Microsoft Battles Infostealer Lumma: Thousands of Websites Shut Down!

Microsoft takes legal action against infostealer Lumma

Microsoft, a prominent tech company, reports that it has initiated a lawsuit against the data-theft malware known as Lumma Stealer and has barred access to over a thousand sites associated with this software.

In a blog post dated May 21st, Microsoft announced that a federal court in Georgia granted their digital crimes unit permission to disrupt, restrict, or halt approximately 2,300 websites essential for Lumma’s operations. They have been working closely with both local and international law enforcement agencies to dismantle the infrastructure supporting this project.

The company announced that the U.S. Department of Justice took control of Lumma’s main operations center and hindered platforms where this tool was being traded among cybercriminals.

According to Microsoft, Lumma has been illegally distributed on hidden online marketplaces since the year 2022. It’s important to note that Lumma has experienced several updates or enhancements since its initial release.

In collaboration with Europol‘s European Cybercrime Center and Japan’s Cybercrime Control Center, they managed to shut down the local network associated with Lumma.

Lumma serves as a stealing device for malicious users. With its use, sensitive data such as passwords, credit card numbers, bank account details, and cryptocurrency wallet information can be taken.

From March 16th to May 16th, Microsoft reported that more than 394,000 Windows systems were found to be affected by the Lumma malware. They collaborated with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to cut off communication between the tool and the infected machines.

Malicious activity on the rise

Crypto thieves refer to software specifically created to swipe the contents of cryptocurrency wallets. They’re prevalent in various suspicious settings such as phishing websites, harmful browser extensions, fraudulent airdrops, among others.

This past week, it was alleged that Procolored, a Chinese printer manufacturer, apparently included Bitcoin-theft malware within their official driver software. This incident led to approximately $953,000 in cryptocurrency being stolen.

In the previous month, it was indicated by an AMLBot report that crypto drainer tools have transformed into Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings. This enables less skilled cybercriminals to lease this service for approximately $100.

A February 7th report by blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis indicated that approximately $51 billion in cryptocurrency was misplaced in 2024 as a result of fraudulent actions. Notably, this loss was largely attributed to sophisticated criminal organizations, cybercriminal syndicates, state-backed hackers utilizing advanced technology, and artificially intelligent scams.

2024 statistics from the FBI’s cyber division reveal that a staggering $9.3 billion was swindled from Americans via cryptocurrency scams and deceptions, with individuals over the age of 60 being the most susceptible to such schemes.

Over the past six years, from 2017 to 2023, hackers originating from North Korea have made off with approximately $3 billion in cryptocurrencies. According to crypto firm Paradigm, these cybercriminals have progressively improved their methods and tactics over this period.

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2025-05-22 09:50