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Google: Unwanted Software Is Worse Than Malware (thestack.com)
An anonymous reader writes from a report via The Stack: A year-long study between Google and New York University has determined that unwanted software unwittingly downloaded as part of a bundle is a larger problem for users than malware. Google Safe Browsing currently generates three times as many Unwanted Software (UwS) warnings than malware warnings -- over 60 million per week. Types of unwanted software fall into five categories: ad injectors, browser settings hijackers, system utilities, anti-virus, and major brands. While estimates of UwS installs are still emerging, studies suggest that ad injection affects 5% of browsers, and that deceptive extensions in the Chrome Web store affect over 50 million users. 59% of the bundles studied were flagged by at least one anti-virus engine as potentially unwanted.
These college studies are almost always a huge waste of time/money. I think less of both parties for these "findings".
If Google truly believed this, they would use the licensing of Google Mobile Services to force manufacturers of Android devices and carriers to stop loading up the devices with unwanted software. As long as Google keeps tolerating the bloatware, they are hypocrites. This "do as I say, not as I do" attitude of Google is quite common and is a massive departure from not being evil.
Yeah like come bundled on every Android device and oh BTW which rely on Google location tracking, snooping and other APIs.
Facebook et al. shouldn't take rooting to get rid of them, stop the bloat abuse.
Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
stop letting carriers force there builds on you and let people load the base roms with out that BS.
All malware is unwanted software. Not all unwanted software is malware.
"Google and New York University has determined that unwanted software unwittingly downloaded as part of a bundle is a larger problem for users than malware"
I figured that out when I had the Windows 10 update go in with Cortana and all the other "Apps" that I didn't want.
65535 â December 21, 2013 4:38 AM
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
@ Jackson
Your concern about the Cryptome report does raise serious questions. When carefully read the Cryptome report touches on the subject of finger printing TOR users via a BT backdoor.
The Crytome report also speculates that major CA's instantly transmits copies of clients SSL/TLS Certificates to the NSA and possibly GCHQ when purchased. This is quite troubling.
I will note that CSO acknowledges that:
'On the issue of the USDOD IP address referenced by the paper's authors, that block of addresses has been used by many firms over the years. It's a valuable piece of IPv4 real-estate that is often enabled internally by an ISP after they've gotten permission from the Defense Information Systems Agency (the part of the USDOD that manages networks and infrastructure).
Just last year, Sprint was using IPs internally from that block for their mobile network. So the fact that BT would be using it too isn't a shock to network engineers who have seen the paper.
'In short, one security expert told CSO, the usage of 30.x.x.x /8 doesn't really imply NSA monitoring at all. In fact, he added, "If you want a non-routable IP that won't break when using it, [the] DOD is your best choice."'
http://www.csoonline.com/artic...
But the Cryptome report goes much farther. It indicates that a simple ping test can detect the backdoor. Next you can telnet into the modem and see the actual configuration and un-hack the device (assuming altering the firmware doesn't violate BT TOS agreement - causing your service to terminated).
http://cryptome.org/2013/12/Fu...
[Cryptome pdf page 39]
"Easy Confirmation
"Step 1.
"Remove Power from the modem and disconnect the telephone line.
"Step 2.
"On your PC (assumed Linux) add an IP address 192.168.1.100 i.e:
#
ifconfig eth0:1 192.168.1.100 up
"Step 3.
"Start to ping 192.168.1.1 from your PC i.e:
#
"ping 192.168.1.1
"Step 4.
"Connect a network cable to LAN1
"Step 5.
"Plug-in the power cable to the modem and wait for about 30 seconds
"for the device to boot, you will then notice:
"64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=115 ttl=64 time=0.923 ms
"64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=116 ttl=64 time=0.492 ms
"64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=117 ttl=64 time=0.514 ms
"You may notice up to ten responses, then it will stop.
"What is happening is the internal Linux kernel boots [inside of the modem], the start up scripts then configure the internal and virtual interfaces and then turn on the hidden firewall at which point the pings stop responding.
"In other words, there is a short window (3-10 seconds) between when the kernel boots and the hidden firewall kicks in.
"You will not be able to detect any other signs of the hidden network without actually logging into the modem, which is explained in the next section."
The second step is telneting into the BT modem/router is show on page 40 to 44. The "un-hack" is on page 45 forward.
Other notable Cryptome pages include:
"All SSL Certificates Compromised in Real-Time" page 22
"Theft of private keys" page 24
"Tor User/Content Discovery" page 26
@ ron41, see TOR discovery from the Cryptome link. There is a fingerprinting method to determine TOR users.
"Covert International Traffic Routing" page 27
"Secure your end-points" page 30
"I'm an American, does this apply to me" page 35
@ *others who care, the paper indicates that NSA is using the very same technique and can discover TOR users (if this is true it is troubling).
Perhaps then google you will take note of your own study and stop bundling shit in with lots of other product installs that nobody wants. hint if I wanted your fucking browser I would have gone and installed it.
