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Researchers reported that the Rakhni malware family used a Delphi-based downloader, Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Rakhni, to decide whether an infected Windows system would receive ransomware or a cryptocurrency miner. The campaign was spread mainly through spam emails carrying malicious Word documents that lured users into launching an embedded executable disguised as a PDF, with victims concentrated in Russia. Before deploying a payload, the malware performed anti-analysis, anti-VM, and anti-sandbox checks, installed fake root certificates impersonating Microsoft and Adobe, and evaluated host traits such as processor count and the presence of a Bitcoin folder.
On systems selected for encryption, the malware deployed a cryptor that targeted numerous file types and appended the .neitrino extension, then sent decryption-related data to the operators by email. On other hosts, it installed MinerGate-based miners for Monero, Monero Original, and Dashcoin, while disguising components as trusted files such as svchost.exe. The malware also attempted to disable Windows Defender, exfiltrated infection telemetry along with screenshots and process lists by email, and included a worm capability that copied itself into accessible startup folders on network shares to expand laterally.
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The Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Rakhni malware family was first observed in 2013. The Securelist report notes it remained active at the time of analysis.
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Kaspersky reported that the open-source **XMRig** Monero miner was being folded into broader malware operations, including a "ransominer" chain that monetized victims before any ransom was paid. In one observed intrusion, attackers used a generic Trojan to install administrative tools, create a new user account, enable **RDP** access, deploy **Trojan-Ransom.Win32.Crusis**, and then launch an XMRig loader so the compromised host immediately began generating cryptocurrency for the attackers. Telemetry showed more than **5,000** attempts in August 2020 to install XMRig or modified variants, with **Prometei** and **Cliptomaner** identified as major distributors. Prometei brute-forced **MS SQL** credentials, abused `xp_cmdshell` and **`CVE-2016-0099`**, and used a cross-platform **.NET Core/Apphost** loader to fetch miner payloads for Windows and Linux systems. Cliptomaner, first detected in September 2020, posed as **Realtek** audio software, was written in **AutoIT**, mined cryptocurrency, and also hijacked copied wallet addresses by replacing them with attacker-controlled ones.
Jun 29, 2026
Researchers reported two malware campaigns that install cryptocurrency miners through trojanized downloads delivered from pirate streaming sites and fake software portals. In one operation, users visiting illicit movie and TV sites were shown a bogus video-plugin update that delivered a ZIP archive containing a legitimate executable and a malicious DLL; the DLL sideloaded a multi-stage miner framework with persistence, defense evasion, a watchdog, a **RAT** component, and CPU/GPU mining modules. The malware, a modified fork of SilentCryptoMiner, used DNS tunneling for execution gating, installed a service named `GoogleUpdateTaskMachineQC`, weakened Windows defenses, injected into `conhost.exe` and `explorer.exe`, and communicated through rotating domains and infrastructure tied to `107[.]172[.]212[.]235`. Microsoft described a related cryptojacking-focused campaign aimed at owners of high-performance PCs, using fake downloads of popular utilities and hardware-monitoring tools that were promoted through SEO poisoning and, more recently, surfaced in AI assistant recommendations. Those ZIP archives also paired a legitimate executable with a malicious DLL for sideloading, then installed **ScreenConnect** for persistent remote access, set registry autoruns and scheduled tasks, added Microsoft Defender exclusions, checked for analysis tools, and used process hollowing to launch payloads inside trusted Windows processes. After profiling infected systems, the attackers fetched GPU miners including **gminer**, **lolMiner**, and **SRBMiner-MULTI**; researchers warned the access could support not only cryptomining but also data theft, lateral movement, and eventual ransomware deployment.
Jun 29, 2026
Researchers detailed the **Rarog** cryptocurrency-mining Trojan, a malware family sold on underground forums and used by multiple threat actors to mine **Monero**. Analysis of roughly **2,500 unique samples** found the malware communicating with **161 command-and-control servers** and infecting more than **166,000 systems** globally, with the largest concentrations in the **Philippines, Russia, and Indonesia**. Evidence linked the operation to the online handles **`arsenkooo135`** and **`foxovsky`**, and suggested Rarog may be a rebranded version of the earlier **DiscordiaMiner** malware. Rarog was built with broader botnet capabilities beyond coin mining, including **persistence**, **USB propagation**, configurable miner settings, **DLL/module loading**, malware download functions, **DDoS** support, self-updating, and self-deletion. The malware was reportedly marketed for about **6,000 rubles**, but despite its wide reach, observed criminal returns were limited: the most profitable operator identified by researchers earned only about **0.58 Monero** and **54 ByteCoin**, worth roughly **$123.68** at the time.
Aug 15, 2026