It is a well known fact that malware spreaders will use any means possible to sneak their malware onto your computer. They will for example claim a celebrity has died (see here, here and here), or they will claim you got a $50 iTunes gift certificate (see here), or they will claim they want a job and you should check out a resume (see here).

According to BitDefender, malware spreaders are now using the interest in Windows 7 to propagate a phony Windows 7 compatibility checker. It all starts with the user getting a spam message in which he is asked to download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if his system is compatible with Windows 7. If the user downloads the phony Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, he will do nothing more than infect his computer with a Trojan.

“Instead of the promised compatibility checking tool, the zip file hides Trojan.Generic.3783603. This piece of malware contains malicious or potentially unwanted software which it drops and installs on the system. Frequently, it installs a backdoor which allows remote, clandestine access to the infected system. This backdoor may then be used by cybercriminals to upload and install additional malicious or potentially unwanted software on the captured system,” explained BitDefender.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor is a legitimate tool developed by Redmond-based software giant Microsoft. The application is quite useful for any computer user that is thinking about upgrading to Windows 7 – the application will go over the user’s current configuration and tell him if his machine can run Windows 7 smoothly. It will also tell him if the devices and installed programs are compatible with Windows 7.

If you plan on using the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, download it from a trustworthy location. The best one is Microsoft’s official Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor site, which you can visit here.