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Parallels Update Installs Unrelated Daemon Without Permission
Calibax writes "Parallels recently released version 9 of Parallels Desktop, their popular hypervisor application for Mac. They also released a new product named Parallels Access that offers access to Windows applications from an iPad for $80 per year. Access has received less than stellar reviews. When a user upgrades Parallels Desktop, he is asked if he wants a free six-month subscription to Parallels Access. Even if he says no, the product is installed on his system and the application is started each time the system is rebooted. It is installed with ancillary files scattered around several directories in the system and Parallels has not supplied an uninstaller or listed the steps to fully uninstall the application, despite a number of requests. In other words, Parallels has decided it's a good idea to silently install a difficult to remove daemon application on the system, even if the user has explicitly stated they do not want it. They have not provided an uninstaller or a list of files installed or instructions on how to remove the application files. These are scattered to at least four Mac OS X OS system level directories."
Holy Department of Redundancy Department, Batman!
Thirty four characters live here.
I've been using Parallels Desktop for several versions now but I won't be 'upgrading' to version 9 until this is resolved. Up to now, Parallels has been a great product.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law - Aleister Crowley
I've been using Parallels over VMWare Fusion for a few years now (there has been some good bundle pricing on it, and there were some features it had that VMWare lacked at the time when I was deciding, though I don't recall what those were now).
Unless this turns out to be a tempest in a teacup or otherwise invented or overblown, I won't be doing that anymore, and VMWare will have gained back a customer.
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
TFS rants in circles, and the subject of the complaint is a product named "Parallels"?
My head hurts.
Yes, but... has Parallels supplied an uninstaller or listed the steps to fully uninstall the files?
"Oh no... he found the
The most important part: what this daemon does is allowing remove access to the computer, through Parallels' servers, using closed source code on both sides. Let's see, is there anything nefarious possible?
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
If it was the NSA, it wouldn't be making itself public. ;)
I read TFA and all I got was this lousy cookie
When you decline to install something you expect that it doesn't get installed. Parallels is going to burn a lot of trust by pulling this stunt. The cost of acquiring their customers has certainly got to exceed the profit from people who decide that they will change their mind and want to run this software anyways.
At a bare minimum they need to start by building a package that will remove all traces post haste for the anyone that wants it. For people that don't want to run the package explicit instructions need to be made available about how to completely remove this. Any number of companies have screwed up royally before this, those that are still respected are the ones that instituted proper damage control.
Well, you guessed wrong, because this article is about the Parallels Desktop Software for Macs that is installing the unwanted parts.
Funny enough, a software like Parallels Desktop needs such low-level access to the system that it would most certainly be prohibited from being approved into the Mac App Store. Apple is pretty strict about what kind of low-level access its App Store apps are allowed and where they can install their stuff.
So if the user would have stayed inside the walled garden, he would actually be safe from this particular threat.
I do not want to say that the walled garden is flawless or does not have some significant problems, but your guess is really simply wrong in this case.
Nobody smells the Spanish Inquisition!
What exactly does Apple have to do with shoddy 3rd party software?
Neither Parallels or VMWare Fusion are in Apple's App store. So if grandma is going to the store to buy virtualization software, I would hope she has some idea of what she is doing.
Also, if grandma happens to hose the Ubuntu machine you gave her and she has to look at this:
~#:_
Does that mean Linux is shit and just for freetard lusers?
It's not ... it's pretending to be something else.
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
Your first link is not the app store, though. That would be the online Apple Store, you know like Amazon.com? The one that actually has some brick-and-mortar cousins? With the Macs standing around and the Genius Bar? Sorta like Best Buy, but Apple-specific?
And, also that is definitely not for download, because, you know there is a shipping estimate there? And the first picture actually shows you the physical box the software is shipping in?
Besides, that box also contains the old version 8 which does not have the obnoxious behavior written about here. That one is new for version 9, which is not in your link.
First, that link isn't to the app store. That's the boxed edition. Second, you'll notice that in the product description for this feature, there's a ** that says "Separate purchase in the App Store".
So unless that page you linked to is lying, the App Store version does not do what they're talking about here. Only the separate installer that you get directly from Parallels installs the daemon in question.
Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.
Parallels is NOT sold in the AppStore. It's installed via a custom stand-alone installer.
Of course it is...
You do realize that's not the App store, but Apple's store where they ship you a box with the software?
or am I missing something?
Make 3 partitions on an OSX drive. Install OSX into all 3. Now on /sda install Parallels. /sdb leave vanilla. Boot into /sdc and mount /dev/sda /mnt/A. mount /dev/sdb /mnt/b. Diff a and b.
Granted your average user won't do this, but anyone wanting to play hero should be able to do it easily.
Let me guess? Approved in the app store. And that ease of use that's touted by Apple means that it's helluva hard for the average person to get under the hood. Imagine grandma looking at this:
Parallels software is _not_ available on the App Store. If you look at what this software does, there is not a chance in hell that it would be allowed on the App Store. So your little rant is completely missing the point. So when you say it is "the problem with the walled garden", you are completely wrong: This app is _not_ inside the walled garden. It does things that the "walled garden" would protect you from.
