Many files labeled as keygens were actually malware. When a user ran the .exe to generate a code, it would instead install a "backdoor" or a keylogger to steal passwords.
Legitimate (in the underground sense) keygens often featured "chiptune" music and flashing graphics—a signature of the "warez" groups that competed to see who could bypass software protections the fastest. wolfram-mathematica-10-4-1-full-keygen
In the early 2010s, "wolfram-mathematica-10-4-1-full-keygen" became a common search term that illustrated the , as well as the evolving risks of the internet. The Rise of a Computing Giant Many files labeled as keygens were actually malware