Crypto malware silently steals ETH, XRP, SOL from wallets

Cybersecurity researchers have shared details of a malware campaign targeting Ethereum, XRP, and Solana.

The attack mainly targets Atomic and Exodus wallet users through compromised node package manager (NPM) packages.

It then redirects transactions to attacker-controlled addresses without the wallet owner’s knowledge.

The attack begins when developers unknowingly install trojanized npm packages in their projects. Researchers identified “pdf-to-office” as a compromised package that appears legitimate but contains hidden malicious code.

Once installed, the package scans the system for installed cryptocurrency wallets and injects malicious code that intercepts transactions.

‘Escalation in targeting’

“This latest campaign represents an escalation in the ongoing targeting of cryptocurrency users through software supply chain attacks,” researchers noted in their report.

The malware can redirect transactions across multiple cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum (ETH), Tron-based USDT, XRP (XRP), and Solana (SOL).

ReversingLabs identified the campaign through their analysis of suspicious npm packages and detected multiple indicators of malicious behavior including suspicious URL connections and code patterns matching previously identified threats. Their technical examination reveals a multi-stage attack that uses advanced obfuscation techniques to evade detection.

The infection process begins when the malicious package executes its payload targeting wallet software installed on the system. The code specifically searches for application files in certain paths.

Once located, the malware extracts the application archive. This process is executed through code that creates temporary directories, extracts the application files, injects the malicious code, and then repacks everything to appear normal.

The malware modifies transaction handling code to replace legitimate wallet addresses with attacker-controlled ones using base64 encoding.

For example, when a user attempts to send ETH, the code replaces the recipient address with an attacker’s address decoded from a base64 string.

The impact of this malware can be tragic because transactions appear normal in the wallet interface while funds are being sent to attackers.

Users have no visual indication that their transactions have been compromised until they verify the blockchain transaction and discover funds went to an unexpected address.