MQL5 has a malware on its name now
I guess it's another sign of one's popularity. Kaspersky, one of world's leading antivirus software developers, has recently discovered a

I guess it’s another sign of one’s popularity. Kaspersky, one of world’s leading antivirus software developers, has recently discovered a malware that tries to exploit the recently launched MQL5 Cloud Network. Since that network’s purpose is to help test EA’s for a fee, crooks thought it would be financially rewarding for them to try to manipulate it in their favor.
Kaspersky already identified this malware and christened it Trojan-Downloader.Win32.MQL5Miner.a. What this malware does once infecting the computer through download or email is identify whether the operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit and then downloads the relevant version of Metatrader 5 Strategy Tester Agent. The malware then launches the software and participates in the testing operations trying to earn fees as if it actually tests EA’s. The malware then tries to transfer the fraudulently accumulated fee to crooks’ bank account.
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Needless to say this doesn’t affect MT4 or MT5 in any way as they are not cloud based but just the MT5 Strategy Tester.
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Anyone that uses Metatrader seriously needs a head check.
Anyone that uses Metatrader seriously needs a head check.
@Steven Michael Matrix:
I use MetaTrader. How seriously do I need a head check?
@Michael:
The last paragraph can be misleading. To be affected by this malware, you don’t even need an MT5 installed. It will download the agent itself.
This statement has little sense too: “The malware then tries to transfer the fraudulently accumulated fee to crooks’ bank account.” The fee isn’t accumulated in someone’s PC, it’s accumulated on the connected MQL5 community account. The crooks can easily transfer their funds from there without malware’s help.
@Rob, I don’t think you are right. It’s obvious that any local regulation will mention only local counterparties as those which are able to accept local clients. I suppose FSA (and MiFID) do the same. It is however unclear (call it a grey area) if you wish whether US clients can open accounts with foreign brokers. Those brokers probably will not actively solicit US clients (as James below mentioned) but for now nothing stops them from accepting them.
Think of it this way: are US brokers forbidden from accepting non-US clients?
@Rob, I don’t think you are right. It’s obvious that any local regulation will mention only local counterparties as those which are able to accept local clients. I suppose FSA (and MiFID) do the same. It is however unclear (call it a grey area) if you wish whether US clients can open accounts with foreign brokers. Those brokers probably will not actively solicit US clients (as James below mentioned) but for now nothing stops them from accepting them.
Think of it this way: are US brokers forbidden from accepting non-US clients?
@Steven Michael Matrix:
I use MetaTrader. How seriously do I need a head check?
@Michael:
The last paragraph can be misleading. To be affected by this malware, you don’t even need an MT5 installed. It will download the agent itself.
This statement has little sense too: “The malware then tries to transfer the fraudulently accumulated fee to crooks’ bank account.” The fee isn’t accumulated in someone’s PC, it’s accumulated on the connected MQL5 community account. The crooks can easily transfer their funds from there without malware’s help.