A clothing website linked to FBI Director Kash Patel was inaccessible on Friday after it was targeted with malware designed to steal crypto assets. The incident drew attention because the attack method tricked users into manually executing commands, thereby exposing browser data, session tokens, and wallet information.
MetaMask issued a risk warning.
According to reports, the involved website is Based Apparel. When users visit, the page tricks macOS users into copying and pasting a terminal command to install a malicious program called "ClickFix." MetaMask has since flagged the website as "potentially deceptive," warning visitors of the risk of malicious transactions and asset theft.
The report mentioned that PCMag had previously reproduced the attack. Decrypt stated that when attempting to verify, the website page had been changed to a message saying "The store will be back online soon," preventing them from reproducing the behavior again.
The attack targets macOS users
The information-stealing malware involved in this incident is of the infostealer type, characterized by silently extracting sensitive data from devices. According to reports, the compromised data may include session tokens from browsers, local browsing data, and information related to cryptocurrency wallets.
If users follow the prompted terminal commands, attackers may gain access to their account login status and wallet permissions, potentially leading to asset loss.
The website is linked to Patel; the extent of the losses is unclear.
Public information shows that Based Apparel is jointly owned by Patel and Andrew Ollis, who also serves as CEO and board member of the Kash Foundation. Reports also note that, according to the Kash Foundation’s website, Patel is no longer affiliated with the nonprofit organization, which is not affiliated with any government agency, including the FBI.
It is currently unclear whether the suspected website breach has resulted in significant losses. According to Ahrefs data, the website is estimated to receive approximately 33,600 visits per month.
Additional information: Information-stealing malware is not a new type of attack. Two months ago, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation stated that it was investigating multiple PC games on the Steam platform that installed such malware.