uTorrent's latest update installs a cryptocurrency miner

[BoraMurdar]

Content source

http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/6/8161251/utorrents-secret-bitcoin-miner-adware-malware

uTorrent's latest update may be hijacking computers to turn a profit. According to a report from Trusted Reviews, the latest update to the popular torrent management software comes bundled with a program called Epic Scale, a Windows program that uses the computer's processor to mine a bitcoin variant called Litecoin in the background. Many users were unaware that their computers were being used to mine the currency, and only discovered the program was running after noticing the significant increase in processor load.

"THERE IS NO SILENT INSTALL HAPPENING."

In a statement to The Verge, uTorrent's parent company BitTorrent confirmed that the program was bundled, but disputed that it was happening without user consent. "We have reviewed the issue closely and can confirm there is no silent install happening.... Most likely these users accepted the offer during install," a representative wrote. "Like many software companies, we have partner offers in our install path and our policy is that they are strictly optional."

Bitcoin miners are a common way for botnet owners to make a profit off of compromised machines, leaving users to bear the cost of the excess computing power, which has left a lot of mining software with a less than savory reputation. Users that don't notice the program may find significantly decreased performance as a result. In a forum thread, uTorrent recommended that dissatisfied users uninstall Epic Scale and remove the associated folder.

 

[Exterminator]

They have apparently shut up the forum thread already
http://forum.utorrent.com/topic/950...ware-silently-installed-with-latest-utorrent/

 

[Oxygen]

....And this is why I have a hard time trusting software these days.

 

[Pandy]

Is it just me or is the forum.utorrent suspended?
if it isnt just me, rekt!

But, you never know what u get specially when downloading bundled installers, Unless you really carefully read every step and make sure its not some other software

 

[Exterminator]

Is it just me or is the forum.utorrent suspended?
if it isnt just me, rekt!

But, you never know what u get specially when downloading bundled installers, Unless you really carefully read every step and make sure its not some other software

Not just you,they apparently shut up the many users saying how they were dumping uTorrent.The few posts by an Admin were just BS to try and calm everyone down and justify their doing this.They also said they could not recreate the automatic install and that users clicked on the install.

....And this is why I have a hard time trusting software these days.

It almost seems that bundling software is acceptable practice these days.I dont know why? Because everyone is doing it?
The average home user are the ones who will be the victims.

 

[Pandy]

Not just you,they apparently shut up the many users saying how they were dumping uTorrent.The few posts by an Admin were just BS to try and calm everyone down and justify their doing this.They also said they could not recreate the automatic install and that users clicked on the install.



It almost seems that bundling software is acceptable practice these days.I dont know why? Because everyone is doing it?
The average home user are the ones who will be the victims.

uhh sounds like they are just digging a bigger grave.
RIP.

 

[Bergo]

Switch back to Utorrent 2.2.1

In Hungary many private torrent site banned to use of uTorrent version 3.

 

[MrXidus]

Here is a screenshot of the original thread on the uTorrent forums.

I've put this list together of some alternative torrent software one can use, try them out and stick with the one you like.

Also, do a good deed and don't let friends or family be a victim.

qBittorrent
http://www.qbittorrent.org/

Transmission-Qt
http://sourceforge.net/projects/trqtw/

Deluge
http://deluge-torrent.org/

Tixati
http://www.tixati.com/

Halite
http://www.binarynotions.com/halite-bittorrent-client/

Vuze / Vuze Leap
http://www.vuze.com/

uTorrent 2.2.1 (The last good version of uTorrent)
http://www.oldapps.com/utorrent.php?old_utorrent=8134

MiniGet
http://www.miniget001.com/

 

[Pandy]

@MrXidus thanks for that, also that thread was funny, specially that last guy who registered to just say hes leaving

oh, also noticed F-Secure blocks miniget001.com, no idea if its my settings or something else

 

[MrXidus]

@MrXidus also noticed F-Secure blocks miniget001.com, no idea if its my settings or something else

URLVoid result: http://www.urlvoid.com/scan/miniget001.com/

It's also listed on Softpedia.

 

[RmG152]

Avira block instalation.

https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/...070cec9a03d91b1d8af31c63/analysis/1425688456/

 

[MrXidus]

Popular software Ninite has replaced µTorrent with qBittorrent in their installer.

 

[Pandy]

@MrXidus Yea, i didnt think it was harmful site. but fsecure blocks it for some reason.

Also hasnt Ninite only had just qBittorrent for while now?

 

[marzametal]

I am surprised people were still updating uTorrent... switch to Tixati, especially if you have 64bit OS, or don't go over UTorrent 3.3.2.30586 (for various reasons - don't worry about the ads, they can be tweaked out of view via Advanced tab)... the upside to uTorrent, it allowed me to specify a hardened outgoing port, couldn't do that with Tixati...

 

[Piteko21]

uTurrent until have pornografic publicity, if people change to Tixati it will noticed the difference for better

 

[Blackhawk]

Not good publicity for uTorrent to say the least. Mining that baloney slows a computer down, at least it did in one I saw infected a year ago. That infection at the time was not due to uTorrent though.

 

[Atlas147]

I updated my uTorrent awhile ago and didn't see anything regarding this Epic Scale. There are many users on the uTorrent forum page who tired a clean install of uTorrent and have noticed that there was no prompt to downloading Epic Scale, nor does Epic Scale get silently installed. Some of them are speculating that it is a silent install somewhere down the line of using the client although nobody is able to confirm anything.

Personally I don't think this is a huge revelation because for many years freeware has always been bundled with optional adware etc, and it has always been the user's job to uncheck the boxes to prevent these adware from being downloaded into your system. The problem only comes in when there is a silent download of these adwares and the AV protecting the system does not register these adwares as PUP.

If the users are in fact correct in their statement that Epic Scale was silently installed then yes, uTorrent is most definitely in the wrong. However if the moderators and telling the truth and that there is no silent install, and that every user is given a choice to install Epic Scale then I wouldn't blame uTorrent.

 

[Kardo Kristal]

Is it possible that this installation is related to the user's computer power. If processor etc is good enough for mining then it will be listed as optional installation for your computer and if you miss the check box (to untick it) then it will be installed?

As a result, Some users sees it and some not... just a thought.

Regards,
Kardo

 

[Blackhawk]

I updated my uTorrent awhile ago and didn't see anything regarding this Epic Scale. There are many users on the uTorrent forum page who tired a clean install of uTorrent and have noticed that there was no prompt to downloading Epic Scale, nor does Epic Scale get silently installed. Some of them are speculating that it is a silent install somewhere down the line of using the client although nobody is able to confirm anything.

Personally I don't think this is a huge revelation because for many years freeware has always been bundled with optional adware etc, and it has always been the user's job to uncheck the boxes to prevent these adware from being downloaded into your system. The problem only comes in when there is a silent download of these adwares and the AV protecting the system does not register these adwares as PUP.

If the users are in fact correct in their statement that Epic Scale was silently installed then yes, uTorrent is most definitely in the wrong. However if the moderators and telling the truth and that there is no silent install, and that every user is given a choice to install Epic Scale then I wouldn't blame uTorrent.

Teaming up with the Ask toolbar for example vs a bitcoin miner is a big difference IMO.

 

[bitbizket]

uTurrent until have pornografic publicity, if people change to Tixati it will noticed the difference for better

With Freenet it gets better. Just kd.

Qbittorrent/Tixati