SpywareWatchdog/articles/poweriso.html

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    <title>Spyware Watchdog</title>
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  <h1>PowerISO</h1>
  <p><a href="../articles/index.html">Back to catalog</a></p>
  <img src="../images/poweriso_logo.png" alt="PowerISO logo">
  <p>
PowerISO is a CD / DVD / BD image file processing tool.
  </p>
  <h2>Spyware Level: <font color="yellow">Medium</font></h2>
  <p>
The PowerISO software itself, after you have installed it, does not seem to have a lot of serious privacy problems and would probably be listed
as "Not Spyware" or "Low". However, downloading and installing this software requires careful attention because it attempts to install serveral spyware
programs and otherwise violates your privacy at every step of the installation process. So it's received this higher rating because of how bad this
process is for user privacy. Also, keep in mind that this is for the free version of the software and the paid version might be slightly better for
user privacy, however because there are so many problems with the free version you would have to do your own tests to make sure.
  </p>
  <p>
To talk more specifically about the software itself, it will check off "automatically check for updates" by default in the installer which is bad, but you can uncheck it.
When I actually ran it after installing, it did not make any unsolicited requests so it didn't have any problems. When I asked it to check for updates,
it used HTTP to talk to some server. HTTP is a little excessive and not good for privacy. But at least it doesn't phone home or anything, which is really
not something I expected after seeing the absolute disregard for user privacy when trying to install the program.
  </p>
  <p>
Microsoft Network Monitor 3.4, ProcMon, and NoScript were used to check this program and it's installation process for spyware.
  </p>
  <h3>Unsolicited connections in installation process</h3>
  <p>
When you try to download this program off of the developer's website (<a href="http://www.poweriso.com/download.php">http://www.poweriso.com/download.php</a>), the download link,
which appears to be a link to: <code>http://www.fettcedob-nero.com/vf6o1o5/PowerISO7-x64.exe</code>, is actually a redirect to a website that tries to run a third
party script (spyware) on your browser.
  </p>
  <img src="../images/piso_scripts.png" alt="PowerISO install button running scripts- caught by noscript.">
  <h3>Attempting to install a chrome extenison</h3>
  <p>
I could not manage to download this program with a Firefox-based browser so I used a Chrome-Based browser to download it. Once I had enabled JavaScript and executed all of the
spyware involved, it attempted to get me to install this chrome extension:
  </p>
  <img src="../images/piso_extension.png" alt="PowerISO attempt to install a chrome extension">
  <p>
While this is not a review of search manager, it's worth noting that this extension is known adware at least, and who knows what else it does. Any searches about this
extension should explain this. But at the very least, assuming that you didn't install any spyware yet, you at least have the PowerISO installer...
  </p>
  <h3>Attempts to Install spyware in the PowerISO installer</h3>
  <p>
  Once you run the PowerISO installer, it will attempt to install the following progams on your computer:
  </p>
  <img src="../images/PowerISO7-x64_1.png" alt="PowerISO attempt to install spyware 1">
   <img src="../images/PowerISO7-x64_2.png" alt="PowerISO attempt to install spyware 2">
  <p>
  Which both look very shady. <a href="../articles/cdex.html">CDex</a> also seems to be using this same tactic and installer software.<br>
  Now, to top it all off, the PowerISO installer will also phone home to some Amazon Servers:
  </p>
  <img src="../images/piso_installer_phone_home.png" alt="PowerISO installer phoning home">
  <hr>
  <p><b>
  This article was created on 10/7/2018
  </b></p>
   <p>
 If you want to edit this article, or contribute your own article(s), contact us on XMPP over in spyware@conference.nuegia.net, or visit us at the git repo on <a href="https://codeberg.org/TheShadow/SpywareWatchdog">Codeberg</a>. All contributions must be licensed under the CC0 liscence to be accepted.
 </p>
  <a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode"><img src="../images/cc0.png" alt="CC0 Liscence"></a>

  </body>

</html>
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`<!DOCTYPE HTML>`
			`<html lang=”en-us”>`
			`<head>`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00			`<link rel="stylesheet" href="../style.css">`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`<meta charset="UTF-8">`
			`<title>Spyware Watchdog</title>`
			`</head>`
			`<body>`

