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Automated Sextortion Spyware Takes Webcam Pics of Victims Watching Porn


A new specimen of “infostealer” malware offers a disturbing feature: It monitors a target's browser for NSFW content, then takes simultaneous screenshots and webcam photos of the victim.

The malware, like all infostealers, is designed to infect a target's computer and automatically send a hacker a wide variety of stolen sensitive data, including banking information, usernames and passwords, and keys to victims' crypto wallets. In the hacking campaigns Proofpoint analyzed, cybercriminals attempted to trick users into downloading and installing Stealerium as an attachment or a web link, luring victims with typical bait like a fake payment or invoice. The pivot to targeting individual users with automated sextortion features may be part of a larger trend of some cybercriminals—particularly lower tier groups—turning away from high-visibility, large scale ransomware campaigns and botnets that tend to attract the attention of law enforcement, says Proofpoint's Larson.

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