uTorrent Bugs Let Websites Control Your PC And Steal Your Downloads
Recently, a security researcher from the tech giant Google’s Project Zero initiative has discovered a severe vulnerability in the well-known and the most-used BitTorrent client, of course, the uTorrent that simply let websites to control your computer and steal your downloads.
A security flaw in uTorrent allows your computer to be controlled by a malicious person, including through a malicious website. The breach exists in two versions of the torrent client and was discovered by a Google researcher, who is part of the Project Zero initiative.
Details of the vulnerability have not been revealed yet. So far, it has been known to exist in both uTorrent for Windows and uTorrent Web and allows malicious code to run through the application’s remote control function – the exploit works even if the user does not enable the Web UI feature.
By exploiting the loophole, a hacker can remotely manage user downloads. This seems almost harmless, but it makes room for a malicious file to be downloaded directly to the Windows startup folder, for example, which would cause the malware to run at the next boot.
BitTorrent reported that the problem was fixed in uTorrent 3.5.3.44352 for Windows and uTorrent Web 0.12.0.502. The corrected version for Windows is in beta and will be distributed to users in the next few days; you can download it from the uTorrent website.
It is worth remembering that uTorrent, although still the most popular BitTorrent client in the world, has a somewhat troubled history: a few years ago, it started to install cryptocurrency miners and reports have recently surfaced that the program’s ads come with malware.
Details of the vulnerability have not been revealed yet. So far, it has been known to exist in both uTorrent for Windows and uTorrent Web and allows malicious code to run through the application’s remote control function – the exploit works even if the user does not enable the Web UI feature.
By exploiting the loophole, a hacker can remotely manage user downloads. This seems almost harmless, but it makes room for a malicious file to be downloaded directly to the Windows startup folder, for example, which would cause the malware to run at the next boot.
BitTorrent reported that the problem was fixed in uTorrent 3.5.3.44352 for Windows and uTorrent Web 0.12.0.502. The corrected version for Windows is in beta and will be distributed to users in the next few days; you can download it from the uTorrent website.
It is worth remembering that uTorrent, although still the most popular BitTorrent client in the world, has a somewhat troubled history: a few years ago, it started to install cryptocurrency miners and reports have recently surfaced that the program’s ads come with malware.