Security Alert: Old Shellbot Malware Upgraded to Include Cryptojacking Scripts

The Shellbot cryptojacking malware program has reportedly been updated as it now includes additional capabilities. According to a recent report published on May 1st, 2019, Threat Stack, a US-based online security company, had first detected the Shellbot malware in 2005. However, the malware has now been upgraded as it now allows attackers to secretly mine cryptocurrencies by using the computing resources of users - without their consent. The first version of the Shellbot program was reportedly designed to brute-force the credentials associated with SSH (Secure Shell), a standard internet-based protocol used to provide secure access to remote systems. When it was first introduced, the Shellbot malware had reportedly been able to compromise Linux servers which had used weak passwords.