Trojan-Infested Game Removed from Steam by Valve, Gamers Advised to Reformat Systems

• A video game a hacker published on the Windows-based Steam platform was taken down two days later.
• The free-to-play game PirateFi infected users with browser cookie-stealers to allow online account hijacks.
• Users reported their AV solutions flagged a Trojan while preventing the game from launching on their machines. 

Valve removed a game from its Steam platform after discovering it contained malware. PirateFi, described as a “thrilling survival game” playable in both solo and multiplayer modes, distributes malware that steals browser cookies, enabling the hacker to hijack various online accounts. 

According to media reports, PirateFi was published as a beta and circulated an in-game chat moderator job via bots on Telegram, which involved payment in Solana.

Some users reported their antivirus software flagging the game as carrying "Trojan.Win32.Lazzzy.gen," while others said the hackers blocked Microsoft support emails, stole Roblox credit, distributed scam messages to the users’ friends, and spent Steam points to buy awards for bot accounts.

The malware discovery prompted Valve to swiftly remove all affected builds of the Sea of Thieves-lookalike game from the platform earlier this week, as noted by PCMag. Players who had downloaded the game received a notice from Valve urging immediate action. 

The notice recommended a “full-system scan using an anti-virus product” and an inspection for any unexpected or recently installed software. For users seeking the most secure resolution, Valve strongly suggested a full operating system reset to eliminate the possibility of lingering malware.

Though the exact number of downloads of the free-to-play game is not publicly known, PirateFi demonstrated significant popularity, securing a 9/10 rating based on 51 reviews on its now-archived Steam page, as reported by TechCrunch. 

Valve has not disclosed details about the specific type of malware embedded in the game. Yet, platforms like Steam must address security gaps within their submission and monitoring processes to mitigate the risk of malicious software entering their marketplaces.

The latest gaming incident involved the Grinding Gear Games developer admitting to a severe breach of one of their PoE 2 accounts. Hackers hijacked player accounts via an old Steam profile linked to an admin game account and reset its credentials via partial credit card details validation.