Pirated Anti-Virus Program Yields Nasty Malware

Hackers have found an anti-virus program from TrustPort with an unauthorized keygen capable of unleashing complete havoc on users who mistakenly installs it, as per the news by securitynews DAILY on August 25, 2011.

According to the researchers of BitDefender discovery, keygen produces authentic user keys for cracked or pirated software in a pirated copy for Photoshop. For example, the keygen would generate a number to match Adobe's installation-code algorithms.

This keygen spreads through via P2P sharing services, USB media, instant messaging services or email clients, and users may download serious trouble on their systems as this specific illegal tool does a lot more than it is thought to do.

The piece of malware inside the keygen has been recognized by Bitdefender as Trojan.Agent.ASDM and starts the wrongdoing by injecting itself into explorer.exe and adding a list of exceptions to the locally installed firewall. Later on, it circulates a keylogger and a backdoor component on the hacked system.

Researchers stated that this malware not only steals passwords cached in various web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer but also keeps an eye on user's habit and collects information about the hacked system and, finally, interfering with e-banking accounts and money transactions.

Also, the malware downloads more malware either via internet or from ftp accounts. The samples of downloading and installing Zeus BOT, SpyNet RAT, Bandook RAT, Scwarze Sonne RAT, Apocalypse RAT, Bff BOT, Solitude RAT, PoisonIvy, Cybergate, which indicates cooperation between Trojan.Agent.ASDMand other cyber-criminal gangs.

Company also stated that malware, which spread from keygen, captures video and audio streams users' computer webcams and logs conversations that take place on social networks or instant messenger.

Security experts said that pirated softwares whether antivirus or anti-malware, while installing updated some software companies check installed software key, if pirated version caught, they disable the working of the software. Unlike genuine software, you do not get support from the developer with pirated version. While working of pirated as well genuine is same, some time the cracks used to activate it contains viruses or malware.

Related article: Pirated Software Can Have Harmful Consequences on Company Networks

» SPAMfighter News - 9/6/2011