What happens if you download a cracked program?

Running a cracked program of software can be quite alluring when one finds himself in need of some software that requires paying but cannot afford to purchase its license. It feels like there is an available, free download with easy installation, but in reality, using cracked versions of the software is associated with various dangers.

When people try to find a cracked program of some app, they are led to websites where everything is full of malicious advertisements, false downloading links, redirects, and installers. Websites of this type offer users something else instead of the product they were looking for, tricking users into believing that they have got what they were searching for.

In order to ensure one’s security, the safest way would be to choose trial versions, purchase licenses, and find a safe, free alternative to the application. Cracking software not only takes a lot of time but is also dangerous due to the fact that most cracked applications contain miners, stealers, backdoors, and other kinds of harmful components.

In order to ensure one’s security, the safest way would be to choose trial versions, purchase licenses, and find a safe, free alternative to the application. Cracking software not only takes a lot of time but is also dangerous due to the fact that most cracked applications contain miners, stealers, backdoors, and other kinds of harmful components.

Your hardware resources may be used by the miner to produce cryptocurrency for the attackers, causing performance degradation and high energy consumption by your computer. Your passwords, your browsing history, your financial info, and even your crypto wallets can be stolen by the stealer. Finally, the backdoor gives attackers remote control over your machine, letting them infect it with additional malware or even spy on you.

So, to summarize, there are no such things as absolutely free software, at least when talking about cracked programs.

Miner and stealer on SourceForge

SourceForge is a well-known platform that has been around for quite some time, hosting various software products. Once regarded as one of the largest platforms that allowed users to find open-source tools, nowadays SourceForge remains one of the places where both developers and regular users may distribute their software projects.

Nonetheless, open software portals remain susceptible to malicious attacks. Due to multiple users being able to host projects, cybercriminals may try to abuse such a portal. For instance, there was an incident involving a project called “officepackage.” From the very beginning, the project looked quite common. Its name seemed to be ordinary, the description was provided, and even one user left a positive comment on it.

Unfortunately, the suspicious activity was not limited to the described details of the project itself because its description and downloadable files turned out to be copies of another project, but one hosted on GitHub. Nonetheless, it gets even worse, because while clicking on the download link from the SourceForge project page did not immediately result in the infection, the malicious software remained hidden in another file from the project’s website.

Each SourceForge project will have access to its own URL on the sourceforge.io domain. It means that the project called “officepackage” would also be available via the corresponding web address on that domain. Pages of this domain can be indexed by search engines, making them available to users. Such pages can be used by attackers to lure users looking for widely used applications.

In this situation, users were offered download pages of various versions of the Microsoft Office application suite. However, when they moved their mouse pointer above the download button, the address displayed in the lower left corner of the window did not match the supposed project. The redirection from a page displaying information about one project to the page with another project on SourceForge is always considered suspicious.

When the user navigated through several download pages, he or she finally ended up downloading an archive file. In it, there was another archive containing the installer of a certain application.

In place of getting the genuine software, that is, Microsoft Office, the victim gets infected with malicious software, which in turn comprises a cryptocurrency miner and ClipBanker malware, which can alter clipboard-copied cryptocurrency wallet addresses. This is particularly risky for people making cryptocurrency exchanges, since they will copy their address while unknowingly pasting that of the attacker.

Here, one realizes that cracked software downloads use various degrees of deception, which include project description copying, platform appearance of trustworthiness, Google search optimization, redirecting, numerous download buttons, and even further levels of nesting in the downloaded files. All of these tricks aim to make the victims click continuously until the malware installer is run.

Malicious TookPS installer disguised as legitimate software

Moreover, cybercriminals do not use just one system or technique. First of all, fake sites are created, which seem to provide the so-called freeware version of well-known software products. In yet another incident, cyber criminals used a malicious installer known as TookPS that was delivered through false download sites.

There, professional and specialized applications were provided in cracked form; these include UltraViewer, AutoCAD, SketchUp, and many others. The example demonstrates that the threat affects not only common users at home but also professionals, freelancers, designers, architects, etc., as they look for free alternatives to professional software. Furthermore, the malicious files had names similar to genuine software applications. Examples include names of music creation programs and finance management software.

Such a technique helps to gain user trust since they would think that the file is safe and will start the installation process.

After the installation process was completed, the TookPS installer installed additional malware on the victim’s computer. As per reports, two types of malware have been found to be distributed via the installer, which are Backdoor.Win32.TeviRat and Backdoor.Win32.Lapmon. Backdoors present an alarming situation since attackers are able to access and control computers through them.

Accessing the system, hackers might steal confidential files from the victims’ computers, spy on users’ actions, capture usernames and passwords, infect the computer with further malware, and even launch attacks using compromised devices. In the case of companies, the impact would be even higher since one infected computer may cause significant threats to the organization.

That is why piracy poses a considerable threat when it comes to security. Cracked installation files might appear to be legitimate to some extent, but actually, their role would be to compromise the computer for future attacks. Thus, by the time the users discover what happens to their machines, it will be too late to prevent theft of passwords or account hacking.

How to protect yourself

The simplest, and hence best rule, is that you should never download any software. No matter how much utility you see in any particular piece of software, downloading a cracked application would be risky. The minor savings on paying for the license will pale against the dangers posed by a virus infection, financial losses, and system or identity compromise.

When you cannot buy a license, use a safer alternative. Most software companies have several options for users who do not wish to pay for the full package. Such options might not provide all the features of the original software, but they are definitely safer than downloading the cracked program.

You need to download software from credible websites only. The company’s own site will be a good place to start. You can also consider using app stores or other credible software download sites like SourceForge or GitHub. However, even when you are using such sites, you need to proceed with caution.

Stay away from sites that redirect you through numerous links, use multiple download buttons, or offer password-protected archives for unknown reasons. This could indicate that the site is risky and may contain malware. Be especially wary of compressed archive files containing other compressed archive files, especially if they finally contain executable files.

Install reputable antivirus or endpoint protection software on your computer and scan all the downloaded files before accessing them. Update your OS, browsers, and antivirus software regularly to detect emerging malware. While good security programs lower risks, they cannot guarantee that you will remain safe while downloading anything you want.

Take additional precautions when dealing with any sensitive personal data. Use complex and unique passwords for your accounts, multi-factor authentication wherever possible, and do not store your usernames and passwords in any unencrypted files. If you use crypto wallets, verify the address twice before initiating the transaction.

From an organizational perspective, the best practice would be to develop a software use policy. It must be ensured that employees know from which sources they can safely install programs and why it is not possible to download cracked software. Organizations must ensure monitoring at endpoint devices, block illegal installations, and warn users about fake websites for downloads.

In many cases, downloading cracked software may seem to help you cope with an emergency. However, by opting for cracked software, your computer and personal information will become exposed to greater dangers, which will cost you more than the licensing fees. For further information, contact us.