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North Korean hackers found hiding crypto-stealing malware with Blockchain

Date:
Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:35:00 +0000

Description:
State-sponsored actors are using Ethereum and BNB to host malware and steal
people's money.

FULL STORY

North Korean state-sponsored threat actors are now using public blockchains 
to host malicious code and deploy malware on target endpoints. 

This is according to Googles Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) , who said they
observed UNC5342 using Ethereum and BNB to host droppers and ultimately 
deploy cryptocurrency-stealing malware against software and blockchain
developers. 

The technique is called EtherHiding. Instead of sending a malicious file
directly to the victim (or otherwise tricking them into downloading it), they
encode parts of the malware into blockchain transactions and smart contracts.

Evolution of bulletproof hosting 

The smart contract itself doesnt execute malware automatically on someones
computer, but it can deliver instructions or code when a user interacts with
it (when they click a link, run a script, or connect a crypto wallet). 

The blockchain is a great place to store and distribute malware since it is
public, immutable, and almost impossible to tamper. 

This represents a shift toward next-generation bulletproof hosting, Google
said, stressing that the blockchains resilient nature is what makes it so
enticing for cybercrooks. 

From February, UNC5342 was observed creating fake jobs and coding challenges 
, tricking developers and others working in the Web3 space to download
different files. These files connect to the blockchain and retrieve the code
which, in turn, installs the JadeSnow loader. This loader drops the
InvisibleFerret backdoor, which was already observed used in cryptocurrency
thefts. 

This is not the first time were seeing blockchain being used to deliver
malware. The technique has been in use since 2023, and in the same report,
Google also mentioned a financially motivated actor UNC5142 using the same
technique. 

This group was seen compromising WordPress sites to host malicious JavaScript
code that connected to the blockchain. More than 14,000 infected sites were
found so far. 

North Korea is known for targeting the crypto industry and using the stolen
funds to finance its weapons program and state apparatus. 

 Via The Record 

======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/north-korean-hackers-found-hiding-crypt
o-stealing-malware-with-blockchain

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