabling Microsoft Defender Antivirus scans, the cryptojacking infection may stay undetected.

While stealth crypto mining is relatively innocuous in comparison to ransomware, it significantly slows down the victim’s machine by placing its CPU under heavy strain. When combined with a large power bill, the cost of attempting to download movies may be substantially more than the cost of actually travelling to the cinema to view one.

Hackers often attempt to profit on the excitement around major film releases. Earlier this year, cybersecurity firm Kaspersky discovered that 13% of Marvel’s “Black Widow” streaming and downloads were accompanied by malicious attempts to infect viewers’ devices.

The highly anticipated release of the next entry in the Spider-Man series took place in the United States on Dec. 17. Despite Omicron worries, the Tom Holland-led film grossed an astounding $260 million domestically, ranking as the second-highest domestic opening of all time. It amassed a total of $601 million.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is currently on course to become the year’s only film to gross more than $1 billion at the box office.

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