Norton 360 and Avira antivirus contain a crypto miner

[kruk]

If you are a user of the Norton 360 Security Suite or Avira Antivirus beware: your product contains a crypto miner which is enabled by default for some Norton users and opt-in (for now) on Avira. The miner mines ETH coin and you get to keep the mined coins, but there is a catch: Norton keeps 15% of your earnings. Not only they are slowing down your PC, but they are also taxing your hardware and wasting electricity.

I can't confirm this is true as I don't use any of the mentioned products, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Sources:

500M Avira Antivirus Users Introduced to Cryptomining – Krebs on Security

krebsonsecurity.com

New version of Norton 360 installs a crypto miner on your PC by default

If you are a user of Norton 360 antivirus, then you might want to ditch the software altogether. Ever since last year they've been experimenting with a crypto miner, which now is getting enabled by ...

www.guru3d.com

Daughter Company Norton (Avira Antivirus) also contains cryptominer

Last week we reported that Norton is now actively inserting a crypto miner in the Norton 360 security software suite. And it seems however that Norton (NortonLifeLock) really is keen on using your har...

www.guru3d.com

 

[plastiscɧ]

did they figure out which of the components was doing the mining in there, yet?

my friend in discord posted this today as well..

 

[Space Lynx]

pathetic twats

 

[AnotherReader]

So Norton's fall from grace is complete: now their products are malware!

 

[R-T-B]

We have had a thread on this for days in the appropriate section (crypto section).

It is optin only for right now.

So Norton's fall from grace is complete: now their products are malware!

That would only be true if it was not optin and did not let you keep earnings. Also, it only runs at idle. Still, better solutions exist. Heck, my CryptoMiningScreensaver is one.

That being said my opinion remains the same as in the other thread: this is bonkers.

 

[Bill_Bright]

It is optin only for right now.

Except,

Norton Comes Under Fire For Enabling Crypto Mining By Default

New version of Norton 360 installs a crypto miner on your PC by default

...now is getting enabled by default. And they're doing this silently.

 

[R-T-B]

Except,

Norton Comes Under Fire For Enabling Crypto Mining By Default

New version of Norton 360 installs a crypto miner on your PC by default

That is new and indeed malware like behavior. Not that I have trusted Norton in a while anyways, but ...

Still this thread seems excessive when we already had one.

 

[Ahhzz]

If you are a user of the Norton 360 Security Suite or Avira Antivirus beware: your product contains a crypto miner which is enabled by default for some Norton users and opt-in (for now) on Avira. The miner mines ETH coin and you get to keep the mined coins, but there is a catch: Norton keeps 15% of your earnings. Not only they are slowing down your PC, but they are also taxing your hardware and wasting electricity.

I can't confirm this is true as I don't use any of the mentioned products, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Sources:

500M Avira Antivirus Users Introduced to Cryptomining – Krebs on Security

krebsonsecurity.com

New version of Norton 360 installs a crypto miner on your PC by default

If you are a user of Norton 360 antivirus, then you might want to ditch the software altogether. Ever since last year they've been experimenting with a crypto miner, which now is getting enabled by ...

www.guru3d.com

Daughter Company Norton (Avira Antivirus) also contains cryptominer

Last week we reported that Norton is now actively inserting a crypto miner in the Norton 360 security software suite. And it seems however that Norton (NortonLifeLock) really is keen on using your har...

www.guru3d.com

I believe reliable articles state that it is "Opt In" for ALL norton users. I didn't see anything about opt-out...

 

[Space Lynx]

I believe reliable articles state that it is "Opt In" for ALL norton users. I didn't see anything about opt-out...

I feel kind of bad for them honestly, they are a dying industry because Windows Security finally got its act together, so they are just grasping at straws now, backed into a corner (hence the 15% stake of what you mine, which is laughable), but I expect no less from an animal cornered and dying. Such is the nature of our species.

 

[R-T-B]

I didn't see anything about opt-out...

They have their own support page about how to opt-out. Haven't tried it because I'm not a Norton user, but their own support pages also seem to suggest it is opt-in only.

 

[Ahhzz]

They have their own support page about how to opt-out. Haven't tried it because I'm not a Norton user, but their own support pages also seem to suggest it is opt-in only.

sorry, I meant to say I didn't see anything about the settings to be default "Opt Out", I was a little muddled maybe

 

[plastiscɧ]

they are a dying industry because Windows Security finally got its act together

and you don't worry that e.g. windows really scans and scans and scans everything you have on your computer and analyzes and interprets it via telemetry...?

just a side question..

 

[Space Lynx]

and you don't worry that e.g. windows really scans and scans and scans everything you have on your computer and analyzes and interprets it via telemetry...?

just a side question..

not really, all I do is game on steam, they can scan their precious little hearts away. i mean there is no escaping it anymore, America is a failed state and has been for decades, ever since Congress started taking large "donations" from corporate entities. 1.7 trillion dollars on a failed F-35 jet program, but can't forgive student loans? lol that's all I need to know. I no longer give a **** much about anything, just game on steam and pass out when done.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I believe reliable articles state that it is "Opt In" for ALL norton users. I didn't see anything about opt-out...

sorry, I meant to say I didn't see anything about the settings to be default "Opt Out", I was a little muddled maybe

Thanks for clarifying.
"Opt In" implies there is an "Opt Out" since "opt" is short for "option".

The fact Norton hides the Opt Out option simply illustrates my next point.

Norton "falling" from grace? No way! They intentionally took a swan dive into that cesspool years ago after Symantec bought Peter Norton out! They pre-installed Norton Security on factory made computers with the intention of getting those new computer users hooked on the program (tobacco industry style!). A brilliant business strategy - but for the company not their customers.

