How Riskware Can Affect You

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Endpoint users are the biggest points of impact resulting from riskware misuse and exploitation. Most of the issues you may face can be simplified to the following core problems:

1. System hijacks and unauthorized system access
2. Legal complications
3. Computer system or network disruptions

In many cases, legitimate riskware can be modified to function as malware. Then, the attacker would distribute it either as a direct attack or a backdoor for loading other malware onto your system.

With so many legitimate programs that malicious users can employ for illicit purposes; it can be difficult for users to decide which programs represent a risk. For example, remote administration programs are often used by systems administrators and helpdesks for diagnosing and resolving problems that arise on a user’s computer.

However, if such a program has been installed on your computer by a malicious user, that user will have remote access to your computer. With full control unauthorized over your machine, the malicious user will be able to use your computer in virtually any way they wish.

Kaspersky has recorded incidents in which legitimate, remote administration programs have been secretly installed to obtain full remote access to a computer. Notable programs include those such as WinVNC (VNC being short for “virtual network computing”).

In another example, the mIRC utility — a legitimate internet relay chat (IRC) network client — can be misused by malicious users. Trojan programs that use mIRC functions to deliver a malicious payload are regularly identified by Kaspersky. Just like with remote admin programs, these are used without the user’s permission.

Often, malicious programs will install the mIRC client for later malicious use. In such cases, mIRC is usually saved to the Windows folder and its subfolders. So, if mIRC is detected in these folders, it almost always means that the computer has been infected with a malicious program.