Skins of avast antivirus

Hosted URL of malicious skin. We have contacted Mojang, the creator of Minecraft, and they are working on fixing the vulnerability. As of January , Minecraft had 74 million players around the globe - an increase of almost 20 million year-on-year. However, only a small percentage of the total user base actively uploads modified skins.

Most players use the default versions provided by Minecraft. This explains the low registration of infections. Despite the low number, the scope for escalation is high given the number of active players globally. The bad actors may have looked to capitalize on a more vulnerable group of unsuspecting users that play a game trusted by parents and guardians. Users can identify the threat in a number of ways.

The malware is included in skins available on the Minecraft website. Three examples that contain the malware can be seen below. Users may also receive unusual messages in their account inbox. Some examples identified are:. Other evidence of infection includes system performance issues caused by a simple tourstart. Scanning your machine with a strong antivirus AV such as Avast Free Antivirus will detect the malicious files and remove them. However, in some cases, the Minecraft application may require reinstallation.

In more extreme circumstances where user machines have already been infected with the malware and systems files have been deleted, data restoration is recommended. The gaming industry uses psychological tactics to trigger addiction and more spending, but gamers can stay safe and sane with these tips. Avast guest blogger Kevin Townsend takes inventory of the cyberthreats gamers face and explains the most effective solutions available.

Trojan horse malware disguises itself as harmless to trick you into installing it. Learn how Trojans work and how to prevent attacks. Sitemap Privacy policy. Hosted URL of malicious skin We have contacted Mojang, the creator of Minecraft, and they are working on fixing the vulnerability. As of the beginning of the year, Minecraft had 74 million players around the world, which is a jump of around 20 million players year-over-year. This explains the low registration of infections.

Despite the low number, the scope for escalation is high given the number of active players globally," Avast says. The image at the top of this article shows three examples of Minecraft skins that are infected with malicious code. If you've downloaded one, you should run an antivirus scan right away. Not all skins contain malware though. The ones that are may tip themselves through one of several symptoms, including reduced system performance caused by a tourstart.

Obviously this is a self-serving warning on the part of Avast, which offers both free and paid antivirus solutions. Still, the fact that Minecraft is hosting malicious skins is concerning.

The good news is Mojang is aware of the issue and is working on fixing the vulnerability that makes this particular malware possible. We encourage players to report any suspicious activity to feedback. Minecraft's developers provided some further insight in a blog post today , saying that even though the PNG files could contain additional code, and by extension Minecraft's skins, " the code would not be run or read by the game itself " bolded for emphasis by Mojang.