Monday, September 18th 2017

Piriform Hacked, CCleaner August Versions (v5.33.6162) Injected, Compromised

by
Raevenlord
 Discuss (58 Comments)
In another large-scale attack that's bound to increase users' awareness on their systems' security, news have broken out that Piriform, creators of the popular CCleaner software tool (estimated to be instaled in some 130 million devices), have suffered a hack on their servers that compromised some installer packages of the software. Piriform, which was purchased by popular security software company Avast last July, was hacked last August, and the changes to the installer packages could potentially allow hackers to control the devices of more than two million users, the company and independent researchers said on Monday.
Specifically, hackers embedded remote administration tools on CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191, tools that then tried to connect to several unregistered web pages, looking to download additional unauthorized programs, according to Cisco's Talos security research unit. Users would have noticed nothing wrong on their systems, since the entire malicious string of code was run under CCleaner's authentic digital certificate. The nature of the attack code suggests that the hacker won access to a machine used to create CCleaner, Talos researcher Craig Williams said.

CCleaner does not feature automatic updates, so if you make use of CCleaner, make sure to check your software version, and force an update through the app. Or better yet, make sure to uninstall the app and install the new, corrected version, which currently stands at 5.34.6207.

Piriform said that Avast, its new parent company, had uncovered the attacks on Sept. 12, with a new, uncompromised version of CCleaner being released the same day. A clean version of CCleaner Cloud took a little while longer to be released, seeing the light of day on Sept. 15. Talos' security Craig Williams said that the issue was detected at an early stage, when the hackers appeared to be collecting information from infected machines, rather than forcing them to install new programs.
Source: Reuters
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58 Comments on Piriform Hacked, CCleaner August Versions (v5.33.6162) Injected, Compromised

#26
TheinsanegamerN
rtwjunkieGo read Piriform's business info. Avast just purchased them in July 2017. This is not long ago at all.

As with any merger/acquisition, it takes awhile before the new company and its practices are changed to mirror the new parent company.

Time wise, this isn't bad at all.
My bad, I assumed from reading the article, which says it was bought last july and was hacked last augest, that it had been a year.

Typically, last refers to a year previous, not two months ago.
Posted on Reply
#27
Steevo
Arrakis+9Not as bad as loosing 143m users personal info then failing to report on it for months.
I love the new Discover card alerts ad, they should alert everyone that Equifax is a dangerous website and has compromised their future credit due to hiring a music teacher/director for "diversity".
Posted on Reply
#28
rtwjunkie
PC Gaming Enthusiast
TheinsanegamerNTypically, last refers to a year previous, not two months ago.
That it does, Sir! It confused me at first as well.
Posted on Reply
#29
RejZoR
TheMailMan78Avast company got hacked.....llololololol
Except it wasn't. Avast just purchased Piriform like last month. That doesn't make it "theirs" other than on paper. Also, avast! is a security firm, Piriform wasn't. But lolololol past the facts, right?

Also, everyone equating this to Equifax, the security chief lady there was a music composition major. You can be assured you'll NEVER see such nonsense at avast...
Posted on Reply
#30
sutyi
Given the time frame of this whole thing, it sounds to me like someone(s) got laid off in July with the acquisition and sold out some company vulnerabilities to 3rd parties for money. :rolleyes:
Posted on Reply
#31
TheMailMan78
Big Member
RejZoRAlso, everyone equating this to Equifax, the security chief lady there was a music composition major. You can be assured you'll NEVER see such nonsense at avast...
How much does Avast pay these days?
Posted on Reply
#32
RejZoR
TheMailMan78How much does Avast pay these days?
What are you implying with this "question"?

@sutyi
As far as I know, no one was sacked because of the acquisition. Whole Piriform team has been transfered under avast! "control".
Posted on Reply
#33
R-T-B
StrayKATI understand hackers who do that though..

But going after piriform is just being a jerkoff just for the sake of it.
Both have signifigant monetary end goals. I'd say I understand both, but hackers are still asshats.
SteevoI love the new Discover card alerts ad, they should alert everyone that Equifax is a dangerous website and has compromised their future credit due to hiring a music teacher/director for "diversity".
I really doubt they hired her for " diversity." More likely nepotism at play.
Posted on Reply
#34
WootyB
trparkyTechnically Windows 7 is still supported with security patches.
If you'd like to be technical, mainstream support for Windows 7 already ended two years ago, which means you aren't getting feature updates, only critical fixes. You have until the beginning of 2020 before "all" security updates end*. If you are using the OS for personal use, you could get away waiting until the last minute to upgrade, but for the security conscious it's just far easier to stay current and in the current support cycle, not extended. I don't mind 7 so much, but do remember it's an 8 year old OS, and the digital world moves fast, giving most android based smart-phones only 2-3 years of security updates before you're left with rooting and relying on community updates.

