Xubuntu website compromised to deliver crypto malware to Windows 10 refugees

You are probably aware, if you have been reading Neowin in recent weeks, that Windows 10 reached end of life on October 14.

For those people not able to upgrade to Windows 11, due to insufficient hardware, a popular choice has been to switch to Linux, and hackers know this. Well, over the weekend, the website of Xubuntu, an Ubuntu spin, was compromised to serve Windows malware.

According to OMG! Ubuntu, the malware was being served in the ironically-named file xubuntu-safe-download.zip, which was being downloaded by users who tried to download the official .torrent file. If you didn’t download the torrent, you should be fine.

Inside the zip file was a Windows .exe runtime which contained the malware and a terms of service text file. While this wouldn’t have tricked an experienced user, who knows they’re looking for an .ISO or .IMG file, a Linux novice who has never left Windows might not realize this and click the .exe, getting their machine infected.

The malware itself was designed to intercept links for cryptocurrency accounts copied to the clipboard, probably in an attempt to clear users out of their savings. As cryptocurrency is largely unregulated, it’s much harder to get your assets back when compared to money being taken from your bank account.

Once the team learned about what happened, they took down the affected download page immediately so others wouldn’t be able to infect their PC. The project said that it is expediting static site development to replace the aging WordPress instance.

While this sucks for the credibility of the Xubuntu project, users should be fully aware the compromise was very limited. No other flavours of Ubuntu, the Ubuntu infrastructure, or direct Xubuntu ISO downloads were compromised. Also, if you are running Xubuntu, there is no need to worry as this attack doesn’t affect you.

While the Xubuntu team works on the new website, you’ll need to head here https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/xubuntu/releases/ to download Xubuntu, which is safe to do.

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