A new report from Trend Micro highlights a troubling concept described as a dark verse within the digital frontier. This segment of cybercrime is concealed from traditional law enforcement yet could evolve rapidly to fuel a metaverse-related criminal ecosystem. The document, Metaverse or MetaWorse? Cybersecurity Threats Against the Internet of Experience, stresses the need for the technology sector to anticipate and prepare for emerging threats in this evolving online era. Trend Micro envisions a dark universe akin to a metaverse counterpart of the known dark web, a space where threat actors might coordinate illicit activities with minimal risk of exposure.
Leaders in cybersecurity warn that the early years of the metaverse may pose significant jurisdictional and cost barriers for law enforcement. The security community is urged to intervene now to shape a resilient digital future. Bill Malik, Vice President of Infrastructure Strategies at Trend Micro, emphasizes a global shift toward a Wild West scenario at our digital gates.
In this dark universe, access could hinge on advanced authentication tokens, creating an extra shield for closed criminal communities that require a specific physical location to participate. This layered protection challenges conventional policing and complicates monitoring efforts.
Top five threats
The report outlines five principal risks to the metadata store. NFTs, or immutable tokens, introduce risks around phishing, compromised recovery processes, fraud, and other attacks as non-fungible assets become central to ownership regulation. The growth of e-commerce within the metadata store will attract criminal actors seeking to exploit transferable digital assets.
The dark universe may become the reference point for illicit activity because it remains difficult for law enforcement to monitor and infiltrate. Some analysts suggest it could take years for authorities to catch up. Additional concerns include money laundering through inflated real estate values in the metadatabase, with NFTs providing a novel outlet for concealing illicit gains.
Social engineering, propaganda, and misinformation are also expected to shape a cyber-physical world. Criminals and officials might deploy persuasive narratives aimed at vulnerable groups to influence opinions and actions. The document notes that these techniques could amplify the impact of criminal activity and public policy alike.
Privacy concerns are another focal point. Metastore operators could gain unprecedented visibility into user actions within their own worlds. The report concludes that joining the Metaverse may carry higher privacy costs than current social networks, underscoring the need for strong safeguards and transparent practices.
Attacks will adapt
Historical attack patterns typically carry forward into new technologies. The report predicts continued use of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) extortion, ransomware, API abuse, and exploitation of metadata storage in vulnerable devices. Familiar strategies may be among the first to be adopted by malicious actors as the metaverse expands.
In addition, cybercriminals may utilize digital twins—virtual representations managed by critical infrastructure operators—to disrupt or coerce industrial systems. There is concern about distributing malware to the hardware that controls avatar experiences, potentially causing physical damage. Attacks targeting avatars have already been observed in various incidents.
The Metaverse represents a multi-billion dollar vision that could define the next Internet era. While its exact form remains uncertain, industry observers stress the urgency of proactive thinking today. Tech companies are urged to anticipate a range of possible scenarios and invest in resilient architectures that can withstand evolving threats (Trend Micro).