14 DAY TRIAL // The United States Department of Justice has charged an Ohio resident for allegedly creating the famous malware dubbed Fruitfly and used to infect Windows and macOS systems.
Phillip R. Durachinsky, 28, of North Royalton, Ohio was indicted on no less than 16 separate charges, all of them related to the malware. According to the DoJ, Durachinsky used the malware to steal personal data of victims, including passwords, medical records, banking credentials, Internet searches, and messages, while also taking screenshots, logging their keystrokes, and even turning on computers’ cameras to spy on them.
The malware was created in 2003 when the hacker was just a teenager, but it’s been used for more than 13 years to infect thousands of computers owned by consumers across the world, but also those operated by companies, schools, a police department and even the US government.
Malware infected a US government computer
The US DoJ says that at least one system owned by a subsidiary of the US Department of Energy was compromised with Fruitfly, though no details were provided as to what information was stolen.
“This defendant is alleged to have spent more than a decade spying on people across the country and accessing their personal information,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierleja.
The malware was capable of alerting the hacker when users were searching for adult content, and Durachinsky often saved their searches and kept notes of what they were looking for. He also intercepted chats and video calls performed on the compromised computers.
“Durachinsky is alleged to have utilized his sophisticated cyber skills with ill intent, compromising numerous systems and individual computers,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony.
Interestingly enough, security researcher Patrick Wardle discovered the malware last summer after looking into backup domains that infected systems connected to, and in two days, no less than 400 Macs with IPs based in the US attempted to establish a connection with his server.
The hacker was arrested in January last year and has been in custody since then, and if found guilty, he will spend a long time in prison.