Moderators hazelnut Posted December 7, 2011 Moderators Share Posted December 7, 2011 Just so members can be on guard about this Even Microsoft has mentioned it (near bottom of page under 'Update') http://insecure.org/...com-fiasco.html (Nice to see they mention FileHippo as being a safe site to download from) Support contact https://support.ccleaner.com/s/contact-form?language=en_US&form=general or support@ccleaner.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Andavari Posted December 7, 2011 Moderators Share Posted December 7, 2011 Time to finally block them in the HOSTS file folks!!! This is one instance where antivirus vendors could protect against it, being it's so nefarious. Also Microsoft could greatly help Windows users against it by adding their wrapper/installer detection into signature files if it already isn't, into Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool ("MRT"), and perhaps a CLSID killer if it uses that. The screenshot of their wrapper/installer is bound to confuse people! What's even worse is for users to have to opt-out of their adware/malware, and then deal with it via the actual software they're wanting to install also trying to put s**t on their computer. Hopefully a lawsuit comes out of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC-9012Apple Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Thank you for reporting this! I am blocking their sites through opendns and my router. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Andavari Posted December 7, 2011 Moderators Share Posted December 7, 2011 (edited) Here's what I've found so far via a search engine, if anyone finds more add it into this topic. HOSTS file blocker: # Start of block CNET sites 127.0.0.1 cars.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 chat.com 127.0.0.1 cnet.co.uk 127.0.0.1 cnet.com 127.0.0.1 cnet.custhelp.com 127.0.0.1 cnetadd.com 127.0.0.1 cnettv.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 download.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 download.com 127.0.0.1 forums.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 howto.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 mads.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 mads.com.com 127.0.0.1 mads.download.com 127.0.0.1 news.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 remotead-internal.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 reviews.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 search.com 127.0.0.1 shareware.com 127.0.0.1 shopper.com 127.0.0.1 shopper.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 surveys.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 upload.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 wap.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 www.chat.com 127.0.0.1 www.cnet.co.uk 127.0.0.1 www.cnet.com 127.0.0.1 www.download.com 127.0.0.1 www.search.com 127.0.0.1 www.shareware.com 127.0.0.1 www.search.com 127.0.0.1 www.shopper.com # End of block CNET sites Edit: Note that I could've added in a ton more of CBS Interactive websites, but it seems pointless to do so, therefore I narrowed down the HOSTS file blocker listed above to just known CNET sites. Edit 2: Found more CNET sites and added them into the HOSTS file blocker, what's listed above is all I know of. Edited December 7, 2011 by Andavari Added more info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
login123 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Thanks, Hazel. As an experiment, I just started downloading bootmed, cnet gave the file name as "cnet_bootmed1_zip.exe" 453 kb in size. When you run it, it connects as advertized and offers to install "Tech Tracker". I let it go for a while, but cancelled cause the actual bootmed package is huge. It'll all be gone after restart or I would not have tried it. Why in the world would they do that? Dumb! The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-) Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winapp2.ini Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 “SAFE, TRUSTED, AND SPYWARE FREE”. In an unusual show of honesty, they removed that claim from the rogue installer. ! winapp2.ini additions thread winapp2.ini github Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom AZ Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Andavari. . . what HOSTS file manager/blocker are you currently using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Andavari Posted December 7, 2011 Moderators Share Posted December 7, 2011 A plain text editor! I use Metapad since it isn't thwarted by the size of a large HOSTS file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators DennisD Posted December 7, 2011 Moderators Share Posted December 7, 2011 Thanks, Hazel. As an experiment, I just started downloading bootmed, cnet gave the file name as "cnet_bootmed1_zip.exe" 453 kb in size. When you run it, it connects as advertized and offers to install "Tech Tracker". I let it go for a while, but cancelled cause the actual bootmed package is huge. It'll all be gone after restart or I would not have tried it. I gave up using that site a long time ago, and mentioned their unsavoury "downloader" system just recently after trying a download from there, the first for a long time, and the last ... http://forum.pirifor...ndpost&p=205134 That place has really gone down the tubes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winapp2.ini Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I usually try to download software from the developer's site if possible, but some like Auslogics don't host it locally (or at least not in an immediately obvious way) winapp2.ini additions thread winapp2.ini github Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Andavari Posted December 9, 2011 Moderators Share Posted December 9, 2011 That place has really gone down the tubes. They went ungracefully downhill many years ago! But I suppose that can sometimes happen when companies are bought by another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodles Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I usually try to download software from the developer's site if possible, but some like Auslogics don't host it locally (or at least not in an immediately obvious way) Same here. Never used CNET, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spelbynder Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 On *any* AusLogics product download page, there is the following: "Click on the download button above to download the program from Download.com, otherwise download directly from this web site." (my bold, italics, etc) It's right there if only one uses one's eyes... and the same goes for NOT installer addon toolbars! Trouble is, most folk are too hasty when downloading & installing stuff... Windows 7 - Office 2010 - Internet Explorer 9 All better than the versions preceding them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winapp2.ini Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I never noticed that, since it doesn't appear to be formatted as a link when i view it. Thanks! winapp2.ini additions thread winapp2.ini github Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aethec Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 They now offer DDLs for all programs, without any membership needed ; there's a small link below the "download" button. This "downloader" makes me hope some developer included a special don't-ever-package-my-software requirement in his license and will attack them. That'd be awesome. Piriform French translator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators DennisD Posted January 3, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 3, 2012 This "downloader" makes me hope some developer included a special don't-ever-package-my-software requirement in his license and will attack them. That'd be awesome. I noticed recently with a download for "Paragon Partition Manager 11 Free Edition", that you do get a direct download of the program occasionally. After a longish search, I couldn't find another reliable download (sites I trust) of this program other than CNet, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't their small .exe file downloader, which I would have passed on out of principal if nothing else. This separate downloader thing is getting more common, so watch out for it. If the file size is way smaller than the program you're downloading, look elsewhere. JMHO of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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