Steam Game Pulled After $150K Crypto Heist
▼ Summary
– Steam removed a free game called BlockBlasters that contained malware designed to steal cryptocurrency from players’ wallets.
– The malicious game stole over $150,000 in total, including $32,000 from a streamer who was fundraising for cancer treatment.
– A malware tracker reported that bad actors used a spearphishing campaign, targeting streamers with offers of compensation to promote the game.
– BlockBlasters was added to Steam in late July, but the crypto-draining malware was only added a month later, and the game had garnered many positive reviews.
– This is part of a pattern, as Steam has recently removed several other games, including PirateFi and Sniper: Phantom’s Resolution, for infecting Windows computers with malware.
A malicious game on the popular Steam platform has been removed after it was discovered to be stealing cryptocurrency from players’ wallets, resulting in losses exceeding $150,000. The free 2D platformer, BlockBlasters, was secretly a cryptodrainer designed to look like a legitimate video game. Security researchers at vx-underground reported that the perpetrators ran a spearphishing campaign, targeting streamers with offers of payment to promote the fraudulent title.
According to reports, BlockBlasters initially appeared on Steam in late July without the malicious component. The game, published by Genesis Interactive, had accumulated over 200 “very positive” reviews, helping it appear legitimate. It was only after an update on August 30th that the cryptodrainer was quietly integrated into the software. The scheme came to light when Latvian streamer Raivo Plavnieks, who is battling stage 4 cancer, publicly disclosed losing $32,000. He had been using those funds for his medical treatment.
This incident is not an isolated one for the Steam marketplace. The platform has previously taken action against other games like PirateFi, Sniper: Phantom’s Resolution, and Chemia for distributing malware that infected Windows computers. Steam officially removed BlockBlasters from its store on September 21st following the discovery of its true purpose. Attempts to get a statement from Valve, the company behind Steam, were not immediately returned. This event highlights the ongoing risks associated with downloading software, even from major, trusted digital storefronts.
(Source: The Verge)
