This is NOT a compromise of CPUID's build infrastructure. The bundled executables are genuinely signed by CPUID and Microsoft:
Binary Signer Certificate Signed Date VT Detection
cpuz_x32.exe CPUID + Microsoft Windows HCP Sectigo EV Code Signing 2026-03-16 10:44 AM 0/77 (clean)
cpuz_x64.exe CPUID + Microsoft Windows HCP Sectigo EV Code Signing 2026-03-16 10:45 AM 0/77 (clean)
The attack is a software repackaging attack: the threat actor downloads official CPUID releases, adds a malicious CRYPTBASE.dll, and repackages as ZIP for distribution.
Distribution vectors likely include:
Malvertising via Google Ads (consistent with the 2023 CPU-Z malvertising campaign)
SEO poisoning with fake download sites
Fake software portals (file names like cpu-z_2.19-en.zip, cpu-z.zip, cpu-z_2.19.zip suggest multiple distribution channels)
SHA2-256(D:\Install\PC Diagnostic\CPU-Z\2.19\cpuz.ini)= b7b3560e286ba5f39c019e99face5cfa68cca42cf29bbe2e0f0d1e9626de5c8f
SHA2-256(D:\Install\PC Diagnostic\CPU-Z\2.19\cpuz_readme.txt)= 7eb3223b9759e6553fdb23f93b384f451af342982a21343735d4349827e5d1a5
SHA2-256(D:\Install\PC Diagnostic\CPU-Z\2.19\cpuz_x32.exe)= d4b7556f00a6d5ea5a47a5aefe267681334167db8c83ba94806da3dfd9fdca79
SHA2-256(D:\Install\PC Diagnostic\CPU-Z\2.19\cpuz_x64.exe)= 8e0077a742183fbcbb4f6cf2fe945ea2ced13a058ccf79f5b81157ededc47e16
SHA2-256(C:\Windows\System32\cryptbase.dll)= f2904441a36aa3bb535e42a6ab2dcd004fd84564a0e5a85cc42c8a54af6176d3
SHA2-256(C:\Windows\SysWOW64\cryptbase.dll)= 2ef73abbd2baed205993f6550c40cac88f76d643dc2d498f28da1386c360c9e8