--- title: Malware Hidden Inside Games Found In Microsoft Store description: Malware Hidden Inside Games Found In Microsoft Store --- [Securafy Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) - [Topics](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-cover) - [Tools](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-tools) - [Books & Guides](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-books) [Talk to Securafy](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) [Topics](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-cover) [Tools](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-tools) [Books & Guides](https://blog.securafy.com/#sf-books) [Talk to Securafy](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) [Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) / IT Operations IT Operations # Malware Hidden Inside Games Found In Microsoft Store Malware Hidden Inside Games Found In Microsoft Store ![Randy Hall](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Randy%20Hall%202.png) By Randy Hall Updated Jul 2024 3 min read Share [**](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/03/11/malware-hidden-inside-games-found-in-microsoft-store) [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/03/11/malware-hidden-inside-games-found-in-microsoft-store&text=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EMalware+Hidden+Inside+Games+Found+In+Microsoft+Store%3C%2Fspan%3E) [**](mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EMalware+Hidden+Inside+Games+Found+In+Microsoft+Store%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https://blog.securafy.com/2022/03/11/malware-hidden-inside-games-found-in-microsoft-store) ![](https://static.hsstatic.net/BlogImporterAssetsUI/ex/missing-image.png)Security experts tell people all the time to never to download apps from anywhere other than official sources like the Microsoft Store, the Google Play Store, and the Apple App Store. It's good advice but unfortunately, even those sources aren't perfect when it comes to keeping malicious apps that have been poisoned with malware off of their virtual shelves. Recently, the cyber-intelligence firm named Check Point discovered poisoned clones of a number of popular games like Temple Run and Subway Surfer.  These poisoned clones have been responsible for compromising more than five thousand machines located primarily in Sweden, Israel, Spain, and Bermuda. The code lurking in these poisoned copies of popular games is called Electron Bot and it is fairly mild in terms of what it does. It seeks to earn profits by taking control of machines and commandeering their social media accounts including Facebook, Google, YouTube and Sound Cloud. If the owner of the infected system happens not to have accounts on any of those services, that's fine too.  Electron Bot is more than capable of setting up brand new accounts and then commenting and "liking" content on those platforms which is engaging in click fraud. This Electron Bot is not new.  It was first spotted in the wild in the waning days of 2018 masquerading as an app called "Album by Google Photos" on the Google Play store. Since then, the malicious code has undergone several revisions and each time the authors have further refined the code and added new capabilities to it. **According to the Check Point researchers, the main goals of the group behind the malware seem to be:** - SEO poisoning - Create malware-dropping sites that rank high on Google Search results. - Ad clicking - Connect to remote sites in the background and click on non-viewable advertisements. - Social media account promotion - Direct traffic to specific content on social media platforms. - Online product promotion - Increase store rating by clicking on its advertisements. As malware goes that's hardly the worst thing but it's still not something you want on your system. So be warned and be aware. Tagged Under IT Operations[Cybersecurity](https://blog.securafy.com/tag/cybersecurity)Business Continuity In This Article Need Help With Your Current Setup? Talk through your current systems, risks, and support gaps with Securafy. [Book a Strategy Call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/securafy/strategy-call) ## Join The Conversation Have a question or perspective on this topic? Add it below. ![Randy Hall](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Randy%20Hall%202.png) About The Author Randy Hall · CEO & Founder Randy Hall is the CEO and Founder of Securafy, with decades of experience helping organizations make smarter, safer decisions about technology. A frequent speaker and instructor at national IT events, Randy has advised thousands of organizations, from startups and SMBs to large enterprises and U.S. government entities, on secure, practical technology adoption. He writes about the decisions business leaders are often expected to make without enough context, including cybersecurity, compliance, AI, cyber insurance, IT strategy, and business resilience. Outside the office, you’ll often find Randy on Lake Erie enjoying time on his 38-foot Chris-Craft. **Writes about:** Cybersecurity strategy, compliance, AI security, business resilience, cyber insurance, SMB risk, IT leadership [More From This Author →](https://blog.securafy.com/author/randyhall) Related Articles Business Continuity [Compliance Risk Assessment: How Downtime Impacts Your Bottom Line](https://blog.securafy.com/compliance-risk-assessment-how-downtime-impacts-your-bottom-line) When systems go down, compliance obligations don't pause—and the financial consequences ... Jul 28, 2026 Compliance [HIPAA Security Rule Changes Are Delayed To 2027: Why Healthcare Organizations Should Not Wait](https://blog.securafy.com/hipaa-security-rule-changes-are-delayed-to-2027-why-healthcare-organizations-should-not-wait) The updated HIPAA Security Rule won't take effect until 2027, but healthcare ... 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