Malware has been discovered in Minecraft mods that endangers young players. By falsifying popular mods and cheats, cyber criminals distribute malignant software that loses sensitive data, from passwords to cryptowallets and chat accounts.
With more than 200 million players worldwide, of which 65% younger than 21, Minecraft is an attractive target. Cyber security researchers at Check Point Research have discovered a malware campaign that focuses specifically on young Minecraft players. The attackers hide their malware in so -called mods – extensions that normally increase the fun. These infected downloads seem harmless, but activate an advanced attack chain as soon as they are installed on a computer with Minecraft.
The malignant mods are spread through Github and use the ‘Stargazers Ghost Network’-a Russian-language criminal ecosystem where Hackers publish ready-made malware. Well-known mod names such as Oringo and Taunahi are being misused to mislead unsuspecting players.
Once installed:
• Checks the mod whether the system is protected or monitored (for example via a virtual machine).
• Downloads extra malware that has access to Minecraft, Discord and Telegram accounts.
• Send the stolen data secretly through legitimate -looking traffic on Discord, among others.
The attack is often unnoticed by antivirus software, partly because the first part is written in Java; A programming language that is scanned less often.
According to the researchers, this attack is remarkably targeted. “The malware only works if Minecraft is installed on the computer. That shows how specifically the attackers focus on young players,” says Jaromír Hořejší, researcher at Check Point.
What should you pay attention to?
• Ensure security software that also monitors game environments.
• Pay attention to signals such as slow performance, unusual error messages or accounts that are suddenly blocked.
Check Point Parents also advises to discuss the risk of downloading MODS or Cheats, even via well -known websites, with children.
For the full report with more technical details, see: https://research.Checkpoint.com/2025/minecraft-mod-malware-stargazers
