# CC Cleaner Hacked



## Mike (Dec 11, 2017)

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you need
to know about this.

Do you use CC Cleaner, did you download a copy
or an update during August and September 2017?

If you did then you have probably been hacked
and you will have malware in your machine.

Full story below.

Mike.

*CCleaner has a reputation for being one of the best Windows cleanup tools around.
Simply running it on your PC will remove the digital junk that accumulates in Windows
in order to free up space on your hard drive, and also clean out unnecessary registry
settings.

Unfortunately, CCleaner's reputation is set to take a hit, since it has been found to be
packed with malware!

The problem wasn't actually with the CCleaner software itself. It seems that hackers
managed to get access to servers run by security company Avast which were distributing
the CCleaner software, and infected the download with a malware tool.
When unsuspecting users installed CCleaner, the malware was installed too.

And because CCleaner is downloaded 5 million times a week, this is a major problem.

The malware was distributed with version 5.33 of CCleaner, downloaded between
15th August and 12th September.

If you downloaded CCleaner during this time period, or updated your existing version of
CCleaner to 5.33, then you will have downloaded the malware infection.

Needless to say, CCleaner is a long established and trustworthy product, and the company
behind it do not distribute malware themselves. It seems that, in this case, the tool used
to build and release the software (called the toolchain) was compromised by hackers.

If you have CCleaner installed on your PC, the best thing to do is to remove it and
perform a full security scan on your PC.

To remove the software, proceed as follows:

    Press [Windows Key] + [R], type control and click OK.
    Set the View by drop-down list in the top right-hand corner to Large icons.
    Double-click on Programs and Features.
    Look through the list for the CCleaner entry. Select it and click Uninstall.

Once the software has been removed, re-boot your PC and then use your anti-virus program
to perform a full system scan. Remove any infections that are uncovered. Once you have done,
you can download a new version of CCleaner and install it on your PC, if you still need it. *


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## Camper6 (Dec 11, 2017)

I never took the update.  

I have an older computer and updates have a way of screwing things up.

So I just keep plugging along.


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## Don M. (Dec 11, 2017)

The Ccleaner hack occurred at level 5.33, and only affected those using the 32 bit version.  The current version is 5.37, and the malware has been removed.  If in doubt, and you are still running an older level of CC, it is easy to uninstall, then run a full scan with your antivirus, then reload the latest version of CC from a trusted site such as CNet.  It's also a good idea to do a complete virus scan weekly, and run a malware program such as MalwareBytes, or SpyBot...as even the best anti-virus will sometimes fail to detect malware.


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## JaniceM (Dec 11, 2017)

@Mike:  is the current version of Avast safe now?  
I'm not familiar with CCCleaner specifically.

However-  I ended up tossing my previous computer.  I heard that when virus scans don't work, it's a dangerous sign-  tried Malwarebytes twice last week and it stopped both times, then the Microsoft something-or-another ran for more than 6 hours before it quit.  

Some scuzzball hacked into my email account, then online jobsite-  so my week's pay went to the hacker.  
When the virus scans reported craploads of junk before they quit, I ditched the computer, connected a backup computer instead, and then set about changing passwords.  
While I'm worried enough about all the info the creep has had access to, the pay they stole was going to go toward my kids and grandkids' Christmas presents...


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## Mike (Dec 12, 2017)

Hi Janice, sorry to hear about your problems, can nothing
be done to help you get your pay back?
I can't find anything against Avast antivirus free version,
there is a site called trusted reviews that list it as one of
the best 6 free ones available.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/guide/best-free-antivirus

I use only the AV software supplied with windows 10 plus
occasionally I run malwarebytes.

Mike.


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