Advice Request How bad is CCleaner?

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.

blacksheep

Level 4
Thread author
Verified
Well-known
Mar 8, 2020
181
I think I been using it since 2014 and had zero issues, but recently saw that a lot of reddit users have it. Checked some stuff, and it seems like they don't care about security of their product and privacy.

Should I remove this? What alternatives we have?
 
B

BVLon

Yes!


Windows internal tools which doesn't increase your attack surface ;)
Absolutely. You can configure the Windows Storage Sense to clean-up your PC regularly. Get rid of everything under the Avast umbrella now. Forget about registry cleaning, as it simply doesn't do anything.
 

Sampei Nihira

Level 6
Verified
Well-known
Dec 26, 2019
287
I think I been using it since 2014 and had zero issues, but recently saw that a lot of reddit users have it. Checked some stuff, and it seems like they don't care about security of their product and privacy.

Should I remove this? What alternatives we have?

Enter the changes I wrote in this 3D:


Plus the rules in the firewall for blocking the 2 exe.
 
B

BVLon

My advise to everyone is let Windows clean its junk and abstain from aggressive, and deep cleaning. In many cases what you clean now, will be re-generated in an hour. Use the tools provided by Microsoft. regarding the registry, it is a good idea to use software such as Revo Uninstaller to clean all leftovers after software uninstall.
 

XLR8R

Level 4
Jan 20, 2020
164
I recommend only few programs for any kind of Windows PC maintenance:

1) Wise Care 365
2) Kerish Doctor
3) Windows itself
4) (Honourable Mention) BullGuard PC Tune Up
5) (Honourable Mention) Norton Utilities

Nothing apart from these three really makes any difference and many can make things much worse. AVG PC TuneUp (before the rewrite in 2019/2020) is a good example.
 
B

BVLon

Nothing apart from these three really makes any difference and many can make things much worse. AVG PC TuneUp (before the rewrite in 2019/2020) is a good example.
[/QUOTE]
I wasn't aware that it has been rewritten, but I wouldn't use it anyway. Any buffed up security package will offer you clean-up as well. I like the McAfee Quick Clean as well, although it's really basic... It's the only one I would use actually.
 

TairikuOkami

Level 35
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
May 13, 2017
2,452
Windows internal tools which doesn't increase your attack surface
This "vulnerability" is still present in 2004. Then again, wise disk cleaner creates the same task. :)
 
F

ForgottenSeer 85179

This "vulnerability" is still present in 2004. Then again, wise disk cleaner creates the same task. :)
Totally another topic but i guess this doesn't work with UAC on max
Also such a attack isn't possible with SRP.
 
B

BVLon

Totally another topic but i guess this doesn't work with UAC on max
Also such a attack isn't possible with SRP.
These are just bells and whistles put on paper. As soon as something grabs your attention via social engineering, you, totally by yourself, will give it the admin privilege. I don’t like security or insecurity that’s just drafted on paper and totally irrelevant on practice. Attackers are using much more clever methods than Disk Cleanup privilege escalation. Also, most behavioural blockers already have a policy that tackles that. The cleanmgr has got nothing to do with Storage Sense either. I think people should stop wasting time closing vulnerabilities that either no one has ever exploited in-the-wild, or have already long been forgotten, and focus on realistic security issues of today.
 

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