Hive RAT Creators and $3.5M Cryptojacking Mastermind Arrested in Global Crackdown

From thehackernews.com

Two individuals have been arrested in Australia and the U.S. in connection with an alleged scheme to develop and distribute a remote access trojan called Hive RAT (previously Firebird).

The U.S. Justice Department (DoJ) said the malware “gave the malware purchasers control over victim computers and enabled them to access victims’ private communications, their login credentials, and other personal information.”

A 24-year-old individual named Edmond Chakhmakhchyan (aka “Corruption”) from Van Nuys in Los Angeles, California, was taken into custody after he was caught selling a license of Hive RAT to an undercover employee of a law enforcement agency.

He has been charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of advertising a device as an interception device, each of which carries a penalty of five years in prison. Chakhmakhchyan pleaded not guilty and was ordered to stand trial on June 4, 2024.

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