Be careful downloading Windows 11 apps from Google, 70+ fake sites are pushing malware right now
https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/07/27/be-careful-downloading-windows-11-apps-from-google-70-fake-sites-are-pushing-malware-right-now/Open linkView original on lemmy.today
36 replies
The internet would have be believe the 2 AUR attacks this year are EVEN WORSE. Even though it barely affected less than 1% of users. The web is just nothing but constant rage bait, it sucks now =/
Better title: "make sure you're on the official website when you're trying to download software, even if you've used it before".
Off the top of my head, I wouldn't know the right domain to download CrystalDiskMark or EasyBCD, for example. It doesn't sound like these clones are perfect replicas, but a convincingly close enough domain name with the same page contents might fool a ton of people
The way to find out the correct domain is to go to the Wikipedia page about the software.
But actually, the right way to do it is to install software using your Linux distro's package manager.
70??
Those are rookie numbers.
That's a load-bearing "plus" there.
70++
70#
Holy shit, when you unpack that mofo there are at least four +s there.
I believe I've seen the face of god, and it is the big 70.
Nothing new here. This has been the case forever.
Yeah, this "similar enough sounding domain name" tactic is far from new, and they must just be using new SEO tricks to get their sites to surface to users, that or illegitimate ad services promoting them.
They’re actually usually optimized to get AI to serve you the download link… or in the case of agentic browsers, just find, download and run it for you.
Step 1: Degoogle
Step 2: Demicrosoft
Step 3: Demi Lovato
Step 4: Demilitarize
The wikipedia search method to find the official sites has never failed me.
This is why you shouldn't be allowed to side load apps on your computer. All apps should be vetted through the Window's Store then all of the cyber security issues would be resolved.
Yet the MS store has plenty of malware too.
Yeah, just like with Android or iOS... Oh wait all these stores are loaded with malware... So how about I do with MY hardware as I please and you go back to sucking corpo dick?
You're just proving my point though. You should never side load from Android or iOS because they're obviously corrupted. It should be the Windows Store across the board; plus that would break the monopoly that Apple has over iOS!
Windows users get what they deserve here. Windows gave you an app store, and you spat on it. maybe it was a bad implementation, but signed apps exist for a reason.
Free Software package managers are good, because having somebody who knows what they're doing curate the apps for you is helpful. "App stores" are evil, because you've replaced that expert with a salesperson with a vested interest in exploiting you.
again, why do you hate yourself? do you think using Windows and holding it wrong is empowering? i don’t get it.
trust is required somewhere. if you don’t trust Microsoft, why would you use Windows in the first place?
I use Linux and have done exclusively for almost a decade, dipshit. Get some reading comprehension skills.
Boy oh boy, was it ever a bad implementation. Whoooo nelly was (is) that.
I use PPAs in Linux and I stay clear of the AUR. Entire open source projects have added such things to Windows but Microslop still rejects doing it properly themselves. Torches and pitchforks for Redmond one day!
Winget is the equivalent to AUR
Wait Winget is a user repository- as-in it's completely unpoliced? Hahah I stand corrected
According to MS there are various validation steps when app is added to repository, including virus checks:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/package-manager/package/repository#validation-process
So I guess it's safer to install apps trough winget, at least as much as much You trust Microslop doing good job.
In my case that's not at all, but I learned something today, thanks
why work on a feature that your users categorically reject? this isn’t me projecting, i literally have this conversation with a buddy all the time. he’s a programmer and talks about all the problems with Windows like there aren’t options. use the OS the way the devs designed it, pick a different one, or stfu
Kind of a bad take. "Windows fits my use case best. But it would be even better if the package management was improved." "Stfu, pick a different OS"
You say that like malware can't be signed
Or that perfectly legitimate software can't be used in nefarious ways. Teamviewer, for example.
you say that like that makes it not worth doing
It can be, but the certificate would be quickly revoked and signing ones aren't exactly cheap. Also app store does a little bit of app checking I'd say.
woof these downvotes. Windows users will never stop hating themselves