: It was frequently bundled with early "cracks" released by groups before the official game launch. Academic and Security Papers
: The installer covertly installed a miner that utilized the victim's CPU and GPU resources to mine cryptocurrency for the attackers, leading to high system temperatures and significantly reduced performance.
(Alternative title/version). This work details how over 25% of users downloading early pirated versions of Watch Dogs likely infected their machines with the miner. Security Recommendation If you currently have this file on your system: WatchDogsDDE.part1.rar
If you are looking for a formal "paper" or research regarding this specific incident, the most relevant academic work is:
: The malware was designed to remain on the system even after the game was uninstalled, often hiding in system directories or as scheduled tasks. : It was frequently bundled with early "cracks"
Video Game Piracy as Viral Vector and National Security Threat
by Andrew Moshirnia (2019). This paper uses the Watch Dogs Bitcoin miner incident as a primary case study (Part II) to discuss how pirated software bypasses standard malware defenses. This work details how over 25% of users
: Use an up-to-date antivirus program to scan your AppData and Temp folders, where these miners typically hide.