Some add-ons from Kodi are carrying cryptocurrency malware

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If you use Kodi for your streaming needs, it's time to sit back and pay attention, because a number of add-ons for the media player have apparently been infected by cryptocurrency malware that affects Windows and Linux users. [19659002] This is according to a report identified by ZDNet by the ESET security company, which detects the discovery of malicious code in add-ons (unspecified) by no less than three Kodi repositories: Bubbles, Gaia and XvBMC.

This code activates the download of another add-in, which acquires a snapshot of the host operating system and then installs a stealth coin generator.

In other words, hijack the PC resources to extract the cryptocurrency for the attacker, which may not seem like a direct theft, but of course it is increasing the energy consumption of your machine and it costs you electricity indirectly. Not to mention the potential slowdown of the computer through the use of the processor.

As mentioned at the beginning, according to the ESET security researchers, the mischievous coin miner – whose objective is the cryptocurrency Monero – is aimed exclusively at Windows and Linux users. [19659006] Scan

So if you are in one of these fields and you have installed add-ons from the above mentioned Kodi repositories, you should check your PC for any signs of malware in residence (a good antivirus app will help you

There is no current danger, since the three repositories in question are no longer active, having been removed due to copyright infringement issues (this sort of controversy can often be linked to some additional add-ons of Kodi, as we have seen in the past.

ESET believes that this operation of illegal extraction dates back to December 2017 – when the Bubbles deposit was hit for the first time – and has accumulated over 62 Monero coins, which equates to something like $ 7,000 (about £ 5,300, $ 9,700 AU) of illicit gains The total number of infected systems is around 4,700.

If you do not know the world of Kodi and its myriad of components additional, we have a complete explanation of what's all here, including our recommendations for the best add-ons and how to install them.

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