O’Cearbhaill believes that whoever is pushing the infected browser may have been up to no good for some time. It’s linked to another website,, a compromised version of a common peer-to-peer instant messenger that also contains malware. He first discovered the crooked site and reported it to the Tor Project. “The malware sends the victims IP, MAC address and computer username back to a command and control server over Tor hidden services,” Donncha O’Cearbhaill, another prominent hacker from Ireland, told the Daily Dot.

“The https part means there’s encryption and authentication between your browser and the website, making it much harder for the attacker to modify your download,” the Tor Project explains.Īnd just to be clear, that’s, not, a convincing clone that offers users an infected version of the browser. Make sure to check the url closely before downloading.įirst and foremost, the easiest way to protect yourself from fake versions of Tor is to always download the browser bundle directly from the project’s website. The proper site to download and install #tor from is. So, how can you know for sure the Tor Browser you’re using is safe and was actually created by the Tor Project rather than some skeevy hacker trying to capture your data? Don’t run the risk of being fooled-the consequences may be dire. “That’s money that has to come out of Tor’s very limited donations,” Boyce says. ICANN, the international group that coordinates the Internet address system, charges up to $4,000 to take down websites serving malware infested version of Tor. “Tor works hard to try and get them shut down, but it’s hard because the process takes time and costs a lot of money.” “People with bad intentions set up mirrors to serve software that includes injected advertisements or other badness,” Griffin Boyce, a prominent hacker who works for the Tor Project, tells the Daily Dot.

None of that matters, of course, if users are easily duped into downloading a fake product laden with malicious code-something that’s recently become a cause for concern. It’s loathed by government spies and corporate data collectors, and this week became the most secure way to update your Facebook News Feed. One of the most widely used tools for protecting online anonymity is the Tor Browser.

Tor project success