CC Cleaner Hacked

A security company has issued a warning after its software was compromised by malicious hackers.

What is CC Cleaner

CCleaner is a software optimization tool designed to tidy up Windows PCs by removing unwanted software and browser data. It’s available in both free and paid versions. All versions claim to speed up and protect your computers privacy.

What has happened

 Piriform (The software maker) says it first detected a problem on September 12, when it noticed an unknown IP address receiving data from software found in recent versions of the software. After investigating further, it determined these versions were modified illicitly before their release to users.

How many people are at risk?

Avast, the multinational cybersecurity firm that recently bought Piriform, says it believes the compromised software was installed on 2.27 million machines.

“We believe that these users are safe now as our investigation indicates we were able to disarm the threat before it was able to do any harm,” the company said in a press statement. “There is no indication or evidence that any additional ‘malware’ has been delivered through the backdoor.”

Am I at risk from malware?

Anyone specifically using the 32-bit Windows version of CCleaner is at risk. But since the free version of the tool doesn’t appear to include automatic updates, it stands to reason that anyone running the free version is significantly more at risk, since these users would need to manually download the update. Regardless, if you’re running any version of CCleaner, you’ll want to ensure you’ve updated to the latest version immediately.

if you are usure of your machines safety, then contact us on 0167552350 or email us on enquiries@jpitsolutions.co.uk