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Kaspersky Lab reported that the Tyupkin malware infected more than 50 ATMs, primarily Microsoft Windows 32-bit machines from a major manufacturer, and enabled criminals with physical access to authenticate to the terminal, inspect how much cash was loaded in each cassette, and force the machine to dispense 40 notes from a selected cassette. Investigators said the malware was installed using a bootable CD, persisted through a Windows Run registry key, and interacted with the dispenser through the standard ATM library MSXFS.dll.
The campaign was concentrated in Eastern Europe, but telemetry suggested the malware had also surfaced in the United States, India, and China. Kaspersky said Tyupkin operated only during specific nighttime windows and used per-session keys to restrict unauthorized use, while later variants added anti-debugging, anti-emulation, and the ability to disable McAfee Solidcore. The findings highlighted a shift from card skimming toward direct attacks on banks through ATM cash-out operations, prompting recommendations for stronger physical ATM security, non-default locks and keys, functioning alarms, and dedicated security software.
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Kaspersky Lab published research identifying the malware family as Backdoor.MSIL.Tyupkin and describing its operation, including time-window restrictions, per-session keys, and later anti-debugging and anti-emulation features. The company warned that the campaign reflected a shift from card skimming toward direct attacks on financial institutions and recommended stronger ATM physical and software security.
The malware allowed criminals with physical access to an infected ATM to authenticate with a session key, inspect cash cassette balances, and command the machine to dispense 40 notes from a selected cassette. Kaspersky said the attackers installed the malware via a bootable CD and used the ATM library MSXFS.dll to control the cash dispenser.
Kaspersky investigated a campaign in which attackers compromised more than 50 ATMs, primarily Microsoft Windows 32-bit systems from a major ATM manufacturer, in Eastern Europe. Based on VirusTotal submissions, Kaspersky believed related samples had also appeared in the United States, India, and China.
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Kaspersky reported that the ATM malware **Skimer** continued to evolve years after its first appearance, with incident responders identifying a newer variant that gave attackers direct control over cash machines. The malware used the **Themida** packer, installed itself differently on **FAT32** and **NTFS** systems, patched the XFS service executable `SpiService.exe`, and loaded a malicious library, `netmgr.dll`, to obtain full access to ATM **XFS** functions. The malware remained dormant until an attacker inserted a specially crafted **magic card** containing hardcoded Track 2 data, then authenticated through PIN-pad command codes to trigger actions including cash dispensing, card-data collection and printing, PIN-related input logging, self-deletion, debugging, and malware updates from a card. Kaspersky said it identified **49 Skimer modifications**, including **37** aimed at ATMs from a single manufacturer, and urged banks to hunt for the hardcoded Track 2 values while strengthening controls such as application allowlisting, BIOS protection, disk encryption, and network isolation.
Aug 15, 2026
Researchers detailed **ATMii** (`Backdoor.Win32.ATMii`), an ATM malware family designed to make infected machines dispense cash on command. The malware was shared by a financial-sector partner and consists of two components: an injector executable and an injected DLL that targets the proprietary `atmapp.exe` process and hooks XFS functionality through `msxfs.dll`. Once running, ATMii can scan for the cash dispenser service, collect cassette information, dispense a specified amount in a chosen currency, and delete its command file after execution. The malware requires direct access to the target ATM, either over the network or through physical access such as a USB device, underscoring the continued risk of local and internal compromise in ATM environments. Researchers described the code as relatively unsophisticated and noted signs such as a likely fake 2013 compilation timestamp and lack of support for **Windows XP**, despite that operating system remaining common in ATMs at the time. Recommended defenses included **application whitelisting** and **device control** to block unauthorized binaries and removable media used in cash-out attacks.
Aug 14, 2026
The FBI reported a sharp increase in **ATM jackpotting** in the US, a cyber-physical attack in which criminals compromise ATMs and use malware to force cash dispensing without bank authorization. Since 2020, the FBI has tracked more than **1,900** incidents, including **700+ in 2025**, with losses exceeding **$20 million**; the activity is described as increasing and often difficult to detect until after cash is removed. The FBI said attackers commonly gain access by opening the ATM cabinet with **widely available generic keys**, then installing malware by removing the hard drive to copy the payload or swapping in a preloaded drive/device. Reported malware includes **Ploutus**, which abuses the *eXtensions for Financial Services* (**XFS**) API layer used by ATM applications to interface with hardware; by issuing their own XFS commands, attackers can **bypass bank authorization** and directly control cash-out functions. The FBI noted the technique can work across different ATM manufacturers with minimal code changes, leveraging the underlying **Windows** environment during compromise.
Jun 29, 2026