Fake Windows 11 installers are used to infect PC with malware

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 07/28/2021 08:59 AM | source: kaspersky | 15 comment(s)

Windows 11 was officially unveiled by Microsoft on July 24. rogue installers of the new operating system are being used by criminals to infect users' PCs with malware.

Windows Insider is the only official way to get Windows 11 right now. With the help of Microsoft's Windows Update program, users can download a trial version of the new operating system. Although Microsoft hasn't released an ISO for clean installation, that hasn't stopped criminals from distributing fake versions of the operating system's installer.

As a result, many users are still downloading Windows 11 from other sources, which contain malicious programs offered by cybercriminals instead of the operating system, according to Kaspersky Labs.

According to an alert from security company Kaspersky, criminals are distributing a file with the name " 86307_windows 11 build 21996.1 x64 + activator.exe". It is approximately 1.7 GB in size, this space is occupied by a DLL file full of useless information. If the user clicks on the supposed installer, they will see a screen like the one below that says that the file is a download manager, which will download and install Windows 11, activate it and install additional applications ”:

If the user continues, various malicious applications will be installed on the computer. Kaspersky says that adware (applications that display ads) and Trojans, programs created specifically to steal users' login credentials, are installed. The security company said its solutions have detected thousands of infection attempts using bogus Windows 11 installers as bait.

Kaspersky's recommendation for users interested in trying Windows 11 is to join the Windows Insider program , or wait until the official ISO is available.

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fantaskarsef
Senior Member

Posts: 14593
Joined: 2014-07-21

#5933441 Posted on: 07/29/2021 09:08 PM

Ok this is almost too easy to make fun of.

"Fake Win11 installers are used to infect PC with malware"

See. just have to highlight one word there.

Venix
Senior Member

Posts: 3105
Joined: 2016-08-01

#5933447 Posted on: 07/29/2021 09:37 PM

You can't pirate an operating system, only its license keys.

Well yeah i did not mean it like that in this case though , wrong choice of words from my part , i should have said said getting it from questionable sources .

ReaperXL2
Senior Member

Posts: 146
Joined: 2011-01-14

#5933450 Posted on: 07/29/2021 09:47 PM

Win11 will not be officially unveiled to the public until October, at which time it will go sale. What is available now is available only to the Insider Preview group--for beta testing purposes only. Anyone can join the Insider's group--it costs nothing--but it's beta software, not release caliber.

Not quite accurate my friend. The current Dev distribution build 22000.100 is RTM. The core OS is complete & will have no additional code only bug fix's. What we are actually testing along side the core OS functionality is the included feature sets. These are currently in the bug fix/polish stage & are locked within the OS. Subsequent updates will unlock & expose those features to the insiders for testing as MS see fit to do so. The feature sets can be subject to change due to fix's/implementation/compatibility migrating from Win10 to Win11 architecture. The core OS will not change however. At least this is my understanding from MS resulting from a conversation I had with an MS software engineer regarding the use of Win10 registry entries with Win11 installs & the resulting bug domino effect that this can & will cause within the Win11 OS ranging from core functionality to visual rendering issues. I know, it happened to me, hence my discussion with MS finest o_O

Astyanax
Senior Member

Posts: 15700
Joined: 2018-03-21

#5933453 Posted on: 07/29/2021 09:56 PM

I had with an MS software engineer regarding the use of Win10 registry entries with Win11 installs & the resulting bug domino effect that this can & will cause within the Win11 OS ranging from core functionality to visual rendering issues. I know, it happened to me, hence my discussion with MS finest

just to be clear, reaper is talking about the reg changes to change back to the 10 start menu and such, the installation trick is a perfect 11 install with no such issues to domino effect.

anticupidon
Senior Member

Posts: 7245
Joined: 2008-03-06

#5933465 Posted on: 07/29/2021 10:46 PM

hahahahahaha imagine thinking 7GB's of data fits into 1.7GB installer.

Why not, people are still falling for buying fake 1TB USB thumb drive for pennies. Chinese firmware hack for dumb eBuyers
And who falls for this, it's on them.

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