And they made the program nearly impossible to completely uninstall , even for experienced users. And then, with intimidating scare tactics convinced those hooked users that they would get infected if they allowed that trial period to expire, coercing them into buying Symantec's expensive, bloated program that required them to renew, renew, and renew again.

 

[Space Lynx]

Thanks for clarifying.
"Opt In" imply there is an "Opt Out" since "opt" is short for "option".

The fact Norton hides the Opt Out option simply illustrates my next point.

Norton "falling" from grace? No way! They intentionally took a swan dive into that cesspool years ago after Symantec bought Peter Norton out! They pre-installed Norton Security on factory made computers with the intention of getting those new computer users hooked on the program (tobacco industry style!). A brilliant business strategy - but for the company not their customers.

And they made the program nearly impossible to completely uninstall , even for experienced users. And then, with intimidating scare tactics convinced those hooked users that they would get infected if they allowed that trial period to expire, coercing them into buying Symantec's expensive, bloated program that required them to renew, renew, and renew again.

yeah in 2007-2008 my friend in college parents' had Norton on their PC and always renewed it every year and asked for my help on it sometimes. omg those were some frustrating days. what a piece of crap software, it was Vista too which I had no experience in outside of helping my friends parents. was a horrible experience though.

nice analogy to the tobacco companies btw. crazy how shady all of these entities are. there is no honor left in our species. what was left of it is being taken away aka ADHD social media app algorithms'.

 

[plastiscɧ]

not really, all I do is game on steam, they can scan their precious little hearts away. i mean there is no escaping it anymore, America is a failed state and has been for decades, ever since Congress started taking large "donations" from corporate entities. 1.7 trillion dollars on a failed F-35 jet program, but can't forgive student loans? lol that's all I need to know. I no longer give a **** much about anything, just game on steam and pass out when done.

resignation is not a patent solution for problems per sé. but okay... i take your answer quite seriously and can only reply that there are also users who have confidential data on the PC. companies e.g. that can't afford an IT defense that is that big to possibly fight the KGB...
but maybe we are too dreamy on this side of the pond to face the reality.

 

[R-T-B]

Windows telemetry doesn't scan every file (or files at all really, it's more interested in user habits), plus on enterprise SKUs it can be disabled entirely. I should know, as a business handling the publics records, I have compliance rules.

#tangent

 

[plastiscɧ]

Windows telemetry doesn't scan every file (or files at all really, it's more interested in user habits), plus on enterprise SKUs it can be disabled entirely. I should know, as a business handling the publics records, I have compliance rules.

#tangent

windows itself (of course) does not. but the baked in defender does. i def. believe your knowledge about IT!
now the truth of another big company came to the surface..
maybe windows' time has not come yet.

me for my part deleted the entire win security (except firewall) and the store and every possible app without unclosable wounds. built up what i think thats right and needed. nothing more. just os.
i am not in the position not giving information to the tech companies. but i will never give it completely just to one of them.
i try to spread information and use different companies for different things though.

MS is just one of them.

 

[Bill_Bright]

windows itself (of course) does not. but the baked in defender does.

Not sure your point here. Defender is an anti-malware program. As such - just like every other anti-malware program worth its salt, it better conduct thorough scans.

That IN NO WAY means Defender is doing any sort of telemetry "reporting". To suggest otherwise is just spreading FUD - which IMO, is much worse than collecting telemetry.

If giving companies your (speaking to the crowd) personal information is your fear, then stay away from Facebook and Google. Do not use an ISP. And most of all, do not have a cell phone with a cell phone account.

 

[bonehead123]

Norton = crapola

'nuff said

 

[plastiscɧ]

Not sure your point here. Defender is an anti-malware program. As such - just like every other anti-malware program worth its salt, it better conduct thorough scans.

That IN NO WAY means Defender is doing any sort of telemetry "reporting". To suggest otherwise is just spreading FUD - which IMO, is much worse than collecting telemetry.

If giving companies your (speaking to the crowd) personal information is your fear, then stay away from Facebook and Google. Do not use an ISP. And most of all, do not have a cell phone with a cell phone account.

well, i'm not a caveman. i also use a "telephone with internet access". through my work at the district court, i know exactly what traces are left behind by all the electronic devices we use these days. and their value can be used to reconstruct our behavior in everyday life or during criminal acts quite well afterwards.
that's why you just have to be a little more careful and also more aware of how you handle your data.
it doesn't mean i'm doing something illegal because i know better... it's just about not being totally careless with your data and saying i don't care what big information-hungry internet giants do with it.
facebook is finished anyway. the young people laugh about our generation to use it, at least in my environment. and i hardly use google.

maybe we slip into the offtopic now but just wanted to reply.

 

[R-T-B]

but the baked in defender does.

It has to have file hashes of common malware to and then files to check against, so yeah.

Not sure your point here. Defender is an anti-malware program. As such - just like every other anti-malware program worth its salt, it better conduct thorough scans.

That IN NO WAY means Defender is doing any sort of telemetry "reporting". To suggest otherwise is just spreading FUD - which IMO, is much worse than collecting telemetry.

If giving companies your (speaking to the crowd) personal information is your fear, then stay away from Facebook and Google. Do not use an ISP. And most of all, do not have a cell phone with a cell phone account.

ISPs most by law have to let you opt out of personal data profiling. Few take the time to do so however, and it usually defaults to "on."

 

[Space Lynx]

mods this thread should probably be closed, it came after this one

Norton crypto

Not sure why it hasn't made rounds on TPU news reel, but here we go: https://support.norton.com/sp/en/uk/home/current/solutions/v138388461 I'm pro-crypto, but that's just the peak of marasm and total insanity... Crypto already has a bad wrap, especially when greedy sysadmins use company's...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[95Viper]

Please use the thread, Norton crypto, for discussion