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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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[-] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 147 points 1 month ago

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 86 points 1 month ago

The Godot Engine is getting better every day.

[-] pycorax@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month 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.

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[-] magnetosphere@fedia.io 112 points 1 month ago

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

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[-] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 79 points 1 month ago

Microsoft produces malware, that's nothing new.

[-] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 28 points 1 month ago
[-] semperverus@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago

"Free as in freedom?"

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

[-] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 66 points 1 month ago

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 19 points 1 month ago
[-] red_pigeon@lemm.ee 56 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month 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)

[-] RunawayFixer@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

An example of ill intent on Microsoft's part: https://mashable.com/article/windows-10-upgrade-snafu-analysis

If you haven't used windows in years then you might not know how bad it has gotten, but ... it's bad. Windows update is not just for security updates, it's also there to change users default browser to edge, their search engine to bing, trick them into using onedrive (too bad if the synced files get corrupted), old features get disabled for no good reason, it hijacks other browsers to show messages and change browser settings, ...

All those things are definitely not for security, but rather a way for Microsoft managers to meet KPI, for example: they want more users of a new application, so they remove the old way of doing things and boom, their quarterly report looks prettier. And to top it all off Microsoft doesn't test updates properly anymore in house, so it's the customers who are life testing that shit. And because those users have to keep updating windows for security, Microsoft has them over a barrel.

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[-] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 44 points 1 month ago

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

[-] viking@infosec.pub 62 points 1 month ago

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

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[-] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 39 points 1 month ago

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

[-] JWBananas@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month 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.

[-] dan@upvote.au 36 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Why do people need an app for wallpapers? Just find some nice photos on Flickr, DeviantArt, whatever, save them all to a folder, and configure the OS to change it once per week.

Reminds me of the "free smileys" and "free mouse cursors" apps from the 2000s. I thought we had evolved past that.

[-] xavier666@lemm.ee 16 points 1 month ago

How do you save a picture? Where is Downloads? How do you apply a saved picture as a wallpaper?

These are confusing questions to boomers and Gen Z.

Why not have a simple app which "automatically" does all the hard work (just in exchange of a little of your data)?

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[-] Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 29 points 1 month ago

I'm always surprised at how devious this windows spyware is. 99% of people would probably just accept to share all their data but that's not good enough; MS has to try and squeeze out every last drop.

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[-] TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world 26 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Every time I see stuff like this it makes me slightly glad they got laughed out of the smart phone game. Can you imagine if a Microsoft mobile OS became a serious third between Android and iOS? I mean, those two aren't great by any stretch of the imagination (and are probably doing or planning similar shit), but Microsoft is just going gloves off at this point.

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[-] _sideffect@lemmy.world 25 points 1 month ago

Time to break up Microsoft

[-] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago

Best time was a decade ago. Second best time is now. Same with Google, and Apple, auto companies and grocery companies. And...and...and. it's almost as the free market DOESN'T solve issues it creates them.

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[-] PlainSimpleGarak@lemmings.world 13 points 1 month ago

While scummy indeed, if you need a desktop application to get yourself new wallpapers, my sympathy only goes so far.

Also not at all surprised the top comment speaks of Linux.

Linux, hating Musk, and Star Trek: the Lemmy trifecta.

[-] Excrubulent@slrpnk.net 19 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

You only have sympathy for people who are already technically competent to some standard you've chosen? It's those who don't have technical competence that this shit works on. I'd bet that's the reason a wallpaper app was chosen for these shenanigans, because it filters out the people who will be wise to it.

Like it or not, building a secure internet means making systems that are safe for regular internet users, and if you're getting snooty about the kinds of programs a person installs, I'd wager that's not you. Even if it's just the least competent 5 or 10% of the internet falling prey to this, it's the predators that make the environment more dangerous for everyone. Put the blame where it belongs.

Also, those people aren't using Linux partly because Linux is an elitist community that shits on anyone who's not comfortable in the command line. If you want Linux to be a viable threat to the Windows monopoly, you need to accept that these people will need to be accommodated, unless you're happy selfishly keeping it to cloistered group of nerds who are toxic towards every newcomer, and you think that's the way it should be. I've certainly met Linux people who think that way.

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[-] Dead_or_Alive@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago

I’m up to buy a new computer and I’ve never wanted a Macbook but with all the negative changes Microsoft is making I feel it is the time to make the switch.

Microsoft seems to think that we are the product and harvesting data is the default business model moving forward.

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[-] Meron35@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

Microsoft ~~sofficial "Bing Wallpaper app"~~ does some nasty, malware-like things ~~to Windows~~

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this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
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