Pakistani-based malware empire 'punished' software pirates with infostealers, earning millions of dollars in just five years - here's how to stay safe

• Malware disguised as cracked software infected millions of devices through manipulated search results
• Affiliates in a pay-per-install network turned piracy into a global cybercrime business
• Attackers accidentally exposed their operation after being infected by the same malware

Pakistani-based cybercriminals have been linked to an operation that distributed infostealer malware disguised as cracked software, amassing millions of dollars over five years.

Reports from CloudSek claim the network, traced primarily to Bahawalpur and Faisalabad, functioned like a multi-level sales model, except the product was malicious code.

The group lured victims through search engine optimization poisoning and forum posts advertising pirated programs such as Adobe After Effects and Internet Download Manager.