Secretive Hacking Group Targeted Bitcoin Firms, Research Shows

A secretive hacking group known as Wild Neutron has targeted a range of businesses worldwide including bitcoin companies.

Jul 9, 2015 at 7:56 p.m. UTC

Updated Sep 11, 2021 at 11:46 a.m. UTC

A secretive hacking group known as Wild Neutron has targeted a range of businesses worldwide including bitcoin companies, two top cybersecurity firms have reported.

Twin studies published by Kapersky Lab and Symantec state that the group, alternatively known as Morpho or Jripbot, has been involved in a number of high-profile attacks on companies like Apple, Google and Facebook, among many others.

While no specific firms were named, Kapersky released an infographic including bitcoin companies among a list of businesses targeted by the shadowy group.

The group, which the security firms suggest is not backed by any particular nation-state and appears to be focused on stealing corporate secrets, has also targeted jihadist forums, spyware developers and firms involved in finance, mergers and acquisitions and information technology.

Research director Costin Raiu said in a statement:

“Wild Neutron is a skilled and quite versatile group. Active since 2011, it has been using at least one zero-day exploit, custom malware and tools for Windows and OS X. Even though in the past it has attacked some of the most prominent companies in the world, it has managed to keep a relatively low profile via solid operational security which has so far eluded most attribution efforts."

The group first emerged in 2013, and according to Symantec's research, has targeted firms based primarily in the US, Canada and Europe. Kapersky reported that, as of now, the origin of Wild Neutron "remains a mystery".

Images via Kapersky Lab, Shutterstock

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.