The Internet is a big place where you can find almost anything. You can find illegal stuff, pornography. But mainly these sites are a source for malware. But what do you do when these spyware come in an attractive form?

Panda Labs announced that the famous game, sudoku puzzle, is actually a portal for these spyware. The application operates perfectly, allowing users to play the game. However, without the user’s knowledge, it downloads a spyware, YazzleSudoku, every time the user opens the application.

To ensure that it remains active, it creates several Windows registry entries. Similarly, it generates a series of files it needs to operate, with names such as RL_SudokuInstaller.rar.lnk, or Yazzle Sudoku. Then, YazzleSudoku displays advertising messages on screen.

There is a catch here. When the disclaimer shows up, it says there that spyware will be installed. If the user agrees, the spyware will be installed on the computer. However, if users do not agree, they will not be able to use the sudoku program. Kind of a blackmail to me.

According to Luis Corrons, director of PandaLabs: “Spyware is, without a doubt, one of the major threats to users. This type of malware clearly conforms to the current objective of malware creators: earning money. Nevertheless, as the effects of spyware are not particularly obvious and do not appear to be dangerous, many users do not treat spyware with the caution needed. This is a mistake, as spyware does not just slow down systems and cause errors – it also intrudes upon the privacy of users who should not consent to its installation.”

The solution is to have your computer secured with an antivirus and a firewall who can detect spyware and either block them or delete them.

So, Sudoku players, check your computer for spyware. Probably you are infected and you don’t even know it.