— Breaking News —
Free-to-play game
PirateFi (beta) was removed from Valve's Steam platform five days after release when Valve discovered it built contained [Trojan.Win32.Lazzzy.gen] Windows malware. The affected users have reported malicious takeovers of various accounts via the theft of browser cookies.
Yah my Microsoft account got stolen from this trojan. They blocked Microsoft support from my emails and swiped it. Went in my Roblox and stole $20 and messaged all my friends scam links while taking all my Steam points to buy awards for bot accounts.
from a Steam user [
no longer visible]
Free-to-Play Steam Game Removed for Containing Malware
(February 12 & 13, 2025)
A free-to-play game called
PirateFi, released in beta on February 6, 2025, was removed from Valve's Steam platform five days later after the company discovered its builds contained Windows malware. While Valve has not stated the type of malware involved, affected users have reported malicious takeovers of various accounts via the theft of browser cookies. TechCrunch reports "The Steam app, as well as video games themselves, typically have deep access to gamers’ devices, making malware targeting gamers particularly appealing to hackers." SteamDB, a site that displays Steam metadata, estimates between 800 and 1,500 people may have acquired the game, though no more than five players were active at one time. Valve notified users who had opened the game’s infected builds, and recommended running antivirus software, checking for unexpected installations, or simply reformatting the machine's operating system.
Editor's Note [
Murray]
Not everything that is free is bait. However, enough bait is free to make one suspicious of things that are.
[
Dukes]
This report proves the adage; nothing comes for free. You always have to give something in return to get something else. In this case, browser cookies in return for the game.
Read more in:
- techcrunch.com:
Valve removes Steam game that contained malware […] It’s not known exactly how many people downloaded the game, but its store rating had a 9/10 score out of 51 reviews […]
- www.pcmag.com:
Did you download this game? Sorry it's Windows Malware
[…] malware that steals browser cookies, enabling the malware’s creator to hijack access to various online accounts […]
- steamdb.info: PirateFi:
Charts SOURCE ________
edit: added source, further reading elucidations, other quotes, and fixed the formatting AGAIN