Windows 10 App installer process being exploited by threat actors

Scammers and threat actors attempting to crusade problem are nothing new in the world of computing, especially not in the Windows sector. And then when we tell you there's a dangerous Windows ten swindle being chosen out, don't be surprised.

The new scam's been flagged by SophosLabs, which discovered the danger because it knocked direct on SophosLabs' door (via ZDNet). Weird emails arrived at Sophos inboxes, using the usual blend of poorly equanimous, threatening speech and a request to click something sketchy.

If you click what the e-mail tells yous to click, you're brought to a webpage where you'll be prompted to preview a seemingly harmless PDF. Of course, that "PDF preview" is annihilation simply harmless and binds you to a link starting with the ms-appinstaller: prefix, which summons Windows 10's AppInstaller.exe tool, kickstarting a download-and-run procedure that'll put you in a bad place very quickly. From in that location, you'll have to deal with the dangers of malware BazarBackdoor, including information and credential theft.

The novel part of this whole situation is the abuse of the Windows x App installer process. The other elements, and the broad strokes of the overall assault, are old hat to anyone who's been effectually PCs. You know the rules: Sketchy emails? Ignore. Dodgy links? Don't click. Do these two things and you'll already have outwitted 99% of scammers out at that place. It doesn't affair what iteration of Windows yous're on, either. Yous could be rocking Windows XP or Windows 11, and at the stop of the day, if you don't fall for the initial steps, y'all'll be condom.

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