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About a decade ago, I briefly worked for a company with the same business model. Since most Windows installers require Administrator privileges, the DLLs that t
by netule 4y ago
About a decade ago, I briefly worked for a company with the same business model. Since most Windows installers require Administrator privileges, the DLLs that they side-load will inherit these elevated privileges and can scan the user's machine for anything they are interested in.
The way this software worked (as far as I can recall): The installer bundled a DLL from which only a few minor functions were exposed to display offers within the host process. Usually, the only thing the client portion of this DLL needed was a HWND. During initialization, the DLL stored a copy of itself in the user's temp directory. The host application unknowingly then used rundll32 to load this copy as a separate (also elevated) process. This process would run at least as long as the calling process would. Once in place, the process would scan the user's computer for specific use patterns (geoinformation; MS Office presence; what language; etc.). In order to retrieve the latest advertising "offers", the DLL called home with this information over a secure pipe and checked for updates. This data was stored and referenced if the same user invoked the DLL again at some point. Only at this point would any actual targeted ads be displayed in the client application's window.
Things may have changed since then - these were the pre-Windows 10 days - but if it's anything like this, it's wise to avoid the Unity installer.
- None4U 4y agoDoesn't that violate GDPR?
- netule 4y agoIt probably would these days, but in 2012 there were no such regulations.
- structural 4y agoThese sorts of shenanigans a decade ago certainly influenced the creation of GDPR.
- starburst 4y ago> it's wise to avoid the Unity installer What "Unity installer"? Games nowadays are all distributed on steam / epic / app store / etc. If you are talking about the editor, this makes no sense they would bundled it up with malware (their target is the games made with it). I'm not thrill about the announcement at all but there is a lot of unfounded fear.
- greenthrow 4y agoThese platforms still have an install process for the applications which involves the ability to run third party software with elevated permissions. E.g. for Steam see the Install Script section here: https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/sdk/goldmaster https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/sdk/goldmaster
- starburst 4y agoOf course but if a game has malware the publisher would get insta ban from these platform.
- greenthrow 4y agoDepends if our definition of malware and Valve, EA, etc.'s are the same.
- starburst 4y agoTrue, it's still technically a possibility. I guess my point was more that everyone seems to buy in the tabloid reporting that unity games installer will now be filled with malware when this merging is clearly meant that they want to add more Ads into unity games. And showing interstitial Ads in a game is not the same as malware.
- 0x6c6f6c 4y ago> clearly meant that they want to add more Ads into unity games That is only your interpretation of the purchase. Unless you have insider information you don't know what their true intentions are. They could have purchased a more reputable company with the same goal you mentioned.
- sam0x17 4y agoPretty much all anti-cheat software meets the definition of malware
- scioto 4y agoThat's why I run games only on a computer on which I do nothing else. It's also the only Windows machine in the house.
- viccuad 4y agoI do the same, but in a Steamdeck. It doubles as HTPC, as I can use a Steam Controller as mouse, and the pop-up keyboard with it.
- mise_en_place 4y agoA lot of anticheats used to work similarly back in the day. They’d set SeDebugPrivilege, and arbitrarily scan memory and files, then offload that data to some server. Truly behaving like malware. Edit: Nowadays they take it a step further, like Vanguard. It’s a boot kit that injects a kernel mode driver right at the beginning of OS initialization,
- jacquesm 4y agoThat's not 'behaving like malware', that's malware.
- donmcronald 4y ago> About a decade ago, I briefly worked for a company with the same business model. The best part is they likely had an EV code signing certificate with instant SmartScreen reputation while all the indie and open source developers are sitting around locked out of the system due to cost and the absolute clown show of security theatrics baked in to the the trust industry's identity verification processes.
- m463 4y agounity games already do stuff not, they all phone home. I get games from GOG.com, because they do not have DRM and are generally not evil. But the unity games on the platform - they all phone home and send back detailed telemetry on what you do in-game. plus probably other stuff. Thankfully the GOG terms allow you to install and run the games offline without requiring these shenanigans to play your game.