Scareware is a form ofmalware which usessocial engineering to causeshock,anxiety, or the perception of a threat in order to manipulate users into buyingunwanted software[1] (or other products). Scareware is part of a class ofmalicious software that includesrogue security software,ransomware and other scamsoftware that tricks users into believing their computer is infected with avirus, then suggests that they download and pay forfake antivirus software to remove it.[2] Usually the virus is fictional and the software is non-functional ormalware itself.[3] According to theAnti-Phishing Working Group, the number of scareware packages in circulation rose from 2,850 to 9,287 in the second half of 2008.[4] In the first half of 2009, the APWG identified a 585% increase in scareware programs.[5]
The "scareware" label can also apply to any application or virus which pranks users with intent to cause anxiety or panic.
Internet security writers use the term "scareware" to describe software products that produce frivolous and alarming warnings or threat notices, most typically for fictitious or useless commercialfirewall andregistry cleaner software. This class of program tries to increase its perceived value by bombarding the user with constant warning messages that do not increase its effectiveness in any way. Software is packaged with a look and feel that mimics legitimate security software in order to deceive consumers.[6]
Some websites display pop-up advertisement windows or banners with text such as: "Your computer may be infected with harmful spyware programs.[7] Immediate removal may be required. To scan, click 'Yes' below." These websites can go as far as saying that a user's job, career, or marriage would be at risk. Products with advertisements such as these are often considered scareware. Serious scareware applications qualify asrogue software.
Some scareware is not affiliated with any other installed programs. A user can encounter a pop-up on a website indicating that their PC is infected.[8] In some scenarios, it is possible to become infected with scareware even if the user attempts to cancel the notification.These popups are specially designed to look like they come from the user's operating system when they are actually a webpage.
A 2010 study byGoogle found 11,000 domains hosting fake anti-virus software, accounting for 50% of all malware delivered via internet advertising.[9]
Starting on March 29, 2011, more than 1.5 millionweb sites around the world have been infected by theLizaMoonSQL injection attack spread by scareware.[10][11]
Research by Google discovered that scareware was using some of its servers to check for internet connectivity. The data suggested that up to a million machines were infected with scareware.[12] The company has placed a warning in the search results for users whose computers appear to be infected.
Another example of scareware is Smart Fortress. This site scares the victim into thinking they have many viruses on their computer and asks them to buy a professional service.[13]
Some forms ofspyware also qualify as scareware because they change the user's desktop background, install icons in the computer'snotification area (underMicrosoft Windows), and claiming that some kind of spyware has infected the user's computer and that the scareware application will help to remove the infection. In some cases, scareware trojans have replaced the desktop of the victim with large, yellow text reading "Warning! You have spyware!" or a box containing similar text, and have even forced the screensaver to change to "bugs" crawling across the screen.[14] Winwebsec is the term usually used to address the malware that attacks the users of Windows operating system and produces fake claims similar to that of genuine anti-malware software.[15]
SpySheriff exemplifies spyware and scareware: it purports to remove spyware, but is actually a piece of spyware itself, often accompanyingSmitFraud infections.[16] Other antispyware scareware may be promoted using aphishing scam.
Another approach is to trick users into uninstalling legitimate antivirus software, such as Microsoft Security Essentials, or disabling theirfirewall.[17] Since antivirus programs typically include protection against being tampered with or disabled by other software, scareware may use social engineering to convince the user to disable programs which would otherwise prevent the malware from working.
In 2005,Microsoft andWashington state successfully sued Secure Computer (makers ofSpyware Cleaner) for $1 million over charges of using scareware pop-ups.[18]Washington's attorney general has also brought lawsuits against Securelink Networks,Softwareonline.com,[19] High Falls Media, and the makers of Quick Shield.[20]
In October 2008,Microsoft and theWashingtonattorney general filed a lawsuit against two Texas firms, Branch Software and Alpha Red, producers of theRegistry Cleaner XP scareware.[21]The lawsuit alleges that the company sent incessant pop-ups resembling system warnings to consumers' personal computers stating "CRITICAL ERROR MESSAGE! - REGISTRY DAMAGED AND CORRUPTED", before instructing users to visit a web site to download Registry Cleaner XP at a cost of $39.95.
On December 2, 2008, the U.S.Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") filed a Complaint in federal court against Innovative Marketing, Inc., ByteHosting Internet Services, LLC, as well as individualsSam Jain, Daniel Sundin, James Reno, Marc D’Souza, and Kristy Ross. The Complaint also listed Maurice D’Souza as a Relief Defendant, alleged that he held proceeds of wrongful conduct but not accusing him of violating any law. The FTC alleged that the other Defendants violated the FTC Act by deceptively marketing software, including WinFixer, WinAntivirus, DriveCleaner, ErrorSafe, and XP Antivirus. According to the complaint, the Defendants falsely represented that scans of a consumer's computer showed that it had been compromised or infected and then offered to sell software to fix the alleged problems.[22][23][24]
Another type of scareware involves software designed to literally scare the user through the use of unanticipated shocking images, sounds or video.
Research in the 2020s has also introduced a new detection technology designed to identify scarewaresocial engineering attacks with enhanced resilience. This approach targets the visual images presented to end users, which is a layer that attackers cannot easily obscure.[28]
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