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Microsoft's official "Bing Wallpaper app" does some nasty, malware-like things to Windows (www.techspot.com)

submitted 3 days ago by ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

105 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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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[–] TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

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.

[–] Nighed@feddit.uk 4 points 1 day ago

If there was more competition they (probably) wouldn't be doing this stuff as people would leave.

[–] dantheclamman@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I was actually a fan of Outlook for Android. Followed system dark mode before it was cool, had real multi account inbox, good wearos app, and other useful features. Then they started inserting Bing search into my long press menu system wide. And also recommending Edge when I clicked links. This kind of horizontal integration is just too baked into the company DNA. They can't help themselves, even when it actually harms them

[–] TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Yeah. On my work desktop, our IT people have told us to not use the Outlook program but rather to just go to the website. On my phone, I run it in Vivaldi instead of the app (which is a little jankie, but not as bad as it was running in Chrome or Firefox).

[–] computergeek125@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

What's the difference between horizontal and vertical integration? (I know a few business words but usually not enough to be intelligent, this is a genuine question of confusion)

[–] dantheclamman@lemmy.world 3 points 10 hours ago

Vertical would be if MS owned the carrier, the manufacturer, the operating system etc. Horizontal applies here where they own many interconnecting parts of the same layer of the market. Search, browser, email, etc, all being used to promote each other at the expense of competitors

[–] Dead_or_Alive@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] magnolia_mayhem@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Apple is no better, they just have a better PR team.

[–] theherk@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Apple is historically better in terms of privacy than Microsoft. From resistance to government data requests to just their posture on data collection, it is an improvement. They rely less than Microsoft on advertisement and service based revenue and more on hardware sales which do not require the same level of invasive collection.

I don’t mean to sing their praises too loudly, but between the two I think Apple is a clear favorite. And couple that with a better, BSD-based, OS and I think you’ve got a winner. Unless of course you include alternate, clearly superior alternatives, like GNU/Linux.

But hardware alone? MacBooks can’t be beat.

[–] dan@upvote.au 35 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

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 day ago (1 children)

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)?

[–] bluewing@lemm.ee 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

As a "boomer" myself, I do know the secret of the 'right click: Save as'. Who do you think thought up the idea-- that's right, a Boomer. And we taught Gen X about it. Not my fault they didn't pass on the ancient and now arcane knowledge to future generations. But I suppose you need to know how to use a mouse before you can right click anything. Having attempted to teach 3D CAD to high school students, my first job was to show them how to use a mouse and why fingers and CAD don't mix. And do it before we could actually move on to the subject matter they were supposed to be learning.

Still I do use an app for rotate my backgrounds and quotes. The app Variety works well with KDE Plasma with a large selection of repositories to choose from with beautiful backgrounds without taking up extra space on my drives. But what do I know, I'm just a boomer.

[–] xavier666@lemm.ee 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

As a millennial myself, I have immense respect for "tech boomers". They walked so that we could run during the 90s tech boom.

I have seen young people not knowing any other directory other than Downloads and not understanding that there is a filesystem inside their phone.

The file is not in my downloads

Me: Have you checked other directories?

Other directories?

Me: Okay, open your file manager.

What's a file manager?

Me: Okay, do you have Google Files (an application which I detest but I know is pre-installed in Android phone)

Umm...have to check.

[–] bluewing@lemm.ee 1 points 12 hours ago

Those are the lazy people. Lazy people refuse to learn new things. You don't sound lazy.

Don't be like them. Hang out with those people that piss excellence.

[–] redbr64@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh lord, as someone teaching a bunch of technologically illiterate college students something that requires a lot less computer skills, teaching CAD to today's high schoolers sounds rough. I am a millennial that started on DOS, and joke to them that back in my day, to play video games I had to climb uphill both ways in the snow, and, use a terminal lol. And funny that you mention your KDE setup, I use plasma and one of my first thoughts was "I bet there's a KDE widget/applet for that" haha

[–] bluewing@lemm.ee 2 points 1 day ago

I suspect it might be easier to teach high school students. You get them younger and they don't know no better. Fewer things to unlearn. But the skill gaps can be eye opening for sure. I'm old as dirt. I got my feeble tech start in front of a printer terminal-- we didn't have such things as monitors. I don't think I saw my first DOS prompt until I was maybe 19 or 20. But we stilled played Oregon Trail and some Space Invader game. And we loved it!

And the first rule of KDE is "There is ALWAYS a widget!"

[–] bluewing@lemm.ee 2 points 1 day ago

I do enjoy all the NASA photos and National Geographic backgrounds served up to me on a rotating basis without needing to take up local storage space to do so. But I ain't running Windows either.

[–] Meron35@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

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

[–] Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 29 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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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[–] _sideffect@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Time to break up Microsoft

[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago (9 children)

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 2 days ago (2 children)

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 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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.

[–] habitualcynic@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I only hate Musk and love Star Trek. Does that mean I’m not a true Lemmy?

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[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 143 points 3 days ago (4 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 84 points 3 days ago (49 children)

The Godot Engine is getting better every day.

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[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 112 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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

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[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 66 points 3 days ago (7 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.

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[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 79 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Microsoft produces malware, that's nothing new.

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[–] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 44 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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

[–] viking@infosec.pub 61 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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

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