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For regular users of CCleaner, there was no reason to distrust the software update that contained the bad code.
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As a result, the code was signed by a digital certificate meant to guarantee it came from a legitimate CCleaner software developer. The hackers were able to infiltrate the CCleaner program and insert malicious code at some point while Piriform software developers were creating the new version of the program. It's also ironic, because one of the best ways to keep your devices safe from hackers is to keep your software up to date. This hack shows that even software updates from trusted brands can be bad news. In May and June, ransomware attacks locked up computers around the world, demanding payment from people and companies in return for renewed access. Last week a security company flagged a flaw that could let malware hit more than 5 billion Bluetooth devices, and Google purged its Play Store of millions of dangerously compromised apps. It's just the latest episode in the unsettling saga of vulnerable computers. In a blog post Tuesday, Avast executives Vince Steckler and Ondřej Vlček wrote that while about 730,000 CCleaner users still have the infected version of the software on their computers, the malicious software has been disabled, so no one is at risk anymore. "We resolved this quickly and believe no harm was done to any of our users," Piriform said in a statement. The company is now owned by Czech Republic-based antivirus company Avast. Piriform said it estimates that 2.27 million people used the infected software, but sought to calm consumers who might be inclined to panic.
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Download it right here.Hackers penetrated computer-optimization software CCleaner in a way that could have let them control millions of devices, Piriform, the company that makes the program, said Monday.Ī malicious program was planted inside the popular, free software, which is downloaded as often as 5 million times per week and is used to delete cookies and junk programs to make computers and Android phones run faster. In all other respects, CCleaner works as advertised and can really help fine-tune your PC.
You can uncheck that option, but it seems counterintuitive for a gunk-cleaner to add its own gunk to your system. The only thing I don't like about CCleaner is the Yahoo toolbar it wants to add to your browser upon installation. The software also includes a rudimentary uninstaller and startup-program manager. (Alas, there's no undelete option, so proceed at your own risk.) You can then run a scan of the Registry and let CCleaner wipe out the detritus (this time with a backup, thankfully). Freeware favorite CCleaner promises to kick all that crapola to the curb, leaving your system cleaner and, theoretically, faster.ĬCleaner scans your machine for temp files and other clutter, then shows you what it found and gives you the option of deleting it all. I'm not talking about old photos and Word documents, but rather the system-sapping stuff that Windows accumulates over time: temporary system files, unnecessary Registry entries, unwanted Web histories, and the like.