Wiper malware targeting Japanese PCs discovered ahead of Tokyo Olympics opening
A Japanese security firm said it discovered an Olympics-themed malware sample that contains functionality to wipe files on infected systems and appears to be targeted at Japanese PCs.
The wiper’s discovery, on Wednesday, came two days ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to take place this Friday.
Discovered and analyzed by Japanese security firm Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions (MBSD), the wiper doesn’t just delete all of a computer’s data, and instead searchers only for certain file types located in the user’s personal Windows folder, located at “C:/Users/<username>/“.
Microsoft Office files are targeted for deletion, but also TXT, LOG, and CSV files, which can sometimes store logs, databases, or password information.
In addition, the wiper also targets files created with the Ichitaro Japanese word processor (emboldened below), which has led the MBSD team to believe that the wiper was specifically created to target computers in Japan—where the Ichitaro app is typically installed.
