Editing Malware (section)

===Grayware===
{{See also|Privacy-invasive software|Potentially unwanted program}}

Grayware is any unwanted application or file that can worsen the performance of computers and may cause security risks but which there is insufficient consensus or data to classify them as malware.<ref name=":5" /> Types of grayware typically include [[spyware]], [[adware]], [[dialer#Fraudulent dialer|fraudulent dialers]], joke programs ("jokeware") and [[remote desktop software|remote access tools]].<ref name=":6" /> For example, at one point, [[Sony BMG]] compact discs [[Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal|silently installed a rootkit]] on purchasers' computers with the intention of preventing illicit copying.<ref name="russinovich">{{cite web|last=Russinovich|first=Mark|date=31 October 2005|title=Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far|url=http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/31/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights-management-gone-too-far.aspx|access-date=29 July 2009|work=Mark's Blog|publisher=Microsoft MSDN|archive-date=2 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602231838/http://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/archive/2005/10/31/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights-management-gone-too-far.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Potentially unwanted program====
[[Potentially unwanted program]]s (PUPs) are applications that would be considered unwanted despite often being intentionally downloaded by the user.<ref>{{cite web|date=2009-12-15|title=Rating the best anti-malware solutions|url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2009/12/av-comparatives-picks-eight-antipua-winners/|access-date=28 January 2014|publisher=Arstechnica|archive-date=2 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202092753/http://arstechnica.com/security/2009/12/av-comparatives-picks-eight-antipua-winners/|url-status=live}}</ref> PUPs include spyware, adware, and fraudulent dialers.

Many security products classify unauthorised [[Keygen|key generators]] as PUPs, although they frequently carry true malware in addition to their ostensible purpose.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|last1=Kammerstetter|first1=Markus|last2=Platzer|first2=Christian|last3=Wondracek|first3=Gilbert|title=Proceedings of the 2012 ACM conference on Computer and communications security|chapter=Vanity, cracks and malware|date=2012-10-16|chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1145/2382196.2382282|series=CCS '12|location=New York, NY, USA|publisher=Association for Computing Machinery|pages=809–820|doi=10.1145/2382196.2382282|isbn=978-1-4503-1651-4|s2cid=3423843}}</ref> In fact, Kammerstetter et al. (2012)<ref name=":7" /> estimated that as much as 55% of key generators could contain malware and that about 36% malicious key generators were not detected by antivirus software.

====Adware====
Some types of adware turn off anti-malware and virus protection; technical remedies are available.<ref name="Casey">{{cite web|last1=Casey|first1=Henry T.|author-link1=Henry T. Casey|date=25 November 2015|title=Latest adware disables antivirus software|url=https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/latest-adware-disables-antivirus-software-152920421.html|access-date=25 November 2015|work=Tom's Guide|publisher=[[Yahoo.com]]|archive-date=27 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127070904/https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/latest-adware-disables-antivirus-software-152920421.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Spyware====
Programs designed to monitor users' web browsing, display [[unsolicited advertisement]]s, or redirect [[affiliate marketing]] revenues are called [[spyware]]. Spyware programs do not spread like viruses; instead they are generally installed by exploiting security holes. They can also be hidden and packaged together with unrelated user-installed software.<ref>{{cite web|title=Peer To Peer Information|url=http://oit.ncsu.edu/resnet/p2p|access-date=25 March 2011|publisher=NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY|archive-date=2 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702143115/http://oit.ncsu.edu/resnet/p2p|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal|Sony BMG rootkit]] was intended to prevent illicit copying; but also reported on users' listening habits, and unintentionally created extra security vulnerabilities.<ref name="russinovich" />