Pirating software is a very bad idea. There are plenty of bad agents online looking for ways to take advantage of people who want to get paid apps for free, and cracking tools are no different. The malware is infecting people who are looking for a way to avoid buying the product, stealing their personal information and turning their computers into cryptomining zombies.
The Steelfox Trojan has started making the rounds on piracy websites
As reported by Kaspersky on SecureList, the Steelfox Trojan is a new strain of malware that started making the rounds in August. The security company found that Steelfox mostly stays hidden on websites, forums and torrent services that support software piracy:
Our investigations have led us to the fact that Steelfox’s initial attack vector involves a number of various publications on forums and torrent trackers. These posts reference the Steelfox dropper as an efficient way to activate a legitimate software product for free. We’ve seen droppers pretending to be cracks for Foxit PDF Editor, JetBrains, and AutoCAD.
Kaspersky notes that the cracking tool does exactly what it promises, making pirates trust the source and share the malicious app among their friends. However, the cracking tool also installs SteelFox, which sets up a cryptojacking service on the target computer. Then, it scans the device for installed browsers and attempts to steal personal information stored on them.
This is another example of the risks that come with using cracked software. If you want to keep your personal information safe and your PC free from cryptojackers, don’t pirate software. Remember: if you’re getting something free, there’s a good chance you’re the product, especially if you’re doing something suspicious.