The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it is investigating a hacker suspected of publishing several video games containing malware on Steam, a PC gaming marketplace operated by Valve Corporation.
In a public notice issued Friday, the FBI asked anyone who may have downloaded the affected titles to come forward as potential victims.
Malware Hidden Inside Multiple Steam Games
According to the agency, the suspected hacker uploaded several games to Steam over the past two years that secretly contained malicious software.
The titles under investigation include:
- BlockBlasters
- Chemia
- Dashverse / DashFPS
- Lampy
- Lunara
- PirateFi
- Tokenova
Authorities believe these games were developed or distributed by the same cybercriminal.
Although the games appeared to function normally, investigators say they may have served as delivery mechanisms for malware installed on players’ computers.
Trojan Horse Tactic Used To Infect Players
The malicious games reportedly acted as Trojan horses. While the games themselves could run, their real purpose was to trick players into installing hidden malware.
Once installed, such malware could potentially allow attackers to steal data, access systems remotely, or install additional malicious programs.
The FBI did not disclose the number of users who may have been affected.
Not The First Steam Malware Incident
This is not the first time malware has appeared on Steam.
In a previous incident last year, hackers uploaded several games to the platform that also contained malicious code. Those titles were eventually removed after the threat was discovered.
However, an unknown number of users had already downloaded the infected games before they were taken down.
The latest investigation highlights the ongoing challenges facing digital marketplaces as cybercriminals attempt to disguise malware as legitimate software.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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