Cryptocurrency hackers have targeted one of the internet’s most used traffic analytics services StatCounter to steal Bitcoins from users of online exchange desk Gate.io.
In fact, the reports show that hackers managed to hack over 688,000 websites by using a malicious script.
Apparently, StatCounter works in a similar way as Google Analytics and provides detailed reports of the internet traffic to and from websites. To make use of the StatCounter, webmasters must add its special code to their sites. However, the hackers utilized the same feature to spread their malicious code to other websites using StatCounter.
The attackers simply replaced the Bitcoin address used on Gate.io with one owned by the hackers. Security researchers from ESET, a Slovakian cybersecurity firm were first to discover the breach and described it as a “supply chain attack”.
Additionally, ESET notes that the malicious code is harmless until the link contains a specific string – “myaccount/withdraw/BTC” – that unluckily is being used by Gate.io exclusively.
Nevertheless, it is too soon to convey how many individuals were affected by the attack or how much the hackers managed to get away with.
When contacted Gate.io, the company claims to remove the StatCounter from their website altogether. It also instructs users to enable the two-factor authentication and the two-step login protection for enhanced security.
Read Next: How Much is Your Digital Data Worth? (infographic)
In fact, the reports show that hackers managed to hack over 688,000 websites by using a malicious script.
Apparently, StatCounter works in a similar way as Google Analytics and provides detailed reports of the internet traffic to and from websites. To make use of the StatCounter, webmasters must add its special code to their sites. However, the hackers utilized the same feature to spread their malicious code to other websites using StatCounter.
The attackers simply replaced the Bitcoin address used on Gate.io with one owned by the hackers. Security researchers from ESET, a Slovakian cybersecurity firm were first to discover the breach and described it as a “supply chain attack”.
Related: How to protect your devices from crypto-miners (infographic)ESET also reports that even though around million websites were infected, the threat was targeted on one specific website – Gate.io – the cryptocurrency exchange website that currently handles over $1.7 million worth of Bitcoin daily.
Additionally, ESET notes that the malicious code is harmless until the link contains a specific string – “myaccount/withdraw/BTC” – that unluckily is being used by Gate.io exclusively.
Nevertheless, it is too soon to convey how many individuals were affected by the attack or how much the hackers managed to get away with.
When contacted Gate.io, the company claims to remove the StatCounter from their website altogether. It also instructs users to enable the two-factor authentication and the two-step login protection for enhanced security.
Read Next: How Much is Your Digital Data Worth? (infographic)
