Microsoft's Spyware Fiasco (lt)

[Secret Azn Man]

If you're using Microsoft Windows XP and have updated Windows recently, you most likely installed Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage. What is it? Ask the experts:

"If your XP software is up-to-date and online, it negotiates its validity with Microsoft servers every day. Nothing personal. Just part of Microsoft's Digital Rights Management (DRM) system protecting Redmond's property... checking to see if your Windows software (and heaven only knows what else) is perfectly valid," Email Battles reports. "Evoking memories of RealNetworks efforts to protect themselves from their loyal customers, innocent Microsoft officials explained to the discoverer, Lauren Weinstein, that this constant DRM enforcer is obviously not a constant DRM enforcer. Instead, they averred, the feature simply allows Microsoft to disable the validation checker, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), if it should ever malfunction."

"Silly us. Like Weinstein, we figured the daily validation check might allow Microsoft to remotely monitor you or pull the plug on your system, should you ever displease them down the road... perhaps, by refusing to buy a mandated Windows update, or discontinuing a Windows subscription. Indeed, Microsoft officials admitted that, in the process of validating, they trap the IP address and date/timestamp," Email Battles reports. "In addition to adding more details about you to its information reservoir, the company is blatantly letting you know who really controls the computer you bought. You've been owned."

http://www.emailbattles.com/archive/...aaejbacjbc_ge/

"When you’re the Evil Empire, it’s only natural to get a bad rap for everything you do. Microsoft gets bad-mouthed a hundred times a week for things that would be perfectly acceptable coming from anyone else. Given that level of criticism, it’s easy to ignore the times when they’re just completely, egregiously wrong," Ed Bott writes for ZDNet. "The uproar over Microsoft’s new Windows Genuine Advantage authentication software, which is now being pushed onto Windows users’ machines via Windows Update, is one of those occasions. Someone at Microsoft just pushed the Stupid button. And things aren’t going to get better until they stop pushing it."

Microsoft "should send a new update that disables and/or removes the WGA tool immediately, until it’s fixed," Bott suggests. "They should set up a toll-free hotline that any Windows user can call if they’re experiencing problems with Windows Genuine Activation. (Microsoft already offers toll-free support for anyone who suspects they may be infected with a virus or a worm, so this doesn’t require a new infrastructure.) The agents on this line should have the authority to help a user override WGA problems. They should apologize, publicly and profusely, for mixing an anti-piracy tool in with security updates and take steps to make sure that it never happens again. And they should find whoever pushed the Stupid button in this case and put them on telephone support duty for the next six months. That might be an appropriate punishment."

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=76

"Some security experts are troubled by Microsoft's decision to deliver prerelease software to millions of Windows users without clearly notifying them. People may not realize they are participating in a trial and have in essence become unsuspecting guinea pigs, they said," Joris Evers reports for CNET News. "'It shouldn't be offered to such a wide audience without more notification of the fact it is beta,' said Russ Cooper, a senior scientist at Cybertrust, a security vendor in Herndon, Va. 'Even with more notification, I think it should not be offered in the way it is.'"

"Some suggest that pushing the antipiracy tool out as a 'high priority' update in the same way as security fixes is a ploy to get people to install it. 'I don't see any way for Microsoft to get the software run by a large fraction of the user base except by calling it 'high priority,'' said David Walker, an IT professional in Las Cruces, N.M. Running the tool doesn't offer any immediate benefit for users, Walker noted. 'You could argue that this is mislabeling,' he said. 'I suppose it is a high priority for Microsoft to get rid of counterfeit software...It's not critical for the continued operation of the user's computer,'" Evers reports. "Michael Cherry, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft, agreed. 'While I have been supportive of Microsoft's Genuine Windows Program, there are no circumstances that I can think of where it makes sense to use Windows Update or Automatic Updates to distribute beta or nonfinal code,' he said. Automatic Updates is the update feature in Windows."

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+draws+...3-6083204.html

Q: Given these facts, is WGA technically spyware?

A: Of course, Microsoft's answer is no. But spyware is all in the eye of the beholder. If users are not properly notified about exactly what software a vendor installs on their systems and/or about the function and purpose of that software, it sure sounds like spyware to us.

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/artic...1974864,00.asp

In summary, Microsoft continues to treat its users like criminals. Mandating privacy intrusion policies in its programs. If you refuse to update and install WGA, you will not be able to update your Windows XP anymore. Not even security updates, which by the way, had a whopping critical security patch released yesterday and will no doubt continue to be a trend as it always has been.

