AfterDawn: News

TorrentSpy advertises torrent client with malware

TorrentSpy, the public torrent tracker in the midst of a lawsuit from the MPAA is apparently advertising, even promoting fake torrent clients that are bundled with malicious adware.

The clients, created by a Swedish company called Wakenet, look like legit torrent clients but instead just infect computers with adware that is hard to uninstall.



The clients, Get-Torrent, Torrent101, TorrentQ and BitRoll result in a barrage of annoying popups, yet TorrentSpy is actively promoting them. Underneath each download, the words "Use Get-Torrent for high speed downloads" appears, tricking users into downloading them.

The malware bundled with the clients is a program called "Cidhelp" that can be removed from Windows default add/remove in the Control Panel. However, most anti-virus programs will cripple the malware but not completely delete it, making it impossible to uninstall.

The Pirate Bay and Mininova both banned the clients from advertising using Adbrite but apparently money is more important to TorrentSpy then the safety of their user's computers.

Source:
TF

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 4 Aug 2007 18:30

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• 7 comments

• casemodd

  Isn't is nice to see them filling their pockets with $$$ & at the same time kissing up to the MPAA,RIAA Torrentspy has been dead to me for quite a while now. Their are alot better index sites out their.

  5.8.2007 03:11 #1

• BIGnewb

  torrentspy was good but that was for a short while.piratebay and mininova run shit always.tpb had problems with the law but came back stronger unlike torrentspy.now pirate bay is bringinng suprnova back which was the greatest torrent site and it was legendary.you cant stop piracy i guess.one site goes down and another one comes up :D

  5.8.2007 10:54 #2

• hikaricor

  Quote:Underneath each download, the words "Use Get-Torrent for high speed downloads" appears, tricking users into downloading them. Underneath each download, the words "Use Get-Torrent for high speed downloads" appears, tricking retards into downloading them.
  
  
  ^ Fixed it for ya.

  5.8.2007 13:11 #3

• BIGnewb

  lol

  5.8.2007 15:36 #4

• ZippyDSM

  torrent spy is now part of the media mafia,next.

  5.8.2007 17:58 #5

• borhan9

  this is not good news at all we will just have to be aware of these and stay away from them.

  10.8.2007 16:09 #6

• BIGnewb

  well its not really bad news.its just pointing out how someone can be a retard and clicking ads.who does that anyway?plus torrentspy was dead a long time ago.peace

  11.8.2007 09:18 #7