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Asus bombards Windows 11 with christmas.exe malware-like Christmas wreath banner (www.windowslatest.com)

submitted 1 day ago by floofloof@lemmy.ca to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[-] CaptDust@sh.itjust.works 344 points 1 day ago

When you turn on your PC and notice that there’s a huge Christmas banner on your desktop, do not panic – your device is not compromised.

Hah, well a vendor just pushed unapproved executable to the device and ran it without consent. Under any definition or other context it's definitely compromised.

[-] stoy@lemmy.zip 94 points 1 day ago

This is why I boycott Logitech, they started pushing the Logitech Download Assistant through Windows Update as soon as you connect a Logitech mouse/keyboard.

It autoruns not only when it is first installed but on every startup.

It is rather annoying to try and uninstall it, I don't get why there has been so little backlash against this....

Microsoft permitting this is devaluing Windows Update, the driver (.inf) should be installed automatically, any executable file that WU wants to download and run on your computer should just bring up a small Windows notification saying something like this:

The device you just installed requests to download and run the following program from Windows Update:

Logitech Download Assistant

Will you approve or reject this request? Approve/Reject

It is just terrible that this is permitted

[-] SpaceCadet@feddit.nl 3 points 17 hours ago

This is why I boycott Logitech

You should boycott Microsoft instead. As you say, they're the ones permitting it.

[-] stoy@lemmy.zip 2 points 16 hours ago

I would if I could, but I work with Windows and if I migrate to Linux at home, my skills in Windows would dimminish

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[-] pufferfisherpowder@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

I get this request sometimes on my work machine. Guess what? I don't even have the rights to install it. Insanity

[-] mat@linux.community 23 points 1 day ago

I never knew about this (using Linux) but when I plugged my mouse onto a friend's laptop and suddenly a big banner animated onscreen, my heart sank lol. No idea how this works but it was pretty unexpected.

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[-] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 39 points 1 day ago

Welp, seems ASUS motherboards also push this by default: https://www.techpowerup.com/248827/asus-z390-motherboards-automatically-push-software-into-your-windows-installation

During testing for our Intel Core i9-9900K review we found out that new ASUS Z390 motherboards automatically install software and drivers to your Windows 10 System, without the need for network access, and without any user knowledge or confirmation. This process happens in complete network-isolation (i.e. the machine has no Internet or LAN access).

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[-] carp1@lemm.ee 15 points 20 hours ago

awesome, merry christmas

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 131 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It is a part of the ASUS Armoury Crate software that is pre-installed on some ASUS PCs.

Always flash new OS if you buy a computer.

[-] Link@rentadrunk.org 116 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That won’t get rid of it unless you also manually go into the BIOS and disable the install ASUS Armoury Crate setting as explained in the article.

If you don’t do this it will automatically reinstall even on a fresh install of Windows. Some of these bloatware programs will even install without an internet connection! This absolutely ludicrously stupid feature is called WPBT and is used by lots of manufacturers. Luckily it doesn’t work on Linux (at least for now…).

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 8 points 18 hours ago

Yup. And here i am, always telling people to first read the linked article, before they write.

[-] horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world 18 points 23 hours ago

I don't think it reinstalls itself if you install Linux

[-] lud@lemm.ee 7 points 18 hours ago

For now...

[-] MimicJar@lemmy.world 53 points 1 day ago

That's wild that it's a BIOS setting. Just an extra level of fuck you.

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[-] conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works 357 points 1 day ago

If it's unwanted, disruptive, and (allegedly) impacts performance, that's not "malware-like". It's malware.

[-] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 189 points 1 day ago

Confirmed, windows 11 is malware.

[-] amon@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

The seven windows 11 users disagree with you

(I am not one of them)

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[-] FireWire400@lemmy.world 160 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Who green lit this? I really hope that person gets fired immediately.

The lack of any visual link to ASUS isn't even the biggest problem for me; it's that ASUS rolls out a program that (presumably) puts itself in autostart by default and just pops up without prompt at all.

Edit: There's a fucking setting in the BIOS to auto-install ASUS' bullshit software? And it's enabled by default.... jesus fucking christ

[-] equivocal@lemm.ee 53 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Most computers firmware can store a Windows executable. Microsoft pushed for an addition to the ACPI tables called WPBT. That stores a Windows exectuable in the firmware. It is of course totally used for the intended purpose...

[-] drspod@lemmy.ml 44 points 1 day ago

I'm always dismayed but not surprised by how many people don't know about Windows Platform Binary Table, which has existed since Windows 8. It's not exactly the type of feature that Microsoft or the board vendors would want to publicize, seeing as it gives them persistent rootkit capabilities on the same level as UEFI rootkits.

Most normal people's model of Windows security is "if something goes wrong then I wipe the disk and reinstall Windows," and WPBT completely breaks that model, and has been doing so for 12 years.

Thankfully there are ways to disable it:

https://github.com/Jamesits/dropWPBT

[-] wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

There has been for years now. Disabling it is part of my first-time setup for a new board.

[-] FireWire400@lemmy.world 2 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

My ASUS X470 board doesn't have it, though; guess it's a bit too old for that

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[-] jaxiiruff@lemmy.zip 55 points 1 day ago

You just cant make this shit up. Truly is year of the linux desktop.

[-] EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 10 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

I feel like there would be no "Year of the Linux Desktop", but rather the year of "Oh wow when did we hit 20% already?" A death of a thousand cuts is more plausible.

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[-] schizo@forum.uncomfortable.business 64 points 1 day ago

I'd love to know if this was just some guy who went 'let's ship it to all our customers!' or if this was a C-level 300 hours of meetings type of thing which concluded that spreading christmas ~~malware~~ cheer was the right move.

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[-] Buffalox@lemmy.world 45 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Why don't every vendor with an installed app make a similar banner?
It would be so festive, and I bet people would love it, to have 20 or 30 such occurrences every time you need to use your computer during holidays.
It would of course be optimal if each has an animation and a tune, that need to finish before you can escape.
Weird that only Asus had this brilliant idea? It's so awesome when you are not in control of what happens on your computer.
/s

If you want to take back control, Linux is your best option.

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[-] tabular@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago

An unsolicited Christmas card through a letterbox would have at least been less worrying.

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this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2024

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