A version of Piriform’s CCleaner was injected with a trojan during the build.
Based on further analysis, we found that the 5.33.6162 version of CCleaner and the 1.07.3191 version of CCleaner Cloud was illegally modified before it was released to the public, and we started an investigation process. We also immediately contacted law enforcement units and worked with them on resolving the issue. Before delving into the technical details, let me say that the threat has now been resolved in the sense that the rogue server is down, other potential servers are out of the control of the attacker, and we’re moving all existing CCleaner v5.33.6162 users to the latest version.
Anyone who trusted CCleaner in the first place was foolish. It’s always been bunkumware.
Then I am foolish. CCleaner, the basic, unpaid version, works fine. I trust them to sort out the attack against them
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“daniel says… It’s always been bunkumware.”
perfectly named Trojan ,because its all Greek to me.
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“cal2 says… its all Greek to me.”
see, cal… that why we need an expert like
daniel… to educate us lowly plebes.
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cal2 et al.
Virus: program that infects computers and can spread itself to other computers/hardware. Usually a vector for malware.
Malware: Program that does something bad. A keystroke logger, data miner, pop-up program, crypto-locks, etc.
Trojan: Like the horse for the citizens of Troy. Bad things in a good package. Usually a vector for a virus or malware.
Vector: a path of infection. E.g. web based javascript, email attachment, virus, trojan, cracked software, downloaded music, ‘free’ games, etc.
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lance… actually waiting on commenter daniel ream to
explain how ccleaner is, in his words… “bunkumware.”
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I’d like to also know why you consider it “bunkumware”. I’ve used it for years and years on my wife’s computers with 4 different versions of windows with out a single problem.
ok so what do we do now? ( those of us who are not experts, I know only basic stuff about computers )
What will remove that Trojan or block future threats ( spyware, malware etc etc ) ? what do you recommend? AVG, Avast, Symantec? Rogue-Killer? something else?
And if Ccleaner can not be trusted, what do you recommend we use instead to “clean”?
its all Greek to me.
You mean …it’s all geek to me.
Not to Fear…
Go to Piriform and download the latest 5.34 version, the bugs have been fixed.
CCleaner is still the best free cleaner out there.
Avast labs were the ones who discovered the virus, nice to know the free virus software people at AVG on are on the ball.
William, Avast owns Piriform and AVG. 🙂
Good to know, Lance; thanks.
I’ve been using AVG and CCleaner, as well as Malwarebytes, for several years. No problems at my end.
Cleaning out cookies and cache after a session just makes sense.
And the story from an outside source, PC World:
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3225407/security/ccleaner-downloads-infected-malware.html
I admire the s/w provider’s candor and forthrightness about the situation.
t’would politishuns do likewise . . . . .