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The reaper malware was recently discovered by cyber security firms Qihoo and Check Point [1]. The malware is a bot originating from another botnet called Mirai. A botnet infects devices connected to a network.
Reaper mainly infects IoT (Internet of Things) which are physical devices like routers and webcams that are attached to a pc or laptop.
However security experts don’t know the purpose for this new reaper malware or what it was originally programmed for [2].
I strongly suspect that this malware was developed to steal passwords of hardware wallets that store cryptocurrencies because just recently the new ransomware called Bad Rabbit has infected many computers [3]. Perhaps the demand for hardware wallets attracted the attention of hackers.
According to the many websites, malware can not attack a hardware wallet. However malware can monitor the device which connects to a hardware wallet [4].
Anyway it’s just my opinion. Share your thoughts about it.
References:
[1] https://www.wired.com/story/reaper-iot-botnet-infected-million-networks/
[2] https://www.rt.com/news/407721-reaper-hurricane-botnet-mirai/
[3] https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/bad-rabbit-ransomware/19887/
[4] https://bravenewcoin.com/news/bitcoin-stealing-malware-evolves-again/
[5] https://www.hackread.com/reaper-malware-outshines-mirai-hits-millions-of-iot-devices-worldwide/