News agency websites and blog pages devoted to computer security pay plenty of attention to the dangers of downloading pirated games. But there are no fewer fans of free stuff in the form of cracks, cheats, hacked versions, or other kinds of generous giveaways.

Cybercriminals make very active use of this situation by distributing malicious algorithms, trojans, keyloggers, and so on. The internet is constantly being stocked with new malware schemes. Needless to say, cybercriminals catch a fair number of careless users downloading cracked versions of licensed games.

Let’s look at the modern risks faced by gamers who prefer to pick up free games from web pirates instead of honestly buying paid versions from developers.

Let’s analyze the sources of danger posed by free cracked games. We’ll go over expert recommendations that help you download game without risking a nasty infection.

A brief overview of gamers’ cyberattacks over the past year

Experts in computer and network security have conducted another study. The goal was to find out how cybercriminals most often make money off gamers—specifically, fans of the best computer games who want to save money by not paying for a license and don’t think about their own security.

The thing is, they get the game they want for free, along with files that have malware “baked in” or simply added to them. Sometimes the entertainment software isn’t there at all, and a dangerous app winds up on the device instead.

Didn’t you order any ads?

A user visits some major warez site. Here, gamers suffering from hypertrophied greed can download illegally distributed games.

But after installing the software, they discover a curious sight: banners popping up constantly, endless unsolicited pages opening in the browser, video ads appearing, and so on.

So what happened? An unpleasant thing, that’s what: an adware program was downloaded along with the game, or instead of it. In fact, it isn’t dangerous to the device, but its behavior can drive any user mad.

With this extra hitch on the device, it’s impossible to do anything. You’re stuck endlessly trying to close ad windows or one page or another.

Cryptocurrency miners are still going strong

Things turn out rather badly if a cryptocurrency miner gets onto your computer or phone while you’re downloading the cracked game you wanted.

When the hysteria over making money from digital coins began, cybercriminals quickly spotted a new opportunity to set up a source of passive income. Gamers with high-performance PCs turned out to be a very convenient—indeed, downright ideal—target.

Some of those who decided to download games from web pirates began getting an inconspicuous extra bundled with the software: a cryptocurrency miner. If this algorithm is implanted in the system and activated, computing power gets redirected to mining virtual currencies.

The miner sends the coins to the cybercriminal’s crypto wallet, while the victim faces a problem: for some inexplicable reason, their powerful PC suddenly stops playing videos. Web pages won’t load, other programs don’t work, and you can’t even work in MS Word—all the resources are being consumed by the miner.

The cybercriminal who slipped malware into the game being downloaded makes money from bitcoin, dash, ripple, litecon, ethereum, or other digital coins.

You can’t get rid of professionally made cryptocurrency miners using standard solutions. Almost always, you have to delete everything and reinstall the operating system. If you put up with the awful slowdowns on your infected PC or phone, the hidden miner will keep enriching whoever created and distributed it.

The search engine’s first page—and danger from Swarez right away

Experienced gamers know perfectly well that official versions of popular games are best found in specialist stores (Steam and others). But if you need to search for “download FIFA 2021 for free without viruses” or “Minecraft crack without SMS or registration,” you’ll have to use a search engine.

The second scenario is used very effectively by scammers. They quickly churn out websites offering content that’s in high demand among fans of free stuff:
- game cheats;
- free keys for popular programs;
- cracked versions of game;
- and much more.

The key detail is that all these wonderful and, most importantly, free add-ons or software come with attached files containing trojans, viruses, keyloggers, worms, and spyware. Sites with such a variety of goodies make it into the top search results, where fans of downloading pirated programs and games quickly find them.

A note! Cybercriminals don’t necessarily have to create separate websites and work on promoting them quickly. They successfully post infected versions of cracked games or other software on existing warez platforms that let users add content!

A good example of the dangers of downloading game from pirates is the Swarez dropper Trojan. Any attempt to download something (say, a crack for Minecraft) may redirect you through a multi-stage chain of links that ends with a ZIP file. Inside it there’s another archive, plus instructions describing the steps for cracking the software or installing it.

The unwary user follows the instructions to the letter, and the Swarez dropper Trojan quietly sneaks onto the device along with the free cracked game. It automatically downloads Taurus, a data-stealing virus.

This algorithm then starts making extensive use of its capabilities:
- taking screenshots;
- copying and forwarding files;
- breaking into cryptocurrency wallets;
- stealing passwords and logins;
- and more.

Basically, wanting to download games from web pirates means playing a dangerous lottery. Winning means getting the least harmful malware the cybercriminals have to offer.

Fake Minecraft is hunting Android users

Even at 10 years old, Minecraft remains extremely popular with gamers. As a result, it stays at the top of a sort of ranking of effective “lures” used in various cyberattacks on PCs, tablets, laptops, and phones.

Cybercriminals are so active here that they’ve even managed to spread viruses through well-known software and app stores. In 2020, Google Play specialists found and removed 22 malicious add-ons disguised as Minecraft script modifications (mods). By 2021, 32 such apps containing malware had already been blocked. In 2022, the same thing is happening with even greater intensity.

It’s easy to get into very serious trouble by downloading games from pirates on the internet. Staying with Minecraft, it’s worth mentioning the spread of Hqwar.