Let me guess. You don't know the difference between the Mac App Store (which is Apple's curated App Store with its walled gardens) and store.apple.com which is their online store where they sell iPhones, iMacs, software and peripherals.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
We own you.
So what's the problem here?
Microsoft, Sony, any other?
unwanted software. CleanMyMac2 to the rescue. Found all the Parallels Access files and good-bye. No hunting or anything!! Left Parallels alone just removed the PA that I asked not to install. Though I wish everyone would just create an app that keeps it's files to itself so when I trash it EVERYTHING is gone. But then those that make CleanMyMac2 would not be selling their software.
Save Pangaea!! Stop Continental Drift!!
I was going to upgrade to Parallels Desktop 9 but after reading about this I might as well switch to VMware fusion 6.
First of all, there was ONE "less than stellar" review. The Ars review was pretty pathetically trollish, I have no idea why. Check Google if you don't believe it. http://www.google.com/search?q=parallels+access+review
I used it in beta testing and its head and shoulders above other remote access tools. Their pricing is out to lunch, but it is an excellent tool.
Second, Parallels always has done stuff like this. The last version or two has been popping up ads. It's lazy of them and stupid but it's not really an "unrelated daemon".
Don't expect their support to give you instructions on how to uninstall it, just run something like CleanMyMac2 and move on.
SYS 64738 NO CARRIER
Mac Operating System X operating system system?
This is a new record for redundancy records.
I have installed Parallels version 9 and tried out their access program, since it was free for six months. It works as advertised, although on our slow Internet connection it is essentially unusable. Trying to do work on a standard iPad screen that is normally displayed on a big PC monitor or even a big laptop makes for pretty tiny print. $80 per year is pretty steep. $20-$30 is about the maximum I would pay even if our Internet connection for up to par. It will not work on a LAN over Wi-Fi. I have no trouble uninstalling the Access part by simply dragging the Access.app in the applications folder into the trash and then emptying the trash and restarting. I did not see any extraneous processes running according to the Activity Monitor. Running the Parallel.app version 9 does not show any additional processes than before version 9 was installed. If and when I have to do real work, I will just take my MacBook and use the iPad strictly for entertainment, maybe answering an occasional email.
A sufficiently advanced simulation is indistinguishable from reality.
Ah, the advantages of OSX. No "ancillary files scattered" all around the system when you install something. Remember when all you had to do to uninstall a Mac app was drag it to the Trash?
But the most unsettling part of this is the fact that Parallels had to know they would be found out, and went ahead anyway. When a company gets caught with its pants down, at least there's an indication that they realize there was something wrong with their behavior. This is much worse, because they just didn't care what you think.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Most end users wont even know it took place. The few that do wont make a dent in their customer base.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
(She?) has always been pretty active, and used to be fairly insightful even if occasionally oversensitive about certain subjects and sometimes misinformed (but not usually to the point of repeatedly stating a false claim). No big deal; we all have our buttons and we all make mistakes. Overall, her posts were a definite benefit to the community.
That was, oh, up until a couple years ago. I couldn't give you a precise point, but these days it sadly does seem more like a troll account. Sad, because the points are still sometimes interesting (such as yes, the Apple app store does sometimes let malware through; no surprise to anybody clued in about this stuff, but Apple explicitly targets the non-clued-in). The way places and times of their presentation, however, leave a lot to be desired. As I said, it's sad.
There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
You do realize that's not the App store, but Apple's store where they ship you a box with the software?
I notice you ignored the second link: Which shows that malware can and has been uploaded to the app store, which was my original point; The OP said that nothing like Parallels Desktop could be in the app store because it was too "low level".
I'd consider something that steals my credit card info and takes over my browser pretty "low level". The reason why Parallels Desktop isn't in the app store is because it loads kernel modules, not because the app store is somehow 'more secure'.
But hey... I already got a -1 everywhere else for pointing out that it's not all sunshine and kittens in AppleLand and got furious anger and rage from the fanboys... so what's a missed point between slashdotters?
You have no idea how bad you have it with Windows. I say this as a Windows 7 user too. The reason it is a big deal is former Windows users who switched to the Mac left XP/Vista because of this kind of crap!
Registry entries, malware, every free app including malware to slow down yoursystem including sourceforge using i3, eyecandy, ask, or whatever michevious crap! With a mac you want to transfer MS Office to a newer computer? Just copy the files to your phone and copy them back and run them. That is it. No fancy installers, no bizaare registry entries, simple folders, nothing hidden. It is what could have been if neophytes did not pick Windows back in the 1990s.
So if the Mac turns into windows why spend 2x for the switch. I almost was one of them when I seriously considered it 3 years ago. In the end I could not justify the cost sadly and the non upgrade options if I want to game plus my software like Office would need to be repurchased.
I hear the Linux users on here laughing at Windows users. But I no longer run Linux as I had beta quality experience with ATI drivers breaking during updates and terrible guis like gnome 3.
