Sneaky "foistware" downloads install things you never asked for
By Darren Pauli, 8 Jul 2014The US Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has warned users about software download sites' practice of including unasked-for downloads, after one such program - AVG's Secure Search toolbar - was found to be insecure.
Known as "bloatware" or "foistware", unasked-for software is bundled into to the installation wrappers used by popular software download websites. The practice is tolerated by some sites because vendors pay to have their code included in downloads. Interfaces to such sites do their best to hide, or obscure, exactly what users are about to download.
The most severe threat from the installation of foistware, over and above the seemingly infinite loop of advertisements, is an increase in the number of attack surfaces available to hackers, CERTCC vulnerability analyst Will Dormann (@wdormann) said.
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