Beware CCleaner Malware

One of the software applications I have used and loved now for probably more than 10 years is CCleaner by Piriform. I was shocked to read yesterday about a malware infection discovered in this extremely popular software download. This software is a highly trusted and critically acclaimed PC Cleaner and optimization tool that has been downloaded more than 2 Billion times - I use it regularly on my desktop and notebook systems and have so for a very long time.

Software Supply Chain Security Problem

There are numerous articles and blogs reporting this issue. I read one from Wired where they argue that for many years the internet security companies have warned consumers to be wary and not click web links of untrusted or unfamilar sources. Only install software from a trusted source. Now, it seems the hackers are targeting up the software supply chain sneaking malware into downloads from even trusted sources. Avast, for example, which is a security company promotes and distributes CCleaner. You would certainly consider them a trusted source. I personally use other Avast products. It was revealed that hackers sabotaged this very popular free computer tool by inserting a backdoor into updates of the application.

Craig Williams, head of Cisco's Talos Team

"There is a concerning trend in these supply chain attacks. Attackers are realizing that if find these soft targets, companies without a lot of security practices, they can hijack that customer base and use it as their own malware install base...And the more we see it the more attackers will be attracted to it."

What version eliminates the malware? If you are using CCleaner you should immediately download the latest version. The version that eliminates this malware is 5.34 or higher.

For more information, please check out these links:

https://www.wired.com/story/cc...

http://time.com/4946576/cclean...

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Have a great day and a productive and prosperous week!