It's nothing new, really. Mafiasoft, I mean, Microsoft has been extorting, I mean, kindly suggesting persistently to its users to give up their privacy in exchange for a fun game of Solitare, crappy browsing experience, and inferior music listening. Yes, IE and WMP has been sending your browsing and listening habits as well as other private data as well as determine what you can and cannot do by installing other programs automatically. All in the name of enhancing the user's experience and security of course.

" * Digital Rights Management (Security). You agree that in order to protect the integrity of content and software protected by digital rights management ("Secure Content"), Microsoft may provide security related updates to the OS Components that will be automatically downloaded onto your computer. These Enterprise security Management related updates may disable your ability to copy and/or play Secure Content and use other software on your computer. If we provide such a security update, we will use reasonable efforts to post notices on a web site explaining the update. "

http://bsdvault.net/article.php?sid=527&mode=&order=0

Microsoft: "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US."

[Blacksmith]

Lmao, like hell they do. What's funny is I have XoftSpy and like a month ago I actually found that piece of Spyware, deleted it, had a better life. I even discontinued my XP updates. I feel better.

[darkViVi]

The best way to get rid of it is either "add/remove programs" in the ctrl panel or an uninstaller tool such as Advanced Uninstaller PRO.

But by removing it you wont get any updates from Micro****.. oh did I say ****?? I'm sorry, ofcourse I ment microsuck.

[Leviathan]

whilst kind of on the topic of updates, i haven't updated in ages, i tried to get service pack 2 and it wouldn't let me, the download fails EVERY single time.

anyone know of anything i can do?

[Mistress Sheena]

Actually, when doing updates, I check what updates are to be installed. If I don't need it, I uncheck it and it's not installed, heh. But so far I haven't needed to get it.

[Secret Azn Man]

Well, if you have any intention of ever updating your Windows XP again, you will have to download and install Windows Genuine Advantage. It's mandatory for all future updates.

In fact, I just tried to update my brother's Dell laptop earlier. I'm the household geek and IT guy so it's my job to maintain these computers. Anyway, I've been avoiding downloading WGA but now, Microsoft says I have to update a "component" of Windows Update, promising me great new features. But click on "Details" and I see Windows Genuine Advantage. Wow, a bit misleading, huh? Not only that, it fails to tell you exactly how WGA works, nor why it's necessary. I'm telling you, like Microsoft-watch.com says, WGA is spyware. And you have to take it up the ass if you want to continue to patch Windows. Which you should.

Sucks to have to choose between the lesser of two evils, huh? A "secure" up-to-date Windows or give up your privacy and control.

[Mistress Sheena]

...Oh that thing. I don't remember if I got that or not.. if I did, then I'm not having any problems with it. o.O

Oddly enough, it's not even detected as spyware. (If I have it, anyway.)

[Secret Azn Man]

Of course it's not detected as spyware. It's from Microsoft. Just because technically it is spyware doesn't mean anti-spyware vendors will define it as such. There are many apps that phone home and transmit data, At one point, Microsoft refused to classify Sony's little root-kit installed from Sony Music CDs in the name of anti-piracy as malware. Only under criticism did Microsoft RELUCTANTLY flagged it as malware.

WGA becomes a real issue when it determines that your copy of Windows XP isn't genuine, in other words, pirated. Pirated Windows will be disabled or contains nagging to buy Windows legit while your unauthorized copy gets gimped.

[Mistress Sheena]

Mine is authorized though.. I got this comp from Circuit City. o_o;
...Of course, as with buying other pre-built comps, they don't give you the OS CD with it... -_-;

[Secret Azn Man]

Which is precisely why my brother's other laptop has a pirated copy of Windows XP. It needed a reinstallation of XP but the factory default restore image located on a hidden partition was corrupted along with the rest of the drive. With no OEM System Restore CD, I had to download a pirated version of Windows on my Mac for him.

And just recently, my other brother, in all his n00bness installed WGA on it and "coincidentally" Windows keeps encountering an error after start-up and shuts down. It's now useless.

[Sean]

Meh.

I'd switch to Linux if I wasn't a PC gamer. =\

[ShinRa]

WTF is Microsoft thinking... I made a joke about Microsoft the other day, about how Bill Gates was going to take over the world, but it looks like it's going to come true.

Does anyone know of an anti-spyware program that will detect and remove WGA? I'm not sure I want it on my system.

That's why I never use IE and WMP. Firefox and AlShow ftw.

www.getfirefox.com
www.altools.net

[Secret Azn Man]

Sorry. WGA is mandatory for all future Windows updates.

And Bill Gates won't be taking over the world. Not through Microsoft. Because he will be leaving Microsoft in 2008.

[Secret Azn Man]

Microsoft just released instructions on how to remove WGA. It can be found here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921914