Malware Linked to Key Generators Increases Unabated, Reports Microsoft

Microsoft, which has just published its Security Intelligence Report (Vol.13), warns about malicious software related to key generators that activate software as increasing extremely fast and so advises end-users not to take down such applications, reported softpedia.com in news dated October 10, 2012.

Specifically, statistics from Microsoft show that Win32/Keygen appears as the prime danger. Its infection most widely impacts nation-states such as USA, Mexico, Brazil, Spain and China, while France, Turkey and Russia follow close.

Nonetheless, many other malware contaminations are witnessed on the Web like Win32/Pameseg, ASX/Wimad, Win32/Patch, Win32/Gendows and Win32/Wpakill.

Microsoft, through its latest report states that between January and June 2012, the Win32/Keygen malware group serving as key generators for activating software was spotted almost 5m times. Also after increasing 26 times over since H1-2010, keygen infection currently occupies the first position among the entire consumer threat groupings. This one is growing beyond other existing malware groups such as Blacole, Pornpop, FakePAV and Conficker, the software giant notes.

Reportedly to work, the Keygen threat involves one key-generator element that's shipped with well-known software followed with its dissemination through a torrent client alternatively any file-sharing website. Of the well-known software it's shipped with are Sony Vegas Pro, AutoCAD, Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare, and Adobe Photoshop. When end-users hunt for inexpensive/non-chargeable music or movies they frequently become the infection's targets.

Microsoft explains that such end-users when seeking the file on the Web, or maybe a crack alternatively Keygen (authorized key-generator) in order not to buy one come across malware shipped with well-known applications or malicious software camouflaged as popular application. The idea is to get the enthusiastic bargain seekers take down as also run the malware purveyors' ware and thus become contaminated.

Further according to Microsoft, it discovered the five nastiest malicious programs on compromised PCs that had been loaded with the above threat groups. Reportedly, in the case of every malware the total hijacked PCs increased except for in the case of Blacole that's related to the BlackHole attack toolkit. More infections with Pornpop, Autorun, Dorkbot and Obfusctor increased nearly 1% point within the maximum instances.

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» SPAMfighter News - 10/22/2012