Marcus Hutchins, the 24-year-old hacker known online as “MalwareTech,” pleaded guilty on May 2, 2019, to two federal counts tied to the creation and global distribution of the Kronos banking Trojan and UPAS Kit malware. The admission, delivered in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, marks a stunning fall for a figure once hailed in tech circles for accidentally halting the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack.
Hutchins admitted to developing both Kronos and UPAS Kit and partnering with an accomplice known only as “Vinny” to sell the malicious software for profit. Marketed through underground hubs like AlphaBay and Darkode, the malware was engineered to infiltrate victim computers undetected, harvesting usernames, passwords, email addresses, and, most critically, banking credentials. The programs were specifically designed to evade antivirus detection, making them a weapon of choice for cyber thieves.
According to court filings, Kronos has been actively deployed since at least 2014, infecting machines across the globe and funneling sensitive financial data to criminal operators. The malware’s architecture allowed remote attackers to siphon login details and manipulate online banking sessions—striking at the core of personal and institutional financial security.
Hutchins and Vinny ran a coordinated sales operation: Hutchins maintained and updated the code, while the two split profits from buyers seeking to exploit the malware’s capabilities. Ads on dark web forums boasted of Kronos’ stealth and effectiveness, touting its power to bypass security measures and harvest data without detection.
Matthew D. Krueger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, emphasized the gravity of the offense: “Vigorous prosecution of cybercrimes is vitally important because the stakes are so high: The proliferation of malware poses serious threats to our nation’s infrastructure, our businesses, and our personal information.” He credited the FBI’s Cyber Division for its relentless work in unraveling the scheme.
Hutchins now faces up to five years in prison and one year of supervised release on each count—conspiracy to commit computer fraud and advertising a device used to intercept electronic communications. Sentencing is scheduled for July 26, 2019, at 11:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Cyber Crime Task Force in Milwaukee and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Proctor and Benjamin Taibleson.
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Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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