Rogue Anti-Malware Pushes Fake PCMag Review

Varzil found an interesting story about some "Rogue Anti-Malware" (which seems to me should just be called 'Malware') which modifies your HOSTS file to trick you into reading a fake anti-virus review which is of course for more malware. Modifying HOSTS is an old trick, but this is interesting because it's actually trying to get you to read fake content: normally this sort of trick is used to prevent you from fixing your computer, but this one is trying to get you to break it even more. I guess friends don't let friends modify their HOSTS files.

Five Stars!

[hendrix2k]

"which seems to me should just be called 'Malware'"

I dunno, this review I just read says Antivirus2010 is great!

Re:Five Stars!

[krenshala]

/facepalm

hijacking AV sites too

[nine-times]

I've noticed this too, particularly surrounding Antivirus 2009 [wikipedia.org]. Not only do they hijack review sites to post positive reviews about Antivirus 2009, but they reroute traffic to legitimate antivirus software. So if you go to the website for AVG or Norton or something, it will point you towards downloading Antivirus 2009.

It's a nasty little bugger.

Why aren't these people in jail?

[tjstork]

I mean, come on.... this is just pure fraud.

An Interesting Way to Go For Intermediate Users

[damn_registrars]

It appears that this is more of an attack on intermediate users than the usual attack that goes for newbies. After all, if a PC is infected, a newbie would not likely look to PC Magazine for antivirus information; they'd more likely bring it in to Best Buy and pay the Geek Squad an exorbitant amount of money to fix it (or they would put in the restore CD and try to start over from scratch).

An advanced user (if they were running windows for some reason) likely wouldn't look there, either, as they would have likely just run the update program for the software that they already installed for taking care of such things.

This of course follows well the old adage

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing

PC Magazine's reputation is screwed!

[Anonymous Coward]

If PC Magazine wants to keep their reputation, they'll have to create their own malware that modifies the hosts file to redirect back to their site.

Re:re

[Anonymous Coward]

I guess i am going to have to buy a new " NO I will not fix your computer " t-shirt from think-geek http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/itdepartment/388b/ [thinkgeek.com]

People actually wear that stuff outside of their parent's basement? And do you say "new" because you gained weight and the old one doesn't fit?

Re:hijacking AV sites too

[Dragonslicer]

download and install every malware/spyware/virus removal program that you can get your hands on

I read about a great one in a PCMag review.

Re:An Interesting Way to Go For Intermediate Users

[presentchaos]

This is somewhat off topic, but I was just having a conversation with someone who is about to buy a Mac. I was against it and an argument started. I said there were too few people supporting the Mac. He responded, "When was the last time you heard of a virus on a Mac?" And I said "See, even people who write viruses don't support Macs."