Edmond Chakhmakhchyan, also known by the alias “Corruption,” was arrested last week by the FBI on federal charges of intending to market and sell malware that would allow a threat actor to take control of a victim.
Chakhmakhchyan, a California native, has pleaded not guilty to his two counts and will go to trial on June 4.
According to the Department of Justice, Chakhmakhchyan and the creator of the malware, an Australian citizen, reached an agreement that required Chakhmakhchyan to publicize the Hive Remote Access Trojan (RAT) on a website called Hack Forums, accepts payments in bitcoin to obtain licenses to use the malware and provide customer support for the malware if necessary.
Once deployed, Hive RAT clients were able to gain unauthorized control, disable programs, browse files, log keystrokes, access communications, and steal credentials without the victim’s knowledge.
“The indictment specifically charges Chakhmakhchyan with one count of conspiracy – to advertise a device as an eavesdropping device, to transmit code to intentionally cause damage to a protected computer, and to knowingly access a computer to obtain information – as well as one accused of advertising a device as an eavesdropping device,” we read in the press release. If convicted, Chakhmakhchyan faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison on each count.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged Chakhmakhchyan’s counterpart, who was allegedly involved in creating and selling the malware. They face 12 charges, each of which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.