Disguising Trojan horse malware as video codecs has became a favourite trick for hackers. The ruse allows malware authors to bait their enticement with the promise of free porno clips or the like.

Last week, the approach was used by a rogue affiliate to offer Google Pack. The site has since been pulled. Anti-spyware firm Sunbelt speculates that hackers might have attempted the trick because it's starting to pay better to push legitimate applications rather than malware.

Google Pack comes bundled with several useful applications - such as Firefox, Skype, Adobe Reader, and anti-malware tools - that make setting up a new PC a great deal easier. For some, however, such as Steve "chair crusher" Ballmer, Google Pack might be viewed as the worst sort of malware. ®

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• Dodgy affiliates use malware to flog Symantec and Check Point (12 February 2008)
• Miscreants subvert search results to punt malware (28 November 2007)
• Alicia Keys hit by MySpace Trojan hack (9 November 2007)
• Macs seized by porn Trojan (31 October 2007)
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