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HackTool:Win32/Keygen

First posted on 13 January 2019.
Source: Microsoft

Aliases :

HackTool:Win32/Keygen is also known as Troj/Keygen, Crack, not-a-virus:Keygen, CRCK_KEYGEN.

Explanation :

This tool creates license keys that you can use to illegally register software.

Because it is often distributed the same way as malware, you may be at risk of further infection. Malware often pretends to be a tool like this one.

Microsoft security software finds malware on more than half of the PCs where we detect this tool. You can read more about this in the Volume 13 of the Security Intelligence Report.

The following are some threats often found on PCs where we also see this tool:

Blacole exploit kit Win32/Autorun Win32/Dorkbot Win32/Obfuscator

This tool can appear in a number of different ways, depending on what software the tool is trying to give you keys for.

The following is an example of a key generator for Adobe Photoshop CS3:

Further reading

Volume 13 of the Security Intelligence Report takes a more detailed look at Win32/Keygen.

You can find out more about software piracy, and the risks associated with software piracy, on the Microsoft piracy site.

Analysis by Francis Allan Tan Seng

Last update 13 January 2019

 

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