Beware! You could be downloading a Windows 11 malware

According to a report by Kaspersky, while Microsoft hasn’t yet released Windows 11, the new operating system is already available for download and preview in the form of malware.

Hyderabad: Are you one of those who are anxious to download the new Windows 11? Have you got links claiming to be the new Windows 11? Do not click on those links as these are the new malware in the guise of Windows 11 being circulated.

According to a report by Kaspersky, while Microsoft hasn’t yet released Windows 11, the new operating system is already available for download and preview in the form of malware.

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Cybercriminals are exploiting the excitement around the new operating system and are slipping malware to users who think they are downloading Microsoft’s new OS.

The most straightforward way cybercriminals deceive users is by slipping in something extra (or else).

One example involves an executable file called 86307_windows 11 build 21996.1 x64 + activator.exe. With a file size as large as 1.75GB, it certainly looks plausible. In fact, though, the bulk of that space consists of one DLL file that contains a lot of useless information.

Opening the executable starts the installer, which looks like an ordinary Windows installation wizard. Its main purpose is to download and run another, more interesting executable. The second executable is an installer as well, and it even comes with a license agreement (which few people read) calling it a “download manager for 86307_windows 11 build 21996.1 x64 + activator” and noting that it would also install some sponsored software.

If you accept the agreement, a variety of malicious programs will be installed on your machine.

Is Windows 11 available?

Even though Microsoft claimed that Windows 10 would be the last release of Windows and the company would just issue updates from there on out. On June 24 this year, however, the company unveiled Windows 11 and it is still the OS’s biggest update in six years, with an impressive number of new features and interface modifications.

Officially, Windows 11 will become available to the general public in 2021, but loads of people are trying it out early by installing a prerelease build. Although Microsoft has made the process of downloading and installing Windows 11 from its official website fairly straightforward, many still visit other sources to download the software, which often contains unadvertised goodies from cybercriminals (and isn’t necessarily Windows 11 at all).

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