Russian Hacker Vladimir Dunaev Convicted for Creating TrickBot Malware

A Russian nationwide has been located responsible in connection with his function in developing and deploying a malware known as TrickBot, the U.S. Section of Justice (DoJ) introduced.

Vladimir Dunaev, 40, was arrested in South Korea in September 2021 and extradited to the U.S. a month later.

“Dunaev designed browser modifications and malicious equipment that aided in credential harvesting and facts mining from contaminated desktops, facilitated and enhanced the remote obtain utilized by TrickBot actors, and developed a application code to reduce the TrickBot malware from being detected by legit security software package,” the DoJ mentioned.

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“All through Dunaev’s participation in the plan, 10 victims in the Northern District of Ohio, which include Avon universities and a North Canton genuine-estate business, were defrauded of more than $3.4 million by way of ransomware deployed by TrickBot.”

Dunaev, who pleaded guilty to committing computer system fraud and identification theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, faces a optimum of 35 years in jail. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2024.

Dunaev is also the 2nd TrickBot gang malware developer to be arrested following Alla Witte, a Latvian nationwide who, was sentenced to two decades and eight months in prison in June 2023.

The progress arrived approximately three months right after the U.K. and U.S. governments sanctioned 11 people today suspected of being portion of the TrickBot cybercrime group.

TrickBot, which begun off as a banking trojan in 2016, developed into a multi-intent software capable of offering additional payloads to infected hosts and performing as an first entry facilitator for ransomware attacks.

After surviving regulation enforcement to dismantle the botnet, the notorious Conti ransomware crew acquired manage more than the operation. However, both Conti and TrickBot suffered a important blow very last yr pursuing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when Conti pledged allegiance to Russia.

This led to a sequence of leaks dubbed ContiLeaks and TrickLeaks that gave absent precious information and facts about their inside chats and infrastructure, ultimately resulting in the shut down of Conti and its disintegration into various other groups.

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