Security experts warn users who are considering using Windows 8.1 activation key generators to install Windows XNUMX operating system for free Microsoft. As the popularity of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 grows, scammers thought to take advantage of the fact.
Ahasverus, a user of her forums Softpedia, recently reported that he discovered a fake activator while testing Windows Enterprise 8.1 on a Virtual Box that was installed on a Mac OS X machine.
When searching for an illegal Windows 8.1 activation software on the internet, he first discovered a great deal of the results that the search engine (Google) showed him. Ahasverus tested an activation software called Windows KMS Activator Ultimate 2014 1.7, which is about 10Mb in size (compressed).
The software claims to be able to break Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. In fact, however, it does not trigger any of them, but this is of no importance since the role of the program is to trick users into installing another software.
Most antivirus engines do not recognize that something suspicious happens. However, the user quickly realized that the application was not very harmless.
Once he started the process, the application forced him to accept the installation of various other applications: Surftastic (a browser add-on που συλλέγει τα δεδομένα του χρήστη και του εμφανίζει διαφημίσεις) και το Mobogenie (μια εφαρμογή που προσφέρει Android παιχνίδια, αλλά ζητάει πρόσβαση στα SMS, τις photos and the user's contacts).
In the next phase, it becomes even more interesting. Developers of the so-called activator are asking their victims for permission to install a Bitcoin miner.
“In order to continue developing free applications, we would like you to install the following on your computer program which uses your CPU to mine virtual currencies” the message states in the second phase of the installation process.
You can of course not accept the installation, but as we all know, most people just click it button "Next" when they install some software, without thinking about it, or reading what the developer writes.
Once the installation is complete, the actuator starts. However, at this point, the web browser is already hostage and displays ads.
Fake Windows 8.1 activation software connects to a remote server to update. Then it starts to download things that will certainly not be for the good of your computer.
Finally, the actuator does nothing in fact. When the user tries to activate Windows, an error message is displayed.