Also, Fuck you Oracle
There's no clear-cut distinction between malware and problematic software that tricks you into using or installing it through various shades of misleading techniques, or carries with it unpleasant side-effects even if it has a useful side. I thus lump them all together under "pestware" to avoid a vocabulary or categorization debate.
Table-ized A.I.
That's rich, coming from a company which spends so much money bundling Chrome with as many software installers as it can.
I bought a "humble bundle" that added several games I never would have bought to my Steam account.
It was terrible. All those hours I had to spend getting those games completed...
"Types of unwanted software fall into five categories: ad injectors, browser settings hijackers, system utilities, anti-virus, and major brands."
How are the first two items not classified as malware? Perhaps the real problem is you're too close to the source, Google.
#DeleteChrome
Android lets the phone company add unremovable adds.
My android phone has about 25 applications I can't remove, unless I wanted to root it.
IPhones do not come with AT&T or Verizon or Sprint garbage ware.
And by saying "Oh I like Android and hate Apple so I'll say iPhone has lots crapware too" is deflecting from the true concerns about all the forced crapware on Android phones.
Google says "your check is in the mail".
... that's why I keep getting pestered to install Chrome every time I update Flash (on a work PC, no Flash unless it's your PC and you pay me to use it! haha)
Anyway, I'll know if this is true when I am forced to update Flash again next time... I'm not holding my breath.
What is "major brands"? What if a major brand is also a utility or anti-virus? Anti-virus can also be categorized as a utility. So basically you have 2 types of unwanted software: malware and anti-virus. Fake anti-virus can be malware. Now we're left with just 1 type of unwanted software; MALWARE. Therefore all unwanted software is malware. Yeah someone is making lists just to make lists.
Do you define worse as being simply larger in scale, and affecting more people in undesired ways? Or do you define worse as being a larger headache for those who must deal with it?
If the former, I'd agree. Unwanted software certainly affects more people, but if the latter, I'd have to dissent, and suggest that accidentally having malware get into your system is going to pose a much bigger problem for the end user than unwanted software is ever likely to represent.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Does unwanted software include unwanted "upgrades" of increased permissions and general increased snoopiness of apps as part of a so-called security update? Google is famous for doing that.
I don't upgrade the apps on my smart-phone because of that issue. Am I at increased risk for being hacked? I dunno, but there isn't really anything I can do about it if I don't want to lick Google ass.
Buy a new Android phone in Germany and it comes pre-loaded with Microsoft spyware, erm Office. You cannot uninstall it, it starts every time a new data connection is made and it sends data. Lots and lots of data. You can see the packets it sends with Wireshark. Some of it OneDrive (Microsoft's cloud app) which I never used or signed up for, but some of it Office.
I have NEVER USED OR OPENED THEIR APP. It came pre-installed, com.microsoft.office.Word is even started, and that one has camera and mic access. WHY THE FUCK does it start in the background with all those permissions??
Plug it into a drone and it pops unwanted error message to tell you you've plugged it into a PC that isn't a Windows PC.... as if plugging an Android device into a non-Windows PC is an error.
FFS, Fuck off Microsoft with your spyware and malware. Nobody wants you. Get the hint from Windows 10 takeup.
If we can't have Java, we kill it.
By unwanted software do you mean Google Chrome and Google Toolbar? That stuff is really bundled in many things. Please stop bundling it.
Such as Google Chrome installing as default browser, Google Toolbar installing to IE?
You almost introduced unwanted, bundled software to the developers. Chrome doesn't count because you are supposed to be cool& nice guys? I don't think so.
Google was never a hardware or software company. It's Big Data.
And Steve Jobs was right, their "Don't Be Evil" is bullshit.
"A year-long study between Google and New York University has determined that unwanted software unwittingly downloaded as part of a bundle is a larger problem for users than malware."
You mean like when Google Chrome used to be bundled with all kinds of programs like Avast and Adobe Flash players? (still is, according to some comments)
Only apps are wanted! Only LUDDITE software is unwanted. And you can install an app to app your unwanted LUDDITE software out! APPS!
(Don't call me) Shirley the ": " in the title should be 's
I hate Conduit.
The Google toolbar is the one I see the most on machines. Talk about unwanted software.
Unwanted software bundled to installers ... ... like browsers?
How about bundled Google software in Android?
Because about a month ago, Chrome installed a new version of itself without asking, without permission, and the first hint I had (since I don't use the nasty thing unless I have to) was a new icon on my desktop. (Didn't even put it in a sane location. It's somewhere down in User Application Data.)
Apparently if you have Google Talk installed, this is what Google does behind your back.
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
They only want wanted malware but not unwanted malware now???
FUck
Weird title and summary. Unwanted software that installs itself by riding along unnoticed with real wanted software thus tricking you into allowing it to install, then making your system do bad things you don't want it to do...? That's IS malware.
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat