That’s why malware distributors love to target people who steal software, music, movies, games, and other intellectual property. One of the favorite traps set for pirates is the key generator. But why bother uploading hundreds of megabytes to various sites, or making such a large package available to downloaders, when a small file of a few thousand bytes will catch just as many fish? Sure, you could plant a virus or Trojan in a complete software package. Trial versions of programs are available from the developers’ sites. What pirates often want is a license key that transforms a trial version into a full-featured version that never expires. Programs that generate illicit license keys are called “key generators” or “keygens” for short. All they need to do is prompt the user for the same registration data that the software does and then use the same algorithm that the software uses to generate a license key. A few dozen kilobytes of code are ample for these simple tasks. The small keygen packages are often spread more widely and quickly than gigabyte-sized packages containing pre-cracked software. If you visit The Pirate Bay Bittorrent mega-site and search for the word, “keygen,” you’ll be rewarded with many hits.
(It’s safe to go and look, but don’t download anything if you wish to avoid a malware infection or a warning from your ISP.) But malware distributors are also using YouTube to spread their poisoned programs. Many pirates are also music and video junkies. Keygen videos provide entertainment bait as well as the promise of free software. (There are even libraries of tunes known as " keygen music" or "chiptunes" for the convenience of miscreants who post these links.) The video portion is usually of low production value, and the “music” that accompanies many keygens is ripped from 1970s video games. On the keygen video page, you'll find a link to download the actual keygen program. It's like playing Russian Roulette, only the odds are a lot worse. The most likely outcome of clicking that link is that you'll get a nasty malware infection, or become ensnared in a botnet.
(See BOTNET ALERT: Are You Vulnerable?)Īn acquaintance of mine who works for a software development company says that keygen videos targeting the company’s products pop up daily on YouTube. The company swiftly reports the illicit content and YouTube is responsive in taking it down. But not all firms are as diligent in protecting their intellectual property, he says. Many keygen videos have remained on YouTube for years, gathering thousands of views and an undeserved reputation for legitimacy. The reason for the longevity of some of these keygen videos may be a form of counter-terrorism.
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