Microsoft takes down Lumma malware responsible for infecting 394,000 Windows computers

Microsoft said that it broke down the Lumma Stealer malware project with the help of law enforcement officials across the globe. In a blog post, the tech giant said that its digital crimes unit discovered more than 394,000 Windows computers infected by the Lumma malware worldwide between March 16 through May 16.

The Lumma malware was a favorite hacking tool used by bad actors and used to steal passwords, credit cards, bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets. Hackers have been buying the Lumma malware via underground online forums since at least 2022, all while developers were “continually improving its capabilities,” the blog post said.

Microsoft said its digital crimes unit was able to dismantle the web domains underpinning Lumma’s infrastructure with the help of a court order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The U.S. Department of Justice then took control of Lumma’s “central command structure” and squashed the online marketplaces where bad actors purchased the malware.

The cybercrime control center of Japan “facilitated the suspension of locally based Lumma infrastructure,” the blog post said.

“Working with law enforcement and industry partners, we have severed communications between the malicious tool and victims,” Microsoft said in the post. “Moreover, more than 1,300 domains seized by or transferred to Microsoft, including 300 domains actioned by law enforcement with the support of Europol, will be redirected to Microsoft sinkholes.”