this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
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The app automatically installs Bing Visual Search and includes code to decrypt cookies saved in other browsers, Rivera said, and it also brings a "free" geolocation web API to the system.

The developer discovered "many" nasty tricks Microsoft integrated in Bing Wallpapers, which include trying to change the browser's settings and set Edge as the default system browser. If the default browser isn't Edge, the app will open the default browser after some time asking to enable the previously installed Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome extension.

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[–] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 16 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Why would you download bing wallpaper app anyways? First rule of computers: only install from trusted sources

[–] viking@infosec.pub 14 points 3 hours ago

Most average users consider Microsoft a trusted source, that's the root cause of a whole lot of crap.

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 30 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Haven't we already categorized windows as malware and Microsoft as a malware company? We really shouldn't be surprised that they put out another piece of malware. It's their MO.

[–] RmDebArc_5@sh.itjust.works 7 points 6 hours ago (1 children)
[–] red_pigeon@lemm.ee 18 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

I’m not a windows fan boy, in fact I haven’t used one in years, and have no intentions to.

But this is a weird way of thinking about MS shenanigans.

  • Hate it or like it, windows update is still an update to your system, to fix security vulnerabilities even. I wish they had implemented it in a user friendly way. But it is NOT a thing that disrupts you with ill intent as you mentioned here.
  • That is a task manager running some process. But no indication on what the process is !
  • Enabled by default is an horrible design decision no matter who does it. I agree on that. But this is NOT unauthorised access. You signed up for it when you decided to use windows.

Again I don’t like MS. Hate them for their bad decisions, but don’t hate them by misrepresenting them.

(My comment is only about this screenshot posted here)

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 54 points 8 hours ago

This doesn’t sound “malware-like”. It sounds like just plain malware.

[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 83 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

They are trying so hard to push everybody to linux. The only thing that has kept me using windows is game development tool chains, but even that isn't gonna be enough to keep me on windows much longer.

[–] AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space 42 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

The Godot Engine is getting better every day.

[–] pycorax@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

If you're already using a third party engine it shouldn't be as big of a deal jumping to Linux. But if you're doing engine development, the tools on Windows are still superior. There's a big reason why Direct3D is still so popular despite being constrained to only Xbox and Windows. Tooling and documentation for Vulkan and OpenGL are light years behind and it's frustrating to see how vast the differences are as someone who primarily works with Vulkan/OpenGL and haa dabbled with Direct3D as a hobby.

[–] poleslav@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

If only flight sims and peripherals worked on Linux It’s been the one think keeping me back.

[–] TechnologyChef@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

I left a long time ago while they would entertain my classmates of new features I had been using for 4 years. Everyone thought I was embarrassed when the MS rep told me they had to look at legal consequences before adding features that could be patented by others when I asked why they hadn't added a menu of WiFi access points, yet I sat there wondering how our open source community built so much and took care of each other in collaboration. I understood they had to be careful to not get sued, but they also thrived in that world for competition rather than selling services.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 41 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Microsoft produces malware, that's nothing new.

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 16 points 9 hours ago (1 children)
[–] semperverus@lemmy.world 13 points 8 hours ago

"Free as in freedom?"

"Free as in free data for Microsoft to harvest."

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 23 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

"Megacorp learned nothing from Active Desktop being an utter fucking security disaster." Yeah, no shit. Everything old is new again.

[–] JWBananas@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago

Active Desktop was entirely ahead of its time. Let's not forget that it was only around a decade later that JIT-compiled JavaScript engines like V8 paved the way for web apps, including the iPhone which at launch only supported third-party apps as web apps.