Criminals have stolen millions of dollars from ATMs worldwide using a specialized malware program that forces the machines to dispense cash on command.

The malicious program, dubbed Backdoor.MSIL.Tyupkin, is designed to work on ATMs running 32-bit versions of Windows from a major manufacturer, Kaspersky Lab researchers said Tuesday.

Rather than remotely exploiting software vulnerabilities, the attackers infected the ATMs by gaining physical access to controls that are typically protected by a locked panel.

The malware is installed by inserting a bootable CD into the machine, after which “the criminals reboot the system, and the infected ATM is under their control,” Vicente Diaz, principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab said via email. “This operation allows the criminals to play with the ATM software in the way that they need to. So it’s a completely different threat level, where software protection doesn’t work.”

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