Newly Unsealed Indictment Charges the Operator of Raccoon Infostealer

U.S. officials have charged a Ukrainian national over his alleged role in the Raccoon Infostealer malware-as-a-service operation that infected millions of computers worldwide.

The U.S. Department of Justice accused Sokolovsky of being one of the “key administrators” of the Raccoon Infostealer, a form of Windows malware that steals passwords, credit card numbers, saved username and password combinations, and granular location data.

Raccoon Infostealer

Raccoon Infostealer was leased to individuals for approximately $200 per month, the DOJ said, which was paid to the malware’s operators in crypto, typically bitcoin. These individuals employed various tactics, such as COVID-19-themed Phishing emails and malicious web pages, to install the malware onto the computers of unsuspecting victims.

Raccoon uninstalls and removes any traces of itself after stealing all the relevant data from an infected PC. Raccoon Infostealer, also known as “Racealer,” was popular because of its low price (USD$75 per week and $200 per month) and its rich features.

The FBI has also created a website that allows anyone to check if their data is contained in the U.S. government’s archive of Raccoon Infostealer stolen information.

Recommendations

Use a powerful anti-malware program to protect your systems against malware infections.
Activate your browser’s pop-up blocker against threats from malvertising.
Do not download free software from untrusted sources.
Always keep your operating system and other critical software up to date.
Prevent the loss of your important data by making regular backups.
Be wary of emails from an unknown or unreliable sender, and do not open attachments.
Use the most up-to-date anti-virus software on all your devices.