Leaked copies of Windows 7 RC contain Trojan
Pirated copies of Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) on file-sharing sites contain malware, according to users who have downloaded the upgrade.
Windows 7 RC, which Microsoft Corp. will officialy launch tomorrow, leaked two weeks ago, with copies first appearing on BitTorrent tracking sites on April 24.
Some of the pirated builds include a Trojan horse, numerous users said in message forums and in comments on BitTorrent sites such as Mininova.org.
"Just a warning for anyone downloading the new RC builds of windows 7. Quiet [sic] a lot of the downloads have a trojan inbedded [sic] in the setup EXE," said someone identified as Frank Fontaine on a Neowin.net discussion thread. "The Setup EXE is actually a container, it appears to be a self-extracting EXE. There are 2 files inside, Setup.exe and codec.exe."
Fontaine's antivirus software identified the "codec.exe" file as a generic Trojan.
"Suspicious codec.exe!" reported someone labeled as "UltimateGTR" on Mininova, commenting on one of the 32-bit builds.
Another Mininova commenter, "WuNgUn," identified the malware as the "Falder" Trojan, which downloads fake security software, dubbed "scareware," to PCs and installs a rootkit to hide from legitimate antivirus products.
Microsoft, which has cited potential infection as a reason to steer clear of unauthorized downloads, jumped on the news. "This unfortunately shows that there are those out there who see the significant interest in something such as Windows 7 as an opportunity to try to take advantage of others," said Alex Kochis, director of Microsoft's Genuine Windows anti-piracy technology group, in a post to a company blog on Friday.
Windows 7 RC is not the first leaked software found to harbor attack code. In January 2009, for example, security experts warned that pirated copies of Apple Inc.'s then-new iWork '09 suite contained a Trojan horse that hijacked Macs.
Microsoft will let the general public download Windows 7 RC on Tuesday, but has not said what time it will make the upgrade available. Subscribers to TechNet and the Microsoft Developers Network (MSDN) have been allowed to download the RC since last Thursday.
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This is exactly what you idiots get!
Quit tryin to get the latest and greatest before it's released. I wish MS would officially laugh in their faces!Umm.. What the idiots get?
You are obviously a USER. Don't stifle the innovation and drive of the the folks who wish to use the latest and greatest.YOU benefit from it. Seriously. Think about it. They work out the bugs, then YOU can use it... Bug free. Well, it is software.. You get my point (I hope.)
You obviously don't know how the computer industry works, and you fancy yourself a geek. You sir, are not! You are a typical user who WANTS to be a geek. Get with the program!
You remind me of Harry Potter's uncle. Maybe you could get someone to explain it to you.
Computer Industry ? Umm........................................
First of all, please excuse my English as it is not my native language.I'm sorry to say that unfortunately, if Microsoft (MS) made good and reliable products, we (IT professionals) would have noticed a long time ago.
Despite the fact that we (users) have waited for MS to deliver stable software, there will be no discussion (I hope....) about the fact that only XP qualifies for an acceptable Operating System (OS), that is if you comply to formatting your hard drive every other year.
Let us not even talk about the "blue screens", the Vista fiasco.....
Finally, if we (users) want to take advantage of our machines (not everyone, especially now, has a Cray system at hand....), how about trying ANY major Linux flavor (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Suse, ZenWalk,.....) ?
Now we're talking about reliable software. And guess what ? It's FREE !!!
Of course, you could choose to stick with software developed by a handful of people who HAVE to do it (or look for a new job...) or try something that millions of people work on BECAUSE THEY LOVE TO DO IT......
Of course, if you have MS shares...... (and it's a bad time to sell too.....)