4 ms·

Malwarebytes used to be well regarded anti-malware software. Are they shady now?

InitialLastName 5y ago
I really wish I could get a clear answer on this as well (for their anti-malware service, as I'm not particularly concerned with them white-labeling the same VPN service that Firefox white-labels).
schleck8 5y ago
It's explained in the article.
- cyberlurker 5y ago
  Not really, the article just discussed that they are fingerprinting and collecting data in these instances. I also want to know if there is more to the story.
  - pschastain 5y ago
    So you don't consider falsely claiming VPN tech as your own while also including a tracking gif on every page "shadey"? Guess we have different definitions...
    - karl11 5y ago
      Seems no different than Costco's Kirkland Signature brand. Private labeling something as your own that is made by someone else (and not disclosing who) is not really a new concept.
      - dymax78 5y ago
        My Kirkland Signature Brand hotdogs don't include an embedded tracking device.
  - garettmd 5y ago
    It wasn't just the fingerprinting and data collection that was mentioned. There were also out-of-date dependencies with known vulnerabilities. Also, their un-audited kernel driver.
jonathanstrange 5y ago
Not at all, Mullvad is an outstanding VPN and one of the few that supports IPv6, and it's completely normal to re-brand existing technology. Even in that particular business it's very common: Many antivirus vendors use 3rd party antivirus scanners and databases instead of their own.
Semaphor 5y ago
Pretty much every anti-malware company is seen as shady by me.
judge2020 5y ago
My only concern is that they discontinued their Chameleon project which allowed you to potentially run Malwarebytes on an extremely compromised machine, one with malware that actively tried to block and break anti-virus scanners[0]. Now you have to use the full MB application all while it doesn't allow single-run usage. 0: https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2012/12/chameleon-one-year-later/ https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2012/12/cham...
sam_goody 5y ago
If you want to run their on-demand scanner you need to install a root level program that auto runs every time you turn on the computer. It installs a half dozen always-on background processes, even on Mac. These processes are constantly phoning home [with an obfuscated payload]. I have written to them to ask why a on demand scanner is doing this and got no response. I suspect that they have are highly regarded mostly because of good marketing. By the way, they call themselves "Malware Bytes". History says that when someone tells you they have nefarious intentions, you should believe them. However, none of that is related to this article, which is just them using some open source software without bothering to keep the license requirements.
- Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
  > If you want to run their on-demand scanner you need to install a root level program that auto runs every time you turn on the computer. To be fair, that's likely going to be a requirement to detect any malware that actively hides itself.
  - sam_goody 5y ago
    At most let it run once on the next boot cycle. Why every time after that?

I really wish I could get a clear answer on this as well (for their anti-malware service, as I'm not particularly concerned with them white-labeling the same VPN service that Firefox white-labels).

schleck8 5y ago

It's explained in the article.

cyberlurker 5y ago
Not really, the article just discussed that they are fingerprinting and collecting data in these instances. I also want to know if there is more to the story.
- pschastain 5y ago
  So you don't consider falsely claiming VPN tech as your own while also including a tracking gif on every page "shadey"? Guess we have different definitions...
  - karl11 5y ago
    Seems no different than Costco's Kirkland Signature brand. Private labeling something as your own that is made by someone else (and not disclosing who) is not really a new concept.
    - dymax78 5y ago
      My Kirkland Signature Brand hotdogs don't include an embedded tracking device.
- garettmd 5y ago
  It wasn't just the fingerprinting and data collection that was mentioned. There were also out-of-date dependencies with known vulnerabilities. Also, their un-audited kernel driver.

jonathanstrange 5y ago

Not at all, Mullvad is an outstanding VPN and one of the few that supports IPv6, and it's completely normal to re-brand existing technology. Even in that particular business it's very common: Many antivirus vendors use 3rd party antivirus scanners and databases instead of their own.

Semaphor 5y ago

Pretty much every anti-malware company is seen as shady by me.

judge2020 5y ago

My only concern is that they discontinued their Chameleon project which allowed you to potentially run Malwarebytes on an extremely compromised machine, one with malware that actively tried to block and break anti-virus scanners[0]. Now you have to use the full MB application all while it doesn't allow single-run usage. 0: https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2012/12/chameleon-one-year-later/ https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2012/12/cham...

sam_goody 5y ago

If you want to run their on-demand scanner you need to install a root level program that auto runs every time you turn on the computer. It installs a half dozen always-on background processes, even on Mac. These processes are constantly phoning home [with an obfuscated payload]. I have written to them to ask why a on demand scanner is doing this and got no response. I suspect that they have are highly regarded mostly because of good marketing. By the way, they call themselves "Malware Bytes". History says that when someone tells you they have nefarious intentions, you should believe them. However, none of that is related to this article, which is just them using some open source software without bothering to keep the license requirements.

Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
> If you want to run their on-demand scanner you need to install a root level program that auto runs every time you turn on the computer. To be fair, that's likely going to be a requirement to detect any malware that actively hides itself.
- sam_goody 5y ago
  At most let it run once on the next boot cycle. Why every time after that?