			`<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">`
			`<h1>PowerISO</h1>`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00			`<p><a href="../articles/index.html">Back to catalog</a></p>`
fixed images mess up 2020-02-08 10:32:22 +02:00			`<img src="../images/poweriso_logo.png" alt="PowerISO logo">`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`<p>`
			`PowerISO is a CD / DVD / BD image file processing tool.`
			`</p>`
			`<h2>Spyware Level: <font color="yellow">Medium</font></h2>`
			`<p>`
			`The PowerISO software itself, after you have installed it, does not seem to have a lot of serious privacy problems and would probably be listed`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00			`as "Not Spyware" or "Low". However, downloading and installing this software requires careful attention because it attempts to install serveral spyware`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`programs and otherwise violates your privacy at every step of the installation process. So it's received this higher rating because of how bad this`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00			`process is for user privacy. Also, keep in mind that this is for the free version of the software and the paid version might be slightly better for`
			`user privacy, however because there are so many problems with the free version you would have to do your own tests to make sure.`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`</p>`
			`<p>`
			`To talk more specifically about the software itself, it will check off "automatically check for updates" by default in the installer which is bad, but you can uncheck it.`
			`When I actually ran it after installing, it did not make any unsolicited requests so it didn't have any problems. When I asked it to check for updates,`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00			`it used HTTP to talk to some server. HTTP is a little excessive and not good for privacy. But at least it doesn't phone home or anything, which is really`
			`not something I expected after seeing the absolute disregard for user privacy when trying to install the program.`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`</p>`
			`<p>`
			`Microsoft Network Monitor 3.4, ProcMon, and NoScript were used to check this program and it's installation process for spyware.`
			`</p>`
			`<h3>Unsolicited connections in installation process</h3>`
			`<p>`
			`When you try to download this program off of the developer's website (<a href="http://www.poweriso.com/download.php">http://www.poweriso.com/download.php</a>), the download link,`
			`which appears to be a link to: <code>http://www.fettcedob-nero.com/vf6o1o5/PowerISO7-x64.exe</code>, is actually a redirect to a website that tries to run a third`
			`party script (spyware) on your browser.`
			`</p>`
fixed images mess up 2020-02-08 10:32:22 +02:00			`<img src="../images/piso_scripts.png" alt="PowerISO install button running scripts- caught by noscript.">`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`<h3>Attempting to install a chrome extenison</h3>`
			`<p>`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00			`I could not manage to download this program with a Firefox-based browser so I used a Chrome-Based browser to download it. Once I had enabled JavaScript and executed all of the`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`spyware involved, it attempted to get me to install this chrome extension:`
			`</p>`
fixed images mess up 2020-02-08 10:32:22 +02:00			`<img src="../images/piso_extension.png" alt="PowerISO attempt to install a chrome extension">`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`<p>`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00			`While this is not a review of search manager, it's worth noting that this extension is known adware at least, and who knows what else it does. Any searches about this`
			`extension should explain this. But at the very least, assuming that you didn't install any spyware yet, you at least have the PowerISO installer...`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`</p>`
			`<h3>Attempts to Install spyware in the PowerISO installer</h3>`
			`<p>`
			`Once you run the PowerISO installer, it will attempt to install the following progams on your computer:`
			`</p>`
fixed images mess up 2020-02-08 10:32:22 +02:00			`<img src="../images/PowerISO7-x64_1.png" alt="PowerISO attempt to install spyware 1">`
			`<img src="../images/PowerISO7-x64_2.png" alt="PowerISO attempt to install spyware 2">`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`<p>`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00			`Which both look very shady. <a href="../articles/cdex.html">CDex</a> also seems to be using this same tactic and installer software.<br>`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`Now, to top it all off, the PowerISO installer will also phone home to some Amazon Servers:`
			`</p>`
fixed images mess up 2020-02-08 10:32:22 +02:00			`<img src="../images/piso_installer_phone_home.png" alt="PowerISO installer phoning home">`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`<hr>`
			`<p><b>`
			`This article was created on 10/7/2018`
			`</b></p>`
			`<p>`
surf article & new themeing plus XHTML 3 2020-03-22 05:33:06 +02:00			`If you want to edit this article, or contribute your own article(s), contact us on XMPP over in spyware@conference.nuegia.net, or visit us at the git repo on <a href="https://codeberg.org/TheShadow/SpywareWatchdog">Codeberg</a>. All contributions must be licensed under the CC0 liscence to be accepted.`
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`</p>`
fixed images mess up 2020-02-08 10:32:22 +02:00			`<a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode"><img src="../images/cc0.png" alt="CC0 Liscence"></a>`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`</body>`
fixed file paths, added notice 2020-02-08 10:09:18 +02:00
thy first commit 2020-02-07 09:12:15 +02:00			`</html>`