4 ms·

This is precisely why this was a bad idea. Happened exactly as predicted.

by dmitrygr 8y ago

umvi 8y ago
What was a bad idea? Not using the app store? We got along for decades without centralized app stores taking a 30% cut.
- quantummkv 8y ago
  Coincidentally, it was also the era with 37 ie toolbars and constantly having to clean out the infected family pc every week only to find it infected the next day. Definitely the fun times.
  - helthanatos 8y ago
    I would have totally taken away admin and maxed UAC. "Why can't I install this Ralphy?" "Because it's a virus!" Personally, I like the choice of app stores and installing anything or installing a third party app store.
    - gsich 8y ago
      This was the era before UAC...
  - pentae 8y ago
    Mac users never had that problem and MacOS didn't have a central app store for decades
    - berti 8y ago
      There are three main reasons for this, don't underestimate any of them: generally more technically literate to make the choice to use macOS, unix and DE design, and small target for malware makers.
    - pjmlp 8y ago
      Another one that only uses Macs since OS X.
- Jyaif 8y ago
  We got along for centuries without centralized app stores. Maybe the time are changing?
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > We got along for decades without centralized app stores taking a 30% cut. Those decades were largely spent with a physical retail distribution chain taking an even bigger share of most consumer purchases, and being just as essential to reaching most consumers. There wasn't much gap between online distribution becoming significant and app stores emerging.
toast0 8y ago
It wasn't clear before that instead of having users download and install an apk, users were downloading and installing an apk that downloads and install an apk. That seems a little bit insane, combined with Androids kind of terrible inability to do useful things like have a place for large storage (SD card), that isn't readible and mutable by all apps.
gameswithgo 8y ago
It is a bug that is only exploited if you got malware from the app store already (or somewhere else) to begin with. Seems like a non issue to me, and one easily prevented if side loading wasn't an after thought.
- MBCook 8y ago
  Telling people to just Google “download Fortnite apk“ is a fantastic way for people to get malware. What’s surprising about this story is tha what’s surprising about this story isnt that people are ending up with security issues, it’s that they’re ending up with security issues from the OFFICIAL download.
  - dylz 8y ago
    There is not a SINGLE legitimate link on bing - https://i.imgur.com/blcO4Xu.png https://i.imgur.com/blcO4Xu.png (The quora one is spam that leads to adware apk site on .in domain)

This is precisely why this was a bad idea. Happened exactly as predicted.

umvi 8y ago

What was a bad idea? Not using the app store? We got along for decades without centralized app stores taking a 30% cut.

quantummkv 8y ago
Coincidentally, it was also the era with 37 ie toolbars and constantly having to clean out the infected family pc every week only to find it infected the next day. Definitely the fun times.
- helthanatos 8y ago
  I would have totally taken away admin and maxed UAC. "Why can't I install this Ralphy?" "Because it's a virus!" Personally, I like the choice of app stores and installing anything or installing a third party app store.
  - gsich 8y ago
    This was the era before UAC...
- pentae 8y ago
  Mac users never had that problem and MacOS didn't have a central app store for decades
  - berti 8y ago
    There are three main reasons for this, don't underestimate any of them: generally more technically literate to make the choice to use macOS, unix and DE design, and small target for malware makers.
  - pjmlp 8y ago
    Another one that only uses Macs since OS X.
Jyaif 8y ago
We got along for centuries without centralized app stores. Maybe the time are changing?
dragonwriter 8y ago
> We got along for decades without centralized app stores taking a 30% cut. Those decades were largely spent with a physical retail distribution chain taking an even bigger share of most consumer purchases, and being just as essential to reaching most consumers. There wasn't much gap between online distribution becoming significant and app stores emerging.

toast0 8y ago

It wasn't clear before that instead of having users download and install an apk, users were downloading and installing an apk that downloads and install an apk. That seems a little bit insane, combined with Androids kind of terrible inability to do useful things like have a place for large storage (SD card), that isn't readible and mutable by all apps.

gameswithgo 8y ago

It is a bug that is only exploited if you got malware from the app store already (or somewhere else) to begin with. Seems like a non issue to me, and one easily prevented if side loading wasn't an after thought.

MBCook 8y ago
Telling people to just Google “download Fortnite apk“ is a fantastic way for people to get malware. What’s surprising about this story is tha what’s surprising about this story isnt that people are ending up with security issues, it’s that they’re ending up with security issues from the OFFICIAL download.
- dylz 8y ago
  There is not a SINGLE legitimate link on bing - https://i.imgur.com/blcO4Xu.png https://i.imgur.com/blcO4Xu.png (The quora one is spam that leads to adware apk site on .in domain)