Users who download the popular free VPN Windscribe from third parties are at risk of a malicious Trojanized Windows backdoor attack, warns cybersecurity firm Trend Micro

This particular backdoor, dubbed "Bladabindi," once installed, can execute commands, log keystrokes, take screenshots, and collect sensitive information about your computer, including system details, running programs, and even stored passwords and even stored passwords

Trend Micro reports that the malware is bundled with the legitimate Windscribe installer and is virtually undetectable once installed Also, thanks to the working Windscribe software, users are unlikely to suspect anything

It is important to note that Windscribe itself is not involved in any of this As one of the best VPN services, Windscribe seems to have been chosen by the attackers because of its popularity

The bundle contains three separate items: the real Windscribe installer, a malicious file "ldscmexe" that facilitates a backdoor, and a malicious file runner "winvbs"

When installing a legitimate VPN, the Windscribe installation panel is also believed to hide other processes from user view

This bundling technique is a common and effective way to deliver malicious payloads Most suspicions will be allayed after the program is run, as the user will get a working copy of what they intended to download, in this case WIndscribe [Therefore, we recommend downloading from legitimate sources whenever possible

A quick search for "Download Windscribe" or "Download IPVanish" will yield countless results from third-party repositories Instead of protecting yourself from such dangerous bundles, always head to your service provider's website or a legitimate app store

The choice to bundle this backdoor software with one of the most popular VPN apps is likely due to the fact that countless people flock to VPN providers to protect their sensitive data when working from home

However, failing to take other precautions when using a VPN or downloading one bundled with malware can still lead to data leaks and dangerous hacking VPNs are certainly a powerful tool that can be used freely, but they are not a panacea for all the Internet ills that lurk on the Web