This is the most dangerous and widespread member of the dropper Trojan family. The algorithm is exceptionally sneaky, first lulling the user into a false sense of security. After installation starts, the app displays an error message about the installation. It immediately offers to remove its broken version.

In reality, only the icon is removed. The virus remains on the mobile device and activates, continuing to work in secret. It dutifully records, collects, and forwards to its owner all the data entered on the device—it is especially geared toward stealing logins and passwords for online banking accounts.

The victim discovers the most unpleasant “surprise” pretty quickly: empty bank accounts.

The Vesub Trojan in cracked games and their pirated versions

Another good example of the consequences of using cracked games downloaded for free from web pirates is the damage caused by the Vesub malware algorithm.

Cybercriminals hide it inside cracked versions of games like these for Android devices:
- PUBG;
- Brawl Stars.

As soon as the session starts, the malicious algorithm creates the impression that the game is loading at the slowest possible speed, but then… nothing suspicious or unusual happens. The game interface simply appears, but nothing in it works.

The gamer exits the program, and the icon disappears. But the Vesub Trojan itself, having loaded along with the game, has already infiltrated the device and is ramping up its malicious activity.

An interesting chain of events unfolds during this short period. While Brawl Stars or PUBG was taking forever to load, the virus quickly gathered information about the system’s capabilities and received further instructions.

Then, following those instructions, it starts doing as it pleases in the background, where it’s hard to notice. The consequences depend solely on what the programmer builds into the Vesub Trojan.

This malware is often programmed to:
- sign up for paid subscriptions to certain online services;
- send SMS messages;
- play videos on YouTube;
- open pages in Google Play;
- visit advertising pages;
- и т. п.

And what would pirated games be without phishing?

The danger awaiting fans of free stuff who decide to download pirated versions of games or cracked apps should be pretty clear by now. Understanding this significantly reduces the risk of getting hurt when installing licensed programs from the internet for free.

But those sneaky hackers never tire of inventing other ways to exploit greedy people’s greed. One of the latest trends is offering a whole bundle of popular games at an attractive 98% discount.

Cybercriminals then stoke careless gamers’ interest with large amounts of in-game tokens as a gift or for a couple of rubles. Personalized invitations to nonexistent tournaments, sparring matches, groups within the game world, and so on make great “bait.”

Scammers use well-known titles as cover—GTA Online, Apex Legends, Uncharted, FIFA 21, Pokemon Go—the options are plentiful. The cybercriminals’ main goal here is to get victims’ email addresses, first and last names, passwords, and logins. These details are especially valuable when they can be linked to information about the games a gamer prefers.

An important detail! Such data packages are in high demand on the dark web even without passwords. There’s still plenty of information there that can be put to very effective use in phishing attacks. If the victim is really careless and leaves their passwords too, their accounts are guaranteed to be lost in an instant!

The only thing worse is when some “fool” falls for a request to verify their account by entering all their bank card details. It’s not hard to guess what the scammers do next and what the victim is left with. And it often all starts with the harmless desire to download games from web pirates.

Tips for downloading games from the internet without risking a virus or Trojan

The capabilities of cybercriminals who make a living from online fraud are considerable these days. They never stop developing new schemes to deceive people and creating more advanced viruses.

Experts in computer and network security regularly prepare special instructions and warnings for internet users and gamers.

Below are some up-to-date recommendations to help minimize the threats hidden inside cracked programs downloaded from the internet.

1. Buy software only from the websites or offline offices of official distributors and retailers. There are ways to save money when legally buying video games, too. You can wait for a good price during a sale.

Buying official versions not only rules out getting malware, but also ensures you regularly receive the latest updates, patches, and add-ons.

2. If you regularly buy loot boxes and other virtual goods, follow a few simple security rules.

For example, don’t trust suspicious sites offering free in-game upgrades, weapons for characters, rare skins, and so on. There’s a good chance you’ll lose money and get a Trojan, or have your device infected with viruses, worms, keyloggers, or spyware.

3. Don’t let your guard down when downloading games from the internet. Cybercriminals often disguise their malicious programs very convincingly.

They create perfect copies of popular online stores, make them look like users are active there, and use all sorts of tricks.

4. Install a reliable antivirus program on your smartphone, PC, or tablet from its official website. Never turn this protection off.

Remember! Games will never slow down when a high-quality antivirus is running, especially if it’s configured correctly!

5. Regularly check the current security settings in the accounts for the services you use.

It’s easy to find special instructions online for optimally adjusting security settings in accounts on platforms such as:
- Twitch;
- Discord;
- Origin;
- Battle.net;
- Steam.

Conclusion

The audience interested in games online, especially downloading the software itself or various add-ons for it, is practically ideal for carrying out all sorts of schemes. Hackers steal money and information, use victims’ computing power, and sneak special algorithms into device systems to perform tasks they need done.

You mustn’t be careless or give in to the tempting urge to download an expensive game for free from crackers or some random websites. It’s the surest way to get malware onto your phone or PC. The consequences can be extremely serious, but all of this is easy to prevent by simply shifting your priorities from free cracked games to buying licensed versions.

The dangers discussed above should help you understand how serious the possible situations can be and choose a clear answer to the question: should you download games from web pirates or not? You need to soberly assess all the benefits, risks, and consequences.