*However with past history of Windows XP you will still get security patches today but only for major bugs such as Heartbleed, unless you are a government organization paying Microsoft millions of dollars to still support it for antiquated systems.
Posted on Reply
#35
trparky
WootyBmainstream support for Windows 7 already ended two years ago, which means you aren't getting feature updates
For some people, they don't want new features; they want Windows to stay the way they have had it for years.
WootyBcritical fixes
For a lot of people that's all they want.

I use Windows 10 myself but I'm just pointing out that Windows 7 is still technically supported. Heck, Windows Vista is still supported but why in God's name you would still be using that awful piece of crap I have no idea.
Posted on Reply
#37
kn00tcn
excuse me some of you, why cant a person be into both music AND security? that's exactly what i am...
trparkyFor some people, they don't want new features; they want Windows to stay the way they have had it for years.


For a lot of people that's all they want.

I use Windows 10 myself but I'm just pointing out that Windows 7 is still technically supported. Heck, Windows Vista is still supported but why in God's name you would still be using that awful piece of crap I have no idea.
new features such as application sandboxing are NOT in windows 7, forget about the flashy marketing ones for a second

vista is fine, i only used it after SP2 for several years, everything worked, performance was fine, i had pretty much no difference when changing to 7

but vista isnt supported anymore, who told you that it was?
Posted on Reply
#38
DeathtoGnomes
The only difference here between the Equifax hack and this one is how long it takes to report a hack if at all, most all companies almost never report a hack unless someone blabs it to the public and even then it usually months after the hack has been done. So for Piriform to report and respond so fast is astounding to say the least.
Posted on Reply
#39
ewv
What is a checksum, such as sha512, for the valid 533 installer so we can find out if we used the proper installer?

How long after discovery did it take for piriform to announce the hack? They should have used the same email list they use for update availability to let users know what had happened.
Posted on Reply
#40
Scrizz
Nothing is safe!

run for the hills!
Posted on Reply
#41
StrayKAT
kn00tcnexcuse me some of you, why cant a person be into both music AND security? that's exactly what i am...
Rockstar who hacks in their downtime? You're my hero.
Posted on Reply
#42
kn00tcn
StrayKATRockstar who hacks in their downtime? You're my hero.
it's just a creative mindset, music is one way to feed it or utilize it, but so is solving problems
Posted on Reply
#43
StrayKAT
kn00tcnit's just a creative mindset, music is one way to feed it or utilize it, but so is solving problems
I'm a musician too, but sadly don't have the patience to solve computer issues beyond assembly. I can't code at all really.
Posted on Reply
#44
kn00tcn
StrayKATI'm a musician too, but sadly don't have the patience to solve computer issues beyond assembly. I can't code at all really.
maybe communication between both hemispheres of my brain is high, i can code, make music, design games, play games, be methodical, be scattered/random, everything

i suck at strategy or realtime micromanagement games though
Posted on Reply
#45
StrayKAT
kn00tcnmaybe communication between both hemispheres of my brain is high, i can code, make music, design games, play games, be methodical, be scattered/random, everything

i suck at strategy or realtime micromanagement games though
I like turn based strategy... the realtime ones just feel like whack-a-mole to me.. or something.

But yeah, sounds like you're pretty balanced.
Posted on Reply
#46
kn00tcn
StrayKATI like turn based strategy... the realtime ones just feel like whack-a-mole to me.. or something.

But yeah, sounds like you're pretty balanced.
turn based kinda boring to me, i also dont feel like i'm choosing properly either

(arena) fps & (sim) racing are my top genres, pure skill with lots of awareness, no rpg calculations that play for you, no luck
Posted on Reply
#47
StrayKAT
kn00tcnturn based kinda boring to me, i also dont feel like i'm choosing properly either

(arena) fps & (sim) racing are my top genres, pure skill with lots of awareness, no rpg calculations that play for you, no luck
How about tactics? It's the same as turn based, but maybe the up-close presentation could make it more exciting. Try Valkyria Chronicles. That game rocks.

We're so offtopic now :D
Posted on Reply
#48
MrGenius
kn00tcnexcuse me some of you, why cant a person be into both music AND security? that's exactly what i am...
:kookoo: :kookoo: :kookoo:
Posted on Reply
#49
HammerON
The Watchful Moderator
Please stay on topic.
Posted on Reply
#50
LogitechFan
Moreover, the current version that is distributed by Download.com (the link is on the piriform website as of this morning) is actually detected by Malwarebytes during the installation (tried it today). All I can say is - fucking insane! Will never use this POS again, and so should you.
Posted on Reply
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