Thousands Of Fortnite Players Have Accidentally Installed Malware
Thousands of video game players have accidentally installed malware on their PCs, after attempting to cheat during the hugely-successful multiplayer shooter, Fortnite.
More than 78,000 Fortnite players downloaded a hack to their computer which promised in-game currency for free - instead of using in-app purchases.
However, the free download was laced with malware which soon infected thousands of computers.
Hackers were then able to place their own advertisements inside players' web browsers - making money each time they were viewed.
The attacks could also have been used to siphon private information from users' browsing history, like payment details.
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Fortnite (pictured) is one of the most popular online video games available.
More than 78,000 players have downloaded a hack which promised to allow them to generate in-game currency for free - instead of using in-app purchases
The malware targeted at Fortnite players was unearthed by security experts at game-streaming platform Rainway.
Pictured is the code behind the malware
Fortnite is a battle royale-style survival shooter where players create a superhero avatar and compete against each other on a dystopian island to be the last one standing.
According to the most recent update from the developer behind Fortnite, Epic Games, the title currently boasts more than 125 million players worldwide.
Fortnite Support is free to download, with additional content available via in-app purchases, including new skins, dance moves and accessories for in-game avatars.
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The most expensive in-app item is £99.99 ($130).
The latest scam promised Fortnite players the ability to generate in-game currency for free, allowing them to purchase an unlimited number of items, including skins, dance moves and other items.
According to experts, the PC virus allowed hackers to execute a ‘man-in-the-middle' attack, which allows a third-party to inject itself into the two-way secure connection between a player and the server.
The virus was unearthed by security researchers at game-streaming platform Rainway.
According to the most recent update from the developer behind Fortnite (pictured), which it shared at the start of February, the game boasts 125 million players worldwide
Writing in an [ ], they said: ‘We finally found a match in a hack claiming to allow players to generate free V-Bucks and use an aimbot, two birds with one stone, how could someone resist?
‘We then spun up a virtual machine and ran the hack, it immediately installed a root certificate on the device and changed Windows to proxy all web traffic through itself.
‘A successful Man in the Middle Attack.'
These type of attacks allow hackers to insert themselves into the two-way connection established between a computer and the server.
Those who installed the malware had all of their web traffic passed through the software, allowing criminals to interrupt and monitor web traffic.
This could expose players' private information, including bank details.
It also enabled the hackers to run their own display advertisements on players' computers.
From the outside, these appear identical to the online adverts that typically populate webpages online.
However, these malicious adverts only generate revenue for the cyber criminals.
Game-streaming company Rainway has been able to remove hackers from the ad platform they were using - quashing any possible future revenue from the scam.
