United States-based software corporation Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has removed eight Windows 10 applications from its official app store after cybersecurity firm Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC) identified the presence of surreptitious Monero (XMR) coin mining code. The news was reported by Symantec on Feb. 15.
Stealth crypto mining — also know as cryptojacking – works by installing malware that uses a computer’s processing power to mine for cryptocurrencies without the owner’s consent or knowledge. According to Symantec, the firm first detected malicious XMR mining code within eight apps — issued by three developers — on Jan. 17.