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The company has already updated both the online and downloadable versions of CCleaner. What is Piriform doing to remedy the problem? What does the malware do?Īccording to Avast, the malware attempts to transmit information like computer names, IP addresses, installed software, active running software, network adapter information and more, to a server located in the United States. Piriform says it believes the 32-bit Windows version of CCleaner and version of CCleaner Cloud were modified illicitly before their release to users. Which versions of CCleaner have the malware? Regardless, if you’re running any version of CCleaner, you’ll want to ensure you’ve updated to the latest version immediately. But since the free version of the tool doesn’t appear to include automatic updates, it stands to reason that anyone running the free version is significantly more at risk, since these users would need to manually download the update. Story continues Am I at risk from malware?Īnyone specifically using the 32-bit Windows version of CCleaner is at risk.
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“There is no indication or evidence that any additional ‘malware’ has been delivered through the backdoor,” it added. “We believe that these users are safe now as our investigation indicates we were able to disarm the threat before it was able to do any harm,” the company said in a press statement.
#Ccleaner cloud malware software
How many people are at risk?Īvast, the multinational cybersecurity firm that recently bought Piriform, says it believes the compromised software was installed on 2.27 million machines. After investigating further, it determined these versions were modified illicitly before their release to users. Piriform says it first detected a problem on September 12, when it noticed an unknown IP address receiving data from software found in recent versions of the software. Since Piriform controls this version of the tool in-house, it’s already been updated to eliminate the malware, says the company.
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All versions include claimed computer speedups and privacy protection, while the paid versions add extras like real-time monitoring, scheduling, automatic updates and better support.ĬCleaner Cloud is the online version of the tool, designed to perform similar duties but on a broad array of computers centrally controlled through a web browser. It’s available in both free and paid versions, including a professional business profile. What is CCleaner?ĬCleaner, which software maker Piriform bills as “the number-one tool for cleaning your PC,” is a software optimization tool designed to tidy up Windows PCs by removing extraneous software and browser data.
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The activity was discovered on September 12, and while Piriform says it’s already patched CCleaner Cloud, users running CCleaner will need to upgrade immediately. In short, it seems a recent version of CCleaner - as well as related product CCleaner Cloud (the online version) - were infiltrated by hackers and weaponized with malware of the sort that harvests and transmits user data for nefarious purposes.
#Ccleaner cloud malware Pc
If you use a software tool called CCleaner to keep your Windows PC humming smoothly, keep reading: the utility was just indicted by Piriform, the British company that makes CCleaner, in a troubling blog post.
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