by Martin Brinkmann on September 18, 2017 in Security - Last Update: September 18, 2017 - 98 comments
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Heads up: Malware found in Piriform’s CCleaner installer If you installed the popular Windows registry scanner and cookie cleaner CCleaner after Aug. 15, you’re likely running a decapitated. Many Mac discussions touched this issue arguing the necessity and safety of CCleaner for Mac. Some good users of a huge Apple community say there’s no need to use any alternative maintenance scripts for Mac since OS X has its own.
CCleaner is a program that will scan your computer for privacy information and deletes it from your computer. This allows you to keep your computer running efficiently, while protecting your. Many Mac discussions touched this issue arguing the necessity and safety of CCleaner for Mac. Some good users of a huge Apple community say there’s no need to use any alternative maintenance scripts for Mac since OS X has its own.
Piriform, makers of the popular file cleaner CCleaner, confirmed on Monday 18th, 2017 that hackers managed to attack the company's computer network successfully.
The hackers compromised two versions of the CCleaner in the attack which have been used by up to 3% of the company's user base.
The affected versions are CCleaner 5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud 1.07.3191. According to Piriform, only the 32-bit versions of the applications were compromised and distributed using the company's own infrastructure.
The company asks users to update their version of the program to the latest available release if that has not been done already. The latest release version of CCleaner is version 5.34 at the time of writing.
- CCleaner 5.33.6162 was released on August 15th, 2017, and an updated non-compromised version was released on September 12, 2017.
- CCleaner Cloud 1.07.3191 was released on August 24th, 2017, and a non-compromised version of the program on September 15th, 2017.
Security researchers of Cisco's Talos Group revealed details about the successful supply chain attack. Talos Group informed Avast, the parent company of Piriform, about the situation.
Talos Group'identified a specific executable' during tests of the company's new exploit detection tool which came from the CCleaner 5.33 installer which in turn was delivered by legitimate CCleaner download servers.
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The download executable was signed with a valid Piriform signature. The installer contained a 'malicious payload that featured a Domain Generation Algorithm' as well as 'hardcoded Command and Control' functionality.
The Talos researchers concluded that the malicious payload was distributed between the release of version 5.33 on August 15th, 2017 and the release of version 5.34 on September 12th, 2017.
The researchers think it is likely that 'an external attacker compromised a portion' of Piriform's development or build environment, and used the access to insert the malware into the CCleaner build. Another option that the researchers consider is that an insider included the malicious code.
CCleaner users who want to make sure that the compromised version is not still on their system may want to scan it on Virustotal, or scan it with ClamAV, as it the only antivirus software that detects the threat right now.
You can download the free ClamAV from this website.
The malicious payload creates the Registry key HKLMSOFTWAREPiriformAgomo: and used it to store various information.
Piriform issued a statement on September 18th, 2017. According to that statement, non-sensitive data may have been transmitted to a server in the United States of America.
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The compromise could cause the transmission of non-sensitive data (computer name, IP address, list of installed software, list of active software, list of network adapters) to a 3rd party computer server in the USA. We have no indications that any other data has been sent to the server.
Paul Yung, the company's VP of products, published a technical assessment of the attack on the company blog as well.
The only suggestion that Piriform has is to update to the most recent version.
Closing Words
The compromised versions of CCleaner and CCleaner Cloud were distributed for nearly a month. With over 20 million downloads per month, and the updates, that is a high number of PCs that have been affected by this.
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CCleaner compromised: better check your PC
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Piriform, makers of the popular file cleaner CCleaner, confirmed on Monday 18th, 2017 that hackers managed to attack the company's computer network successfully.
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Ghacks Technology News
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CCleaner is a popular utility created to detect and get rid of the junk files and bugs on both Apple and Windows computers. It also serves as a piggyback for malware. Today, almost every computer user has heard about this utility. Those who understand the benefits of cleaning the system on a regular basis realize the advantages CCleaner offers. It is time to discuss the pros and cons of using CCleaner to decide whether you need it or not.
Basic Functions of Mac CCleaner Utility
CCleaner is widely known as the utility able to:
- Recover disk space with a few clicks.
- Delete private information (e.g., browsing history) along with the list of recently opened files in different programs.
