Bitcoin is the pioneering crypt-currency and that may be the reason why it keeps facing one trouble after another. This time, it is a malicious Bitcoin app called ‘StealthBit‘ which essentially steals Bitcoins from Mac OS X users.
Interestingly, the app was uploaded at GitHub, which is an online portal for developers. The StealthBit app pretends to be a genuine Bitcoin app but as soon as it is downloaded and installed, the ‘OSX/CoinThief.A’ trojan enters your machine. It is important to note here that the malicious app is specifically targeted at Mac OS X users.
So how exactly does the app work? Once it is installed, it automatically installs certain browser extensions on the Chrome or Safari browser on your machine. These extensions then sniff out any login credentials that you may use on any of the notable Bitcoin services or exchanges such as MtGox or BTC-e.
Once these unwarranted extensions are successful in sniffing up the login details, they send them right back to whoever masterminded StealthBit. The author is then able to nick away the Bitcoins from the online accounts of the app’s victims. The app has already nicked away nearly 20 Bitcoins, according to a user’s claim on Reddit.
The best way to avoid such trouble is to steer clear of the app and make sure not to install it, even if you run across it at a place like GitHub. Moreover, if you have already somehow installed it, look up the browser extensions and browser settings and deactivate or delete anything that is suspicious.
Courtesy: Digital Trends
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