The researchers at Trend Micro issued a warning yesterday regarding new malware embedded in links and banners pointing to warez and crack websites promoting illegal software downloads. In the past, most viruses on these types of illegal download sites were found in the downloaded programs themselves. Now, malware is present in links, ads, and search results pointing to these sites, infecting your computer before you download anything. Typical searches that result in these infected links include searches for serial numbers and cracks of popular software.
These recently found viruses are a version of the VIRUX and VIRUT viruses, which use various infection techniques to eventually connect your PC to an IRC server. This allows the creator of the virus to execute commands and gain complete control over your PC. Particularly notable is the rate at which these viruses spread, with around 20,000 computers per day becoming infected.
To protect yourself, stay away from illegal download sites and refrain from even searching for serial and software cracks.
Follow Us!