As a result of the first action, the user obtains a faster working device with a higher level of productivity. As for the second option, the user’s privacy is guaranteed. The utility helps to protect private details from the third parties.
The best thing about CCleaner for Mac computers is that it works online and offline. However, regular usage of this utility may slow down the browser.
Even though CCleaner has obviously more advantages than disadvantages, it is still important to know your purposes.
Why Would a User Want to Choose CCleaner for Apple?
From time to time, users can notice their favorite devices running out of memory due to the fact old temp files are created by various apps, temporary web files, error report logs, etc. It means no opportunity to install new applications, useful software, games, or more. No matter when you require some extra space, CCleaner may solve this problem in several clicks.
On the other hand, CCleaner may slow down your personal computer as far as the utility removes the browser’s cache files by default. These files are made of bits of web pages (scripts, HTML docs, etc.) It means that every time you visit a website, your browser saves all images, logos, and other elements you don’t actually need. The good thing is that this process makes the web page loading much faster: there is no need to download the same files again.
Cleaning your browser all the time will lead to downloading the same files once again. It may cause the slower Apple’s performance.
Except for the speed, the cache is a privacy concern. If the person has access to your device, he/she can view the full browsing history. A private browsing mode may prevent you from falling into the trap. Another way is to use CCleaner to erase private information such as the list of recently opened files.
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A few ways exist to recover disk space on Apple computer. People who choose CCleaner as their preferred approach, value this solution for its ability to check more than a dozen types of bugs and store a backup copy before making any changes.
Besides, the tool menu of this cleaner has more specific options:
- Fast uninstaller;
- Utility to manage apps that launch on startup;
- Restore point manager.
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In the settings menu, it is better to pick Secure File Detection option: although the cleaning process would be faster then, there is nothing to worry about regarding security.
It is possible to download a free version of CCleaner for Mac OS X. First of all, the user should download the utility on the external website (Piriform official page is one of the places where you can do this). Then, move to the installation stage, which is not time-consuming at all. It is not difficult to get acquainted with the software once it is installed.
An alternative to the free version, CCleaner Professional Plus, costs $39.95. You may choose this solution in case you would like to expand the tool’s functionality. If privacy is your top priority, Pro Plus will take care of your data protection.
How to Use CCleaner Wisely?
So, how can one avoid the potential pitfalls of CCleaner? Do not run the utility on its default settings! Spend several minutes to check your stored information and decide which type of data can be deleted. Mind that the Applications section includes cleaning options for 3rd-party apps. Disable the option responsible for permanently wiping the browser’s cache. It is still better to have all your logins and passwords saved somewhere as CCleaner usually erases privacy details like that.
Some users wonder whether CCleaner can handle issues with the registry. Well, there is no ‘registry’ on Mac as such. The Apple’s counterparts of PC’s registry entries are ‘sysctl’ utilities and the configuration thereof. It is better to try other cleaning tools if you want to solve problems of these two as CCleaner has a different focus.
Once you have CCleaner installed on your target device, follow the next steps to let it function properly.
- Open the utility.
- Pick the CCleaner tab. Discover yourself in front of the complicated row of checkboxes.
- Make sure you have chosen the files/programs you wish to get rid of; for instance, try not to lose the bookmarked websites when completing this stage.
- Launch CCleaner to see it removing the unnecessary stuff.
- The final list of the items to be deleted is rather long, so no need to follow the entire process.
These five steps are enough to free up some disk space before downloading new files or traveling around the web.
The Last Word
To conclude, the necessity of CCleaner depends on the user’s goals. If your primary purpose is to delete private information such as browsing history, the tool is fine. However, it might work a bit slow as a scanner.
In case you decide to apply CCleaner removal tools, be ready that they can accidentally reflect incorrect data. It is simpler to eliminate some obsolete entries manually.
At the same time, this utility is simple-to-use and highly effective. It’s up to the user to decide whether he is looking for the powerful data protection or medium cleaning utility.
PROS:
- Works online/offline;
- Simple-to-use;
- Junk file elimination;
- Upgraded instruments;
- Has a free version.
CONS:
- Slower browser’s work;
- Lack of configuration options.