Warning: Large Download button at www.imgburn.com installs crapware

[cnm]

Large Download button downloads MiPony Download Manager setup.  Avast rightly found it suspicious. This is an evil program which installs Babylon and a raft of junk toolbars, reconfigures your browsers, etc.  (I traced it with Revo Pro.)

 

Opt out boxes are grayed out unless Advanced mode is selected; then if the boxes are unselected, there are three or four screens that will add the things unless you hit the Decline button.  After all that, my PC was rendered unbootable and I had to restore it from a backup image.

 

People who want ImgBurn naturally go to http://www.imgburn.com and don't realize they must scroll down to News and select the legitimate download link http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

 

I realize the big misleading Download buttons are labeled 'Advertisement' but that is easy to overlook.

 

I hope ImgBurn will stop showing the Download button for Download Manager Setup.

Edited February 11, 2013 by cnm

[ianymaty]

The Download section is on the blue menu bar under the big ImgBurn logo on the main page. (Top left)

 

You do know that any respectable software have a Download section on their pages not some random Download button thrown somewhere. Always look for that Download section.

[cnm]

People fall for those big green buttons, and no actual download link is evident (although there is a tab).

If they are careless enough to click the wrong thing, they get the Download Manager which I would call malware.

 

Just saying.

 

Edited February 11, 2013 by cnm

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Google serves up the adverts and what you see can vary each time you visit.

[cnm]

I know, but I understand that the site owner can ask Google to exclude particular ads.  Also the site owner can display a prominent DOWNLOAD button of their own.

 

I love ImgBurn and was sorry when one of our users infected themselves with the Ask toolbar by clicking the wrong thing.

 

http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/index.php/topic/134624-search-engine-redirect-malware-aka-feedmixerorg/?p=776876

They downloaded ImgBurn in order to create BitDefender Rescue Disk.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Yeah, I'm not going to get into excluding ads.

 

The Ask toolbar isn't something that 'infects' people. It can also be uninstalled very easily via the usual method in Control Panel.

[cnm]

Thanks for your reply, LIGHTNING UK!.
 
Perfectly reasonable for you to get some income for your excellent program via Adwords.  I do feel the page layout is sort of a trap - but still, as long as the ad DOWNLOAD buttons are clearly labeled 'Advertisement' then caveat emptor.
 
There was a report that the ImgBurn installer had bundled Ask toolbar without an opt out.  
 
I find that not to be the case.
The installer that I downloaded today via ImgBurn Mirror 7 and  via Softpedia doesn't seem to actually install the Ask toolbar, although it does create one unwanted key: HKCU\Software\Ask.com.tmp
There is no entry for Ask in Control Panel > Uninstall 
People don't want extra keys added to their Registry, but on the whole this may be a case of much ado about virtually nothing.
 
cnm

Edited February 12, 2013 by cnm

[MMacD]

I got caught by that misleading "download" button too, and resented it.  Since the stuff underneath the button has no value to anyone but the sponsors, the sponsors have to trick people into clicking it.  But that ImgBurn passively goes along with such unethical behavior doesn't feel good.

[khagaroth]

Yeah, I'm not going to get into excluding ads.

I'm not going to turn off adblock for your site then...

[spinningwheel]

 

Yeah, I'm not going to get into excluding ads.

I'm not going to turn off adblock for your site then...

That is, of course, your choice.

[khagaroth]

Of course it is. But generally I don't mind supporting freeware sites by whitelisting them and clicking on an advert once in a while. But I do mind these kinds of misleading advertisement.