Computer Users Alerted to ‘Antivirus 2011 Edition Limitee’

Hackers in another familiar type of attack are marketing malicious software claiming it to be a tool for identifying and eliminating malware, with the tool this time named "Antivirus 2011 Edition Limitee" that's being deceptively loaded onto users' computers. Prlead published this on August 20, 2011.

Understandably, one bogus anti-spyware software, the 'Antivirus 2011 Edition Limitee' is all through programmed in French. Accordingly, the fake software aims attack on PCs that French-speaking people operate, although in reality it's created and masked with other malicious software. Just like standard rogue software, the Antivirus 2011 is simply worthless and it creates problem for extracting cash.

According to security researchers, the Antivirus 2011 Edition Limitee types of bogus scammers are proliferated via bogus updates for Flash Player alternatively through spam mails. Once planted on a computer, these applications falsely scan the hard drive of the infected PC for viruses following which they cause more problems on the affected system.

Thus, when Antivirus 2011 Edition Limitee is planted, it alters settings for the system as well as designs malware that automatically triggers off during computer startup. Thereafter, it generates different pop-ups that pretend to be security alerts along with reports of system scans. The false alerts direct users for purchasing the supposed anti-virus for their PCs apparently to safeguard their systems.

Meanwhile, it has been found that Antivirus 2011 Edition Limitee is related to a file named svchost.exe, which situated within a peculiar directory, is likely to help install the fake anti-virus. Commonly, svchost.exe is one genuine OS executable of Windows within a directory named Windows/System32.

The security researchers said that Antivirus 2011 Edition Limitee wasn't the sole bogus anti-spyware software that was marketed worldwide written in one non-English language. There was a similar fake AV program, "Home Safety Essentials" during August 2011, which loaded itself through bogus scan engines following which it started additional bogus scans simply to give the user an idea that his computer was heavily infected.

Consequently, the researchers suggested consumers not to believe Antivirus 2011 Edition Limitee since the infections it spotted weren't real rather related to another scareware scam.

Related article: Computer Virus Writers Adopt New Strategy

» SPAMfighter News - 8/30/2011