this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2026

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144

Be careful downloading Windows 11 apps from Google, 70+ fake sites are pushing malware right now (www.windowslatest.com)

submitted 19 hours ago by sanitation@lemmy.today to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[–] XLE@piefed.social 36 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Better title: "make sure you're on the official website when you're trying to download software, even if you've used it before".

The list includes widely used tools like PowerToys, CrystalDiskMark, EasyBCD, Lively Wallpaper, and Wintoys, all cloned onto lookalike domains that in most cases rank above the real project pages on Google.

Off the top of my head, I wouldn't know the right domain to download CrystalDiskMark or EasyBCD, for example. It doesn't sound like these clones are perfect replicas, but a convincingly close enough domain name with the same page contents might fool a ton of people

[–] grue@lemmy.world 13 points 16 hours ago

Off the top of my head, I wouldn’t know the right domain to download CrystalDiskMark or EasyBCD, for example.

The way to find out the correct domain is to go to the Wikipedia page about the software.

But actually, the right way to do it is to install software using your Linux distro's package manager.

[–] IWW4@lemmy.zip 30 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

70??

Those are rookie numbers.

[–] XLE@piefed.social 22 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

That's a load-bearing "plus" there.

[–] a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago

70++

[–] FrostyPolicy@suppo.fi 19 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Nothing new here. This has been the case forever.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, this "similar enough sounding domain name" tactic is far from new, and they must just be using new SEO tricks to get their sites to surface to users, that or illegitimate ad services promoting them.

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 2 points 17 hours ago

They’re actually usually optimized to get AI to serve you the download link… or in the case of agentic browsers, just find, download and run it for you.

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 14 hours ago

The wikipedia search method to find the official sites has never failed me.

[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Step 1: Degoogle

[–] Untamed_Star@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 12 hours ago

Step 2: Demicrosoft

[+] YaDownWitCPP@lemmy.world -16 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (2 children)

This is why you shouldn't be allowed to side load apps on your computer. All apps should be vetted through the Window's Store then all of the cyber security issues would be resolved.

[–] MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 5 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, just like with Android or iOS... Oh wait all these stores are loaded with malware... So how about I do with MY hardware as I please and you go back to sucking corpo dick?

[–] YaDownWitCPP@lemmy.world -2 points 13 hours ago

You're just proving my point though. You should never side load from Android or iOS because they're obviously corrupted. It should be the Windows Store across the board; plus that would break the monopoly that Apple has over iOS!

[–] FrostyPolicy@suppo.fi 8 points 16 hours ago

Yet the MS store has plenty of malware too.

[+] chrash0@lemmy.world -27 points 19 hours ago (4 children)

Windows users get what they deserve here. Windows gave you an app store, and you spat on it. maybe it was a bad implementation, but signed apps exist for a reason.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 13 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Free Software package managers are good, because having somebody who knows what they're doing curate the apps for you is helpful. "App stores" are evil, because you've replaced that expert with a salesperson with a vested interest in exploiting you.

[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 8 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Boy oh boy, was it ever a bad implementation. Whoooo nelly was (is) that.
I use PPAs in Linux and I stay clear of the AUR. Entire open source projects have added such things to Windows but Microslop still rejects doing it properly themselves. Torches and pitchforks for Redmond one day!

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 3 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Winget is the equivalent to AUR

[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Wait Winget is a user repository- as-in it's completely unpoliced? Hahah I stand corrected

[–] Sinirlan@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

According to MS there are various validation steps when app is added to repository, including virus checks:

Each submission to the Windows Package Manager Repository is run through several antivirus programs. These programs all have different virus detection algorithms for identifying potentially unwanted applications (PUA) and malware.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/package-manager/package/repository#validation-process

So I guess it's safer to install apps trough winget, at least as much as much You trust Microslop doing good job.

[–] Reygle@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago

at least as much as much You trust Microslop doing good job.

In my case that's not at all, but I learned something today, thanks

[–] chrash0@lemmy.world 1 points 17 hours ago

why work on a feature that your users categorically reject? this isn’t me projecting, i literally have this conversation with a buddy all the time. he’s a programmer and talks about all the problems with Windows like there aren’t options. use the OS the way the devs designed it, pick a different one, or stfu

[–] frongt@lemmy.zip 6 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

You say that like malware can't be signed

[–] chrash0@lemmy.world 1 points 17 hours ago

you say that like that makes it not worth doing

[–] Mihies@programming.dev 1 points 17 hours ago

It can be, but the certificate would be quickly revoked and signing ones aren't exactly cheap. Also app store does a little bit of app checking I'd say.