A man from the city of North Royalton in Ohio has been charged with allegedly creating and installing malware on thousands of Apple computers for more than 13 years.
A statement from the US Department of Justice said Phillip Durachinsky had watched, listened to, and obtained personal data from his victims. He was also indicted for producing child pornography.
Durachinsky is said to have developed malware named Fruitfly that he installed on computers after he had gained access to them.
Thereafter he could access stored data, upload files, take and download screenshots, log a user’s keystrokes, and turn on the camera and microphone to surreptitiously record images and audio.
{loadposition sam08}He also used stolen credentials to access and obtain information from third-party websites.
Durachinsky is also claimed to have watched and listened to victims and intercepted communications in the room where the infected computer was located.
was epic collab'ing w/ @FBI on OSX/FruitFly investigation. ? kudos & credit to them for tracking down & arrest of author: https://t.co/sIT6uPM7bu So f**k'd up malware used for "13 yrs in order to watch & listen to unknowing [?] victims as well as produce child pornography" ??
— patrick wardle (@patrickwardle) 10 January 2018
In some cases, the malware alerted him if a user typed words associated with pornography. The indictment claimed Durachinsky saved millions of images and often kept detailed notes of what he saw.
“For more than 13 years, Phillip Durachinsky allegedly infected with malware the computers of thousands of Americans and stole their most personal data and communications,” said acting assistant attorney-general John Cronan.
“This case is an example of the Justice Department’s continued efforts to hold accountable cyber criminals who invade the privacy of others and exploit technology for their own ends.”