A 22-year-old British cybersecurity researcher, known for discovering the "kill switch" that halted the WannaCry ransomware outbreak, has reportedly been arrested in the United States following his attendance at the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas. Marcus Hutchins, who goes by the alias MalwareTech on Twitter, was apprehended by the FBI in Nevada, as confirmed by a friend of his to Motherboard.
As of now, the reasons behind the detention of the Internet's 'accidental hero' by the FBI remain unclear, sparking widespread discussion within the security community. Hutchins gained widespread recognition over two months ago when he inadvertently stopped the global spread of the WannaCry ransomware by registering a domain name hidden within the malware.
hxxp://www[.]iuqerfsodp9ifjaposdfjhgosurijfaewrwergwea[.]com
The domain mentioned above played a critical role in the propagation of the WannaCry ransomware, acting as a mechanism for its worm-like spread. Failure to connect to this domain allowed the SMB worm to continue infecting systems. Fortunately, Hutchins registered this domain and established a sinkhole—a tactic employed by researchers to divert traffic from infected machines to a controlled system.
Despite his active presence on Twitter, there have been no tweets from Hutchins's account in the last 24 hours, lending credence to the reports of his detention. Andrew Mabbitt, a friend of Hutchins, has confirmed that he is currently being held at the FBI's field office in Las Vegas and is in need of legal assistance.
"His friends Andrew Mabbitt, Finally located @MalwareTechBlog, he's in the Las Vegas FBI field office. Can anyone provide legal representation?" Mabbitt tweeted
On the same day, another report surfaced indicating that the hackers responsible for the WannaCry ransomware had successfully cashed out over $140,000 from their Bitcoin wallets, where victims were instructed to send ransom payments. With both pieces of news emerging simultaneously, some individuals have begun speculating about potential connections between the events, although nothing definitive has been established.
The impact of WannaCry was severe, leading to significant disruptions such as the temporary shutdown of hospitals and doctor's surgeries within the British NHS (National Health Service), as well as infections in a Spanish telecommunications company and a Russian mobile operator, among others. Even a month after its initial outbreak, the ransomware continued to wreak havoc, affecting systems at the Honda Motor Company, resulting in the closure of its Japan-based factory, and infecting 55 speed and traffic light cameras in Victoria, Australia.
While the British National Crime Agency has confirmed the arrest of a British citizen, they have not officially confirmed whether it is Marcus Hutchins or not, leaving the situation open to speculation.
"We are aware a UK national has been arrested, but it’s a matter for the authorities in the US," an NCA's spokesperson told the publication.
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