While Apple still has bugs like in its store it is known as a superior platform and people on the west coast use it heavily in universities. In the east it is more 50/50 windows vs mac. They are better if you can afford one and do not mind limited upgrades.
http://saveie6.com/
You have no idea how bad you have it with Windows.
Yeah, it's terrible. Having to worry about whether the latest game will run on the operating system I'm running... or buying hardware at OEM pricing online and incrementally upgrading my system instead of just buying a new one every year... and then there's that pesky problem of having to lug it into an official microsoft store whenever something breaks on it instead of the nearest 14 year old kid. It's rough.
Registry entries, malware, every free app including malware to slow down yoursystem including sourceforge using i3, eyecandy, ask, or whatever michevious crap!
Yes. Because malware authors target the OS with the biggest marketshare. Should Apple one day rule the world, and the Fanboys walk tall... they too shall feel the pain of worms, malware, and things being installed without your consent--oh wait, what was this article about again?
No fancy installers, no bizaare registry entries, simple folders, nothing hidden.
Yeah... that's really hard stuff there. Having to double click on an icon and click next a few times... or opening regedit and going through a tree-structure until you find the right entry, laid out just like any other filesystem.
So if the Mac turns into windows why spend 2x for the switch.
You're spending 2x now... you'll spend a lot more if Macintosh becomes the dominant OS... since you can only buy a Mac from Apple, and you can only buy the OS from Apple, and you can only get the apps from Apple, and all the peripherals are sold by... Apple. All that competition in the PC world sure does keep prices, er... really high, I guess.
While Apple still has bugs like in its store it is known as a superior platform...
To fanboys yes. To the rest of us, it's just another walled garden...
In the east it is more 50/50 windows vs mac.
Citation needed. Go ahead, I'll wait. While you're busy looking for that magical unicorn, articles like this continue to crop up suggesting that China doesn't want to pay the Apple tax.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
No matter what you say, they'll take the most insignificant thing and say "See! See! This tiny little bit right here is wrong! You spelled the product name wrong! That means everything you said must also be wrong!"
Half of your post in #44780265 is wrong, and basically all of your post in #44780073 is wrong, except the parts where you start making your own opinions based on the wrong information. Is it not fair for people to point that out? If I made a post that was half full of misinformation, I would expect to be called out for that.
Perhaps you would like to think that although all your premises (the most insignificant thing!) are wrong, your conclusions (the important part, yea?) are still correct. But if that is so, why bother to attempt to make an reasoned argument in the first place? Just click the "Post Anonymously" button and flame away!
Don't quote me on this.
Should be simple enough if you already know where the files are.
More correctly with a Mac it would be a simple shell script with elevated privilege to write to core directories. Same thing basically as a bash script run as root. Remember when Sony put a root kit on audio CDs? There were actually repair utilities created to remove it because the core files were so obfuscated in Windows that it was hard to remove at first until all the registry changes were found out.
Sony did not cave in at first LOL it took a concerted effort from users and sites like Slashdot to get the bastards to even admit to the existence of the malware!
This system intrusion was most likely done to inform the company when someone installed the software later, you know the old trick of leaving shit on the computer to keep track of customers habits. Much more reliable than website cookies which most users know how to delete even on a Mac, even some more skilled Windows users know how to show and remove the appropriate hidden files some shareware leaves under \userdata after removing "free trials" after running the installer but not accepting the license.
The problem with this company is that went beyond what windows crapware does and installed shit to protected areas of the Mac system on a free trial before the license was accepted and the rest of the software was installed. Either this was a genuine mistake or it was an illegal user tracking malware attack on Mac users.
Would be interesting to hear what the company says about it. I imagine that they are in extreme damage control mode the way Sony was after they got caught being a digital asshole.
This message was not sent from an iPhone because Peter Sellers really was a deviated prevert without a dime for the call
This make sense but effective backdoors belong to the OS level, the controllers' level, the hardware level. Not to some half-assed installer of a daemon.
---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
Hope it works as well as it worked for Sony after the RootKit fiasco.
Sig Art Vandeley - Architect
It can't apply otherwise the FBI would have raided their headquarters, siezed all their computer equipement, and arrested all the directors.
EA got it's ass handed to it in court for pretty much this exact same reason - installing shit on your system without your permission.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
I have been trying to decide if I want to upgrade my VMWare Fusion or try Parallels again. This answers the question, for good. Trust is so important in a relationship. VMWare has been working fine for me. I guess I was just looking for something new.
Actually I did tell them that I wanted to try this thing and it actually worked as advertised. I just don't find it useful enough to use, especially since it is very expensive.
A sufficiently advanced simulation is indistinguishable from reality.
Probably worth noting that the users seem to have resolved the problem (with uninstall guidance) for themselves ...
ELITISM: It's always lonely at the top. Uninvited company is rarely welcome.
I "ignored" it because I read it and saw it had nothing to do with the misstatement I quoted, but was another point entirely.