Pirated Software is All Fun and Games Until Your Computer becomes infected with Malware

mood · Feb 2, 2020

Pirated Software is All Fun and Games Until Your Data’s Stolen
February 2, 2020
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...s-all-fun-and-games-until-your-data-s-stolen/

It may be tempting to try to download the latest games or applications for free, but doing so will ultimately land you in a hotbed of trouble as your computer becomes infected with adware, ransomware, and password-stealing Trojans.

In the past, though, most of the unwanted programs that were installed were adware or browser extensions, and though definitely a nuisance, for the most part, they were not stealing your files or installing ransomware on your computer.
This has changed as software installer monetization companies have started to increasingly team up with ransomware and password-stealing Trojan developers to distribute their malware.
Passwords stolen through software cracks
Security researcher Benkøw has recently noticed that monetized installers pretending to be software cracks and key generators are now commonly installing password-stealing Trojans or remote access Trojans (RATs) when they are executed.
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Distributed via torrent sites, YouTube, and fake crack sites
To distribute these adware bundles, attackers will upload them to torrent sites, create fake YouTube videos with links to alleged license key generators, or create sites designed to just promote adware bundles disguised as software cracks.

While it may be tempting to download pirated software so that you do not have to pay for it, the risks far outweigh the reward.
BleepingComputer gets emails, Twitter DMs, and Facebook messages every day from people who were infected by the STOP ransomware after pirating software.
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It is just not worth it.
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Pirated Software is All Fun and Games Until Your Computer becomes infected with Malware

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Log in or Sign up

Pirated Software is All Fun and Games Until Your Computer becomes infected with Malware

mood Updates Team

LokiBot trojan malware campaign comes disguised as a popular game launcher

IoT Malware Campaign Infects Global Manufacturing Sites

Bitbucket Abused to Infect 500,000+ Hosts with Malware Cocktail

WordPress Admins Infect Their Sites With WP-VCD via Pirated Plugins

Foreign hackers target Vietnam with malware, 400,000 computers infected

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