Hacker groups steal Telegram accounts to spread worms. How should users protect themselves?

According to the latest news, the SlowMist security team has discovered that a hacker organization is conducting a systematic worm propagation attack. They steal Telegram accounts to impersonate users, use carefully crafted social engineering tactics to poison the contacts of victims, ultimately achieving token theft and account hijacking. More alarmingly, these hackers are continuously optimizing their attack techniques. This poses a tangible threat to the entire crypto community.

How the Attack Chain Works

Complete attack process

The hackers’ steps are quite clear and systematic:

Diversity of Poisoning Tools

The hacker organization employs various disguises to confuse users:

• Fake Zoom meeting software (exploiting the commonality of remote meetings)
• Malicious code repositories (targeting developers)
• Polluted third-party tools (leveraging trust chains)
• Malicious gaming software (using entertainment appeal)

These tools often appear legitimate and trustworthy but hide malicious code inside. Once users install and run them, hackers can gain device permissions.

Why This Attack Is Especially Dangerous

The Power of Social Engineering

Hackers do not attack strangers directly but impersonate known contacts of users. This greatly increases the success rate of deception. Coupled with bilingual communication in Chinese and English, attackers can target users from different regions, demonstrating the hacker group’s internationalization and professionalism.

Chain Reaction of Worm-Like Propagation

Once a user is infected, hackers can continue to use their account to infect more contacts. This creates an exponential spread effect, with each compromised account becoming a springboard for the next round of attacks.

Ongoing Optimization of Threats

The hacker organization improves their techniques after each attack, indicating that this is not a one-time event but a long-term, organized criminal activity. Defensive difficulty will only increase.

How Crypto Users Can Protect Themselves

Multi-layered Account Security

• Enable Telegram’s two-step verification and set a strong password
• Regularly check login device lists and promptly remove unfamiliar devices
• Avoid logging into Telegram over insecure networks
• Backup recovery codes and store them securely

Be Vigilant in Recognizing Poisoning Content

• Even if it comes from a familiar contact, be cautious if they suddenly ask to download software or click links
• Confirm the identity of the other party through other channels (phone, face-to-face) before acting
• Avoid downloading Zoom, gaming, and other common software from unofficial sources
• Verify the source of dependencies in code repositories

Device-Level Protections

• Use legitimate antivirus software and security tools
• Keep operating systems and applications patched and up to date
• Use dedicated devices or virtual machines to isolate important accounts
• Regularly back up wallet private keys and other critical information, and store backups securely

Summary

This hacker attack reveals a sobering reality: in the crypto world, technical risks and social engineering risks often combine, making defenses difficult. Users cannot rely solely on platform security but must also enhance their own security awareness. For Telegram users, now is the time to review account security settings and stay vigilant. Remember one principle: any software download request from a contact warrants a second confirmation.