Adware Program Takes Screenshot of Your Desktop and Uploads It Online

[Batu69]

Faster Internet adware takes snapshot of your desktop behind your back in an attempt to capture sensitive data

Faster Internet adware sending a screenshot of your desktop to its server

 

Lawrence Abrams, security researcher for Bleeping Computer, has stumbled upon a new type of adware that's not content on just blasting you with ads and collecting data on your system, but also on secretly taking a screenshot of your desktop and uploading it online.

Called Faster Internet, the program comes bundled with other legitimate software, but once installed is when the real damage will be done.

The first thing it will do is to record details regarding each user's PC setup, a technique called fingerprinting, often used in advertising to distinguish between different users.

Faster Internet collects data such as motherboard, CPU, hard drives, network adapters serials, and other similar.

Besides this highly personal information, the adware literally crosses the line into malware behavior when it takes a secret screenshot of your active desktop windows, and then uploads it to an online server.

Adware could be used to steal sensitive information from users

"The problem is that when this program is installed, the user may have confidential documents, web sites, or programs open that will be now be included in the screenshot and uploaded to these scumbags," Mr. Abrams noted. "What if the victim had a password manager open to their online bank account, or their tax return showing their social security number and address, or private images that they do not want disclosed?"

Until older Windows versions die down, and the Windows Store gains more traction, users will continue to be exposed to adware and the inherent threats each one brings.

Besides Faster Internet, Mr. Abrams recently also discovered another sneaky program, called VNLGP Miner, which transforms your computer into a Bitcoin mining bot for the gain of an unknown attacker.

Above is an image of the application uploading a screenshot of the user's desktop to the URL "a.duofoldmortify.online/buploada.php," courtesy of Bleeping Computer.

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[straycat19]

The only sensitive information they will get from my desktop is false.  I did a screen capture using fences without any icons, then added icons to the graphic except for the lower left container. That is 228 icons that are really graphics and then use that as my wallpaper, adding 12 real icon shortcuts to the lower left container for a total of 240 (12 x 20) on the desktop.  I been doing this for years to fool people when I would leave my computer at work for a while, they can click all day and nothing opens because none of the icons there were real.  It never hurts to create a couple text or word document icons and give them mysterious names like Local Perverts, Easy Lays, Drug Dealers, Cheap Pills, Confidential Informants, Counseling (or Employee Evaluation) for (any name here) etc. Use your imagination.  Even the taskbar and start button are graphics, the real one being hidden at the top of the screen.   I have been doing this since Windows 3.1 (of course, there was no fences back then, just a lot of blank screen space) and have had nothing but fun with it.  

[Togijak]

you have funny ideas

[steven36]

Even if  i was to get infected  with something like this . If   MAM  and NOD32  real time were to miss  it when ever  it went to call home  W10FWC  would block it so they would never get any info and it would tell me were the malware was located  so i could delete  it myself .

6 hours ago, Batu69 said:

Until older Windows versions die down, and the Windows Store gains more traction, users will continue to be exposed to adware and the inherent threats each one brings.

What does this have to do with cheese in China...   No one that uses Windows 10 is buying  apps  from Windows store  or do they on Windows 8.1 ether . Everyone is using legacy apps . If using Legacy apps  is unsafe and you can only use crappy windows modern apps you may as well forget about windows and use a phone or some other O/S .

[davmil]

Clever as you solution is, I think the point of the post is to warn folks the program has the potential to create a headache for users and should be deleted / not downloaded upon discovery.  Combine this with the unlikely possibility that it really might speed one's PC or connection up and you're looking at a real piece of crapware here if you find it on your machine.

[steven36]

1 hour ago, davmil said:

Clever as you solution is, I think the point of the post is to warn folks the program has the potential to create a headache for users and should be deleted / not downloaded upon discovery.  Combine this with the unlikely possibility that it really might speed one's PC or connection up and you're looking at a real piece of crapware here if you find it on your machine.

 They bundled it into other legitimate programs installer it's PUP if they forgot  to uncheck the boxes or uncheckey didn't work you would get infected . Most noobs pcs  if i have to remove malware will be full of this crap . And the developers are at fault because they bundle this crap  in free and trial windows proprietary software. Its so bad that  they have a software site called  ninite  that bypasses the installers and installs legit freeware on you're pc without  adware

 

Most adware in installers  have to download by the way  my firewall always calls out  when they want go online just by blocking the installer lots of stuff wont offer you adware . Its a petty you need to be a expert just to install all the nasty crap they have on windows in installers . if you dont have a good firewall its best to install stuff  offline  .  Pay extra attention most sites you download from will tell you if installers have 3rd party programs offered .