While the internet makes it easy to search for "free" transfers of expensive tools, the cost of recovering from a malware infection or losing work to a buggy crack is often higher than the price of the software itself.
| Risk | Severity | |------|----------| | Malware in cracked executables | 🔴 High | | Hidden ransomware or coin miners | 🔴 High | | Keyloggers / credential stealers | 🟠 Moderate-High | | Corrupted or modified program logic | 🟠 Moderate | | Antivirus false positives (expected with cracks) but real threats likely | 🟡 Moderate | While the internet makes it easy to search