Authorities in Malta and Nigeria have apprehended individuals suspected of peddling and supporting a a remote access trojan horse (RAT) known as Warzone. Daniel Meli, 27, was nabbed in Malta, while Prince Onyeoziri Odinakachi, 31, was arrested in Nigeria on February 7.
Warzone RAT is a type of malware that stands for Remote Access Trojan. It is a software that can secretly infect your computer and give hackers full control over it. It can bypass security systems and antivirus programs and run in the background without you noticing.
With Warzone RAT, hackers can do a lot of things to harm your privacy and security. They can:
- Access your files and documents
- Take screenshots of your desktop or applications
- Record your keystrokes and capture your passwords
- Watch you through your webcam
- Download or upload files to or from your computer
- Execute commands or programs on your computer
Warzone RAT is not a new malware. It has been around since 2012 and has been sold and used by many cybercriminals around the world. One of them was Daniel Meli, a Maltese hacker who was arrested earlier this month for selling and training other hackers in the use of Warzone RAT.
Meli was part of an international network of cybercriminals that used online forums to sell and buy malware products and services. He also wrote an ebook to teach others how to use Warzone RAT for malicious purposes.
According to The Guardian, he Australian Federal Police (AFP), the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Europol were among the law enforcement agencies that collaborated to track down and arrest Meli. They identified Warzone as an emerging cyber threat in 2020 and shared intelligence that led to his capture.
Meli was selling Warzone for as low as A$25 a month, making it affordable for anyone who wanted to hack into someone else’s computer. According to the AFP commander Chris Goldsmid, “For a small cost, individuals with nefarious intentions could purchase software that would allow them to gain access to a victim’s computer and personal information.”
Another suspect, Prince Onyeoziri Odinakachi, 31, was arrested in Nigeria on the same day as Meli. He is accused of providing online customer support to the users of Warzone malware from June 2019. He was indicted by a US federal grand jury in Massachusetts on 30 January for conspiracy to commit multiple cybercrimes.
