[com2kid]

> When e.g. you look how aggressively Google is trying to switch me to Chrome from my Firefox on all of their properties, a new low was set.

It proved very difficult to keep my mother on Firefox. Chrome kept getting installed, for awhile it was bundled with all sorts of application updates.

Dark patterns, dark patterns everywhere.

[opless]

I remember installing some random utility (but safe source that I'd used umpteen times before - but not recently) and getting chromium installed - without my permission. I forget what is was, or indeed where I got it from, but this is fairly irrelevant.

The effort trying to remove this was immense. The crapware installer also managed to install a scheduled task to a randomly named executable that when I tested it with Microsoft security essentials said it was 'ok' but virus total told me it was some bag of shit malware.

WORSE STILL, Microsoft security essentials USED to pick this up as a quick google of this crapware update engine linked to a microsoft malware page, which no longer exists. Reading further I noted that MS stopped identifying some malware because "users might choose to use the applications that it installs"

No MS. If it's been sneakily installed with dark patterns consent has not been given, and it needs to be destroyed with fire.

Thankfully ClamAV picked it up, so I now regularly scan with that. sigh

WHAT ARE YOU DOING MICROSOFT?

[seabrookmx]

> installing some random utility .. and getting chromium installed

If you mean Chrome proper (not OSS Chromium) SourceForge was doing this for a while and it was all over hackernews. Mostlikely that's where it was from.

[exikyut]

I would really, really like to know what the source was, and the program (and thus installer) was.

I'd also like to see if the Web Archive has a copy of the microsoft malware webpage.

What you're saying would be 1000x as interesting/relevant/headline news if it was citable with screenshots and so forth. I do believe you, but references create lots more momentum.

If you think you might come across the info sometime in the future, posting it here or maybe reddit whenever that is would be awesome.

[pbhjpbhj]

I'm pretty sure Adobe Reader, or CCleaner had that; I was a victim. IIRC it was after EU legislation that made default install of bundleware unlawful.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ccleaner+driveby+install+Chr...

Suggests that CCleaner at least had it, didn't check Reader.

[komali2]

Good to know, I'm no longer going to be using Microsoft Security Essentials.

[mcguire]

Makes you wonder how long it will be before software development drops below used car salesman and lawyer in public opinion.

[ris]

> It proved very difficult to keep my mother on Firefox

Mine's on Debian. Seems to be working out pretty well. When other machines in the house are gunked up with who-knows-what, it's still there working reliably.