Valve Removes Infected Free-to-Play Game 'PirateFi' from Steam

Valve has taken decisive action by removing a Free-to-Play game, 'PirateFi', from its Steam platform due to the presence of malware. This decision follows a report from a user who alerted Valve about malicious software embedded within the game.

According to a recent blog post by the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, 'PirateFi' was delisted from the store in the previous week after the malware discovery was brought to attention. A screenshot from the unofficial Steam tracker, SteamDB, reveals an email sent by Valve to players of 'PirateFi', informing them that specific builds of the game were compromised. The email warned users that if they played 'PirateFi' during the time these versions were active, it is likely that harmful files were executed on their systems.

In its communication, Valve advised affected players to conduct a thorough system scan using antivirus software and suggested that formatting the system might also be a prudent course of action. Kaspersky identified the malware from 'PirateFi' as Trojan.Win32.Lazzzy.gen, which was concealed within a file named 'Howard.exe'. This malware was designed to extract itself into the Temp folder located in the AppData directory, where it could steal browser cookies and gain unauthorized access to the accounts of affected users. Reports from Steam forums indicate instances where attackers successfully accessed the accounts of 'PirateFi' players, although the original forum posts have since been removed.

The exact number of players who engaged with 'PirateFi' remains uncertain. Although the game was not widely popular, estimates from Vginsights suggest it was downloaded approximately 1,500 times, while Gamalytic estimates around 860 downloads. Data from SteamDB indicates that 'PirateFi' was only played by a maximum of five individuals at any given time. Therefore, the total number of impacted users is likely to be minimal. The identity of the development studio behind 'PirateFi' is currently unknown.

This incident raises significant concerns regarding the security measures implemented by Valve on its platform. Kaspersky pointed out that the last documented case of a game spreading malware on Steam occurred nearly a decade ago, involving a game titled 'Dynostopia', which was published as a beta on the now-defunct Greenlight platform. That game was capable of downloading malware from external sources, enabling it to take control of user systems.