Main Area and Open Discussion > General Software Discussion
Beware the Samsung rootkit
Ath:
Another approach could be like we do here: Despite the fact we have several Samsung phones and tablets, we never installed the Kies software, just let Windows install the usb-driver on first connect, required to access the memory, and install updates directly from the phone/tablet. :up:
Vurbal:
Another approach could be like we do here: Despite the fact we have several Samsung phones and tablets, we never installed the Kies software, just let Windows install the usb-driver on first connect, required to access the memory, and install updates directly from the phone/tablet. :up:
-Ath (February 16, 2014, 05:49 AM)
--- End quote ---
That was my initial plan. Unfortunately Windows couldn't find a driver so I was forced to install kies if I wanted to connect to the tablet's internal storage directly.
IainB:
I could be wrong, of course, but I can't see that this discussion has in fact so far identified any real risk/threat - it seems to be all supposition.
I would recommend great care. The link to the allegations of spyware in the Kies install is to a discussion here that levels alarmist criticism without actually proving/substantiating what is said. Even some of the comments in that thread seem to throw doubt on the validity of the alarmism.
If you wanted to contain/inhibit the "suspect" software or DLLs - just-in-case (nothing wrong with paranoia) - without disrupting anything or disabling the Kies installation, then it might be worth considering trying to do that via Windows Software Restrictions Policies.
By the way, TotalVirus and Malwarebytes do not seem to object to the software involved, but that's my copy of the installed software. Check your own software as it may be different.
J-Mac:
I don’t think the poster at the XDA forum understands exactly what a rootkit is. This program ain't. It's not a nice program IMO, mainly because it does "watermark" your media files, and not just those downloaded from Samsung's service - at least from what I have read. MarkAny touts itself as the No. 1 DRM and watermarking company in the world, so their purpose is very clear. And if they only watermarked files downloaded from the service providing MAAgent.exe then simply don’t use that service.
It's reported that all parts of the program are removed upon normal installation. However if as the poster at XDA claims unrelated media files on your box are left with this "home-calling" watermarking, then it should be considered to be a bad program, and possibly even malware.
Jim
Vurbal:
I could be wrong, of course, but I can't see that this discussion has in fact so far identified any real risk/threat - it seems to be all supposition.
I would recommend great care. The link to the allegations of spyware in the Kies install is to a discussion here that levels alarmist criticism without actually proving/substantiating what is said. Even some of the comments in that thread seem to throw doubt on the validity of the alarmism.
-IainB (February 16, 2014, 05:31 PM)
--- End quote ---
I would recommend you check for yourself before making proclamations like this then.
That was not the sole reference I found to MarkAny's rootkit. Actually worm might be more accurate although technically it's not entirely either. At any rate every source I found which provided any level of detail about what ContentSAFER does all indicated it silently adds code to your media files without asking for permission first or notifying you afterwards. IMO that's inherently a threat.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version