Gamers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey most affected by malware campaign

Gamers in the Middle East have been heavily hit by a malware campaign that promotes fake beta versions of video games, cyber security experts have warned.

Consumers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey have been the most impacted by the campaign, according to cyber protection company Acronis.

Its threat research group said malware is spreading through the use of Discord, a video, audio and texting platform popular with gamers around the world.

The campaign pretends to promote beta versions of games titled Baruda Quest, Warstorm Fire and Dire Talon, but they are actually software that steals personal information and payment, login and crypto wallet data.

“This underscores the urgent need for awareness among regional gamers who are particularly active on platforms like Discord, where much of the malicious content is distributed,” Acronis said in a statement.

Jozsef Gegeny, a senior researcher at the cyber security company, said that unlike most malware campaigns, this one also targets people considered to have decent technical knowledge.

While corporations and organisations have ramped up cyber security, not enough of that messaging is reaching recreational technology users, he said.

“That’s why it’s important for the cybersecurity community to shine a light on threats that target individuals and not just corporations,” he said. “This campaign shows that even well-informed users can be tricked.”

The Middle East is particularly vulnerable to attacks due to the recent and rapid increase in video game popularity, making it one of the fastest-growing gaming markets.