Author Topic: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?  (Read 11285 times)

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mvandemar

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CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« on: December 07, 2011, 08:53:20 AM »
I was just reading up on how CNet's Download.com was wrapping all of the downloads in their own installer, which in turn was then installing spyware on client's computers:

http://insecure.org/news/download-com-fiasco.html

As I was checking out some of the downloads mentioned in the article I noticed that Avast was listed as the second most popular download on the site. I went to the Avast page there and checked, and sure enough the downloaded file was named "setup_av_free_cnet.exe", so obviously something has been added to the installer. I am on a Linux box and was unable to run the executable under wine (it errored out trying to open the self-extracting archive), so I don't know exactly what the installation screen looked like in this instance. I am curious though, are the authors of Avast aware of this custom bundling and the issues with CNet distributing spyware? If so, what is their opinion on it?

Thanks.

-Michael

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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2011, 11:20:13 AM »
As far as i'm aware, no, avast! is not wrapped into C|net garbage (at least i never got it wrapped).
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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2011, 11:44:18 AM »
No, it never gone bundled with CNET.
Hope it never will.
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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2011, 11:54:39 AM »
The avast! download was always clean.
I've only gotten their downloader once when I wasn't signed in on their Site.
Since I'm a member of their forum and while I'm logged on,
I've never gotten anything except the actual download I requested.
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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2011, 12:59:33 PM »
There is no way I would sign up to a forum and be logged on just to avoid their cr*p. I would just rather avoid cnet.

Whilst avast isn't meant to be in their wrapper, that policy at cnet could change. This is what has always concerned me when the user starts to blame avast for the associated cr*pware additions.
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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2011, 01:27:21 PM »
Quote
There is no way I would sign up to a forum and be logged on just to avoid their cr*p. I would just rather avoid cnet.
My membership goes back to long before they started adding crap to the
mix of what they offered.  :)
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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2011, 01:32:03 PM »
Yes, I'm aware of that, but I haven't got that and there is no way I would/should sign-up to avoid what shouldn't be there, easier to avoid cnet ;D

That is also why you won't see me on the cnet (avast sub-forum) forum.
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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2011, 01:42:19 PM »
Yes, I'm aware of that, but I haven't got that and there is no way I would/should sign-up to avoid what shouldn't be there, easier to avoid cnet ;D

That is also why you won't see me on the cnet (avast sub-forum) forum.
No arguments Dave.
By the way, up to now, it's been a very quiet "avast sub-forum)  ;)
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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2011, 02:22:36 PM »
There is no way I would sign up to a forum and be logged on just to avoid their cr*p. I would just rather avoid cnet.
I'm registered there, but I won't login for each download I want. I've moved away.
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spg SCOTT

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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2011, 03:39:23 PM »
So to get a 'clean' download, you have to be logged in at cnet?

Otherwise you get the bundled nonsense?

mvandemar

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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2011, 03:41:41 PM »
What about the Avast devs though? Are they aware that CNet is doing this in general? Isn't using CNet as their main download supporting them?

spg SCOTT

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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2011, 03:45:56 PM »
What about the Avast devs though? Are they aware that CNet is doing this in general? Isn't using CNet as their main download supporting them?
There is a another concurrent thread on the subject. Vlk posted there: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=90003.msg716301#msg716301

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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2011, 03:52:26 PM »
What about the Avast devs though? Are they aware that CNet is doing this in general? Isn't using CNet as their main download supporting them?

We have mentioned this in another topic when cnet started bundling this cr*p. Over and above the link Scott gave.
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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #13 on: December 07, 2011, 04:01:48 PM »
There is a another concurrent thread on the subject. Vlk posted there: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=90003.msg716301#msg716301

OP can't read there..! ;)
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mvandemar

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Re: CNet's DOwnload.com wraps Avast in their own installer?
« Reply #14 on: December 07, 2011, 04:05:55 PM »
There is a another concurrent thread on the subject. Vlk posted there: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=90003.msg716301#msg716301

OP can't read there..! ;)

Heh, no, he can't :P

Is it permissible to quote some of the discussion from there, get an idea of what the sentiment is from the devs?

-Michael