This Free Steam Game Tricks Players Into Downloading Malware, Users Beware
Steam users must beware hacked games posing as freebies, when in reality they hide malware looking to steal your information.
Those looking for free PC games should often look no further than Steam, as while the Epic Games Store holds more quality when it comes to freebies, Steam excels at quantity.
Countless indie games are launched as free downloads on Valve’s digital storefront, but a now-discontinued game was using its free status to lure in victims for a scam.
Trojan Horses Hiding On Steam
A free Steam game by the name of Rodent Race was hacked not too long ago, resulting in its entire page being changed.
The new name was Beyond The Dark, which appeared to be a Phasmophobia clone, where players would jump online and investigate haunted locations filled with hidden dangers.
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As it turns out,, the dangers that delved within weren’t the ghosts but instead malware designed to infect your PC and steal whatever useful information it could.
YouTuber Eric Parker discovered the scam and shared the findings in a video. The name of the malware is called UnityPlayer.dll, and it would infect your PC upon launching the game. The game itself was highly unstable, and users reported constant crashes, but UnityPlayer.dll. would continue running in the background unbeknownst to the player.
It would apparently target any saved passwords currently stored on your PC but it would also look for any cryptocurrency extensions on Google.
Some of the user reviews left for the game on Steam report that even a basic antivirus can be enough to prevent the software from doing any real damage, but those who downloaded the title are being encouraged to delete the files and run a scan.
If your PC had any saved passwords on it, you’ll probably have to start changing them, as any of your accounts could be compromised.
Luckily, Valve was quickly notified of the issue and pulled Beyond The Dark from the storefront, so nobody else can download it.
It’s horrifying to think that some Steam games are being repurposed into scams, and had it not been for Eric Parker sounding the alarm online, other users could have had their information stolen by the malware.
Going forward, all Steam users should be wary of what they’re downloading. Pay careful attention to the description and images used and be sure to check out user reviews if you’re unsure. It should also go without saying that your PC should have some decent antivirus software installed as well.
Thankfully, Valve is more than aware of this ongoing issue and hopefully, measures will be taken to ensure games like this don’t start popping up more often.
Topics: Steam, PC, Free Games