Fake Windows 11 installers infecting devices with adware, malware

Originally, Windows 11 will be available for download from October 2021 – It will be a free upgrade for existing Windows 10 users.

Windows 11 isn’t yet released, but hackers seem to be too inclined to exploit its release by providing fake, malware-infected downloads and previews of the new operating system. According to Kaspersky’s latest report, there has been a significant rise in the volume of bogus Win 11 installers.

SEE: Blue Screen of Death will be Black Screen of Death in Windows 11

Moreover, cybercriminals are offering users a link to this malicious Win11 installer, promising them to evade the Microsoft Insider testing ring that currently can access the upcoming OS. Kaspersky revealed that several hundred infection attempts had been observed lately.

Fake Installers Designed to Deliver Malware

Reportedly, these fake Win 11 downloaders are delivering adware and malware payloads on computers. According to the vice president of threat research at Kaspersky, Anton Ivanov, a majority of these fake Win 11 installers pose as a downloadable file appearing to be a genuine MS Windows installer as far as size and structure are concerned.

Though Microsoft has made the process of installing/downloading Win11 through its official site relatively straightforward, many are still visiting other unofficial sources to download the OS and fall prey to malware-laden software instead of downloading the new Windows.

For instance, some hackers offer an executable file titled 86307_windows 11 build 21996.1 x64 + activator.exe. This file is 1.75GB in size and appears genuine Windows downloader. But, most of this space comprises one DLL file containing useless information.

When this file is executed, according to Kaspersky’s blog post, a standard Windows installation wizard appears, but its primary purpose is to download and run the second, more problematic executable, which is also an installer and comes with a license agreement and installs sponsored software. Accepting the agreement means different types of malicious software will get installed on the device.

Remember the Date

Windows 11 will be available for download for all Windows users in early 2022. However, last month Microsoft released it for customers who have enrolled in the Insider program at the official unveiling of the new Windows version.

SEE: Windows Defender update caught removing zip, exe, source code files

Remember, this will be Microsoft’s biggest software update in the past six years, and the new OS comes with many new features and tweaks. It is recommended that you wait for its official release rather than trying to install a prerelease build, as you may end up downloading some type of malware.

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