KOMPAS.com - All this time, Steam Workshop has become one of the favorite platforms for Steam users.
Through this platform, gamers can download various mods, items, and wallpapers made by the community easily without having to bother manually installing files.
However, this convenience is now being exploited by cybercriminals.
Because all of its content is created by users, there are irresponsible parties taking advantage of the gap by inserting malware into shared files.
This distribution practice was revealed after cybersecurity company Kaspersky discovered malware being spread through Steam Workshop and targeting Steam users.
The method used is quite unique. Instead of disguising itself as a game or application, the malware was inserted into the content sharing feature in Wallpaper Engine Steam Workshop.
Disguising Itself in the Wallpaper Engine Feature
Wallpaper Engine is one of the features in Steam Workshop that allows users to install animated wallpapers on their devices.
Unlike regular wallpapers, this feature is designed to be quite complex because it supports various animation effects and interactive elements, fitting with its name.
Well, according to Kaspersky, this complexity is what gives cybercriminals room to insert malicious code without being easily detected.
Kaspersky's own analysis found dozens of wallpapers that had been infiltrated with malware.
Although the number is not large, these wallpapers are said to be quite popular because each has been downloaded thousands to tens of thousands of times.
Meanwhile, the majority of victims are known to come from China. Kaspersky noted that about 89 percent of victims came from that country, followed by Russia with about 5.5 percent.
According to researchers, the wallpapers used as bait were intentionally designed to be attractive to specific targets. One of them uses images of female characters in anime style or known as "waifu".
Steam Accounts Can Be Hijacked
The main danger of this malware is not just disrupting device performance. According to Kaspersky, after the wallpaper is run, the malware automatically installs a backdoor and executable files that disguise themselves as a game.
At the same time, the malware will then search for important information stored on the device, including the victim's Steam account credentials.
