A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers

Alberto Geniola; Markku Antikainen; Tuomas Aura

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13

A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers

Alberto Geniola, Markku Antikainen, Tuomas Aura

University of Helsinki

Tutkimustuotos: Artikkeli kirjassa/konferenssijulkaisussa › Conference contribution › Scientific › vertaisarvioitu

3 Sitaatiot (Scopus)

Abstrakti

We present a large-scale study of Windows freeware installers. In particular, we look for potentially unwanted programs (PUP) and other potentially unwanted modifications to the target system made by freeware installers. The analysis is based on almost 800 installers gathered from eight popular software download portals. We measure how many of them drop PUP, such as browser plugins, or make other modifications to the system. In addition to these results, we find that most installers that download executable files over the network are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, which in the worst cases may be used to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges on the target system. Moreover, serious man-in-the-middle vulnerabilities are found in application managers provided by download portals.

Alkuperäiskieli	Englanti
Otsikko	Secure IT Systems: 22nd Nordic Conference, NordSec 2017, Tartu, Estonia, November 8–10, 2017, Proceedings
Toimittajat	Helger Lipmaa, Aikaterini Mitrokotsa, Raimundas Matulevičius
Julkaisupaikka	Cham
Kustantaja	SPRINGER
Sivut	209-225
Sivumäärä	17
ISBN (painettu)	978-3-319-70290-2
DOI - pysyväislinkit	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13
Tila	Julkaistu - 2017
OKM-julkaisutyyppi	A4 Artikkeli konferenssijulkaisuussa
Tapahtuma	NORDIC CONFERENCE ON SECURE IT SYSTEMS - Tartu, Viro Kesto: 8 marrask. 2017 → 10 marrask. 2017 Konferenssinumero: 22

Julkaisusarja

Nimi	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Kustantaja	Springer
Vuosikerta	10674
ISSN (painettu)	0302-9743
ISSN (elektroninen)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	NORDIC CONFERENCE ON SECURE IT SYSTEMS
Lyhennettä	NordSec
Maa/Alue	Viro
Kaupunki	Tartu
Ajanjakso	08/11/2017 → 10/11/2017

Pääsy asiakirjaan

10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13

OpenUrl-saatavuus

Koko teksti

Siteeraa tätä

Geniola, A., Antikainen, M., & Aura, T. (2017). A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers. teoksessa H. Lipmaa, A. Mitrokotsa, & R. Matulevičius (Toimittajat), Secure IT Systems: 22nd Nordic Conference, NordSec 2017, Tartu, Estonia, November 8–10, 2017, Proceedings (Sivut 209-225). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vuosikerta 10674). SPRINGER. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13

Geniola, Alberto ; Antikainen, Markku ; Aura, Tuomas. / A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers. Secure IT Systems: 22nd Nordic Conference, NordSec 2017, Tartu, Estonia, November 8–10, 2017, Proceedings. Toimittaja / Helger Lipmaa ; Aikaterini Mitrokotsa ; Raimundas Matulevičius. Cham : SPRINGER, 2017. Sivut 209-225 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).

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title = "A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers",

abstract = "We present a large-scale study of Windows freeware installers. In particular, we look for potentially unwanted programs (PUP) and other potentially unwanted modifications to the target system made by freeware installers. The analysis is based on almost 800 installers gathered from eight popular software download portals. We measure how many of them drop PUP, such as browser plugins, or make other modifications to the system. In addition to these results, we find that most installers that download executable files over the network are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, which in the worst cases may be used to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges on the target system. Moreover, serious man-in-the-middle vulnerabilities are found in application managers provided by download portals.",

author = "Alberto Geniola and Markku Antikainen and Tuomas Aura",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13",

language = "English",

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series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science",

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editor = "Helger Lipmaa and Aikaterini Mitrokotsa and Raimundas Matulevi{\v c}ius",

booktitle = "Secure IT Systems: 22nd Nordic Conference, NordSec 2017, Tartu, Estonia, November 8–10, 2017, Proceedings",

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note = "Nordic Conference on Secure IT Systems, NordSec ; Conference date: 08-11-2017 Through 10-11-2017",

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Geniola, A, Antikainen, M & Aura, T 2017, A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers. julkaisussa H Lipmaa, A Mitrokotsa & R Matulevičius (toim), Secure IT Systems: 22nd Nordic Conference, NordSec 2017, Tartu, Estonia, November 8–10, 2017, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vuosikerta 10674, SPRINGER, Cham, Sivut 209-225, NORDIC CONFERENCE ON SECURE IT SYSTEMS, Tartu, Viro, 08/11/2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13

A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers. / Geniola, Alberto; Antikainen, Markku ; Aura, Tuomas.
Secure IT Systems: 22nd Nordic Conference, NordSec 2017, Tartu, Estonia, November 8–10, 2017, Proceedings. toim. / Helger Lipmaa; Aikaterini Mitrokotsa; Raimundas Matulevičius. Cham: SPRINGER, 2017. s. 209-225 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vuosikerta 10674).

Tutkimustuotos: Artikkeli kirjassa/konferenssijulkaisussa › Conference contribution › Scientific › vertaisarvioitu

TY - GEN

T1 - A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers

AU - Geniola, Alberto

AU - Antikainen, Markku

AU - Aura, Tuomas

N1 - Conference code: 22

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - We present a large-scale study of Windows freeware installers. In particular, we look for potentially unwanted programs (PUP) and other potentially unwanted modifications to the target system made by freeware installers. The analysis is based on almost 800 installers gathered from eight popular software download portals. We measure how many of them drop PUP, such as browser plugins, or make other modifications to the system. In addition to these results, we find that most installers that download executable files over the network are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, which in the worst cases may be used to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges on the target system. Moreover, serious man-in-the-middle vulnerabilities are found in application managers provided by download portals.

AB - We present a large-scale study of Windows freeware installers. In particular, we look for potentially unwanted programs (PUP) and other potentially unwanted modifications to the target system made by freeware installers. The analysis is based on almost 800 installers gathered from eight popular software download portals. We measure how many of them drop PUP, such as browser plugins, or make other modifications to the system. In addition to these results, we find that most installers that download executable files over the network are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, which in the worst cases may be used to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges on the target system. Moreover, serious man-in-the-middle vulnerabilities are found in application managers provided by download portals.

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13

DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 978-3-319-70290-2

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science

SP - 209

EP - 225

BT - Secure IT Systems: 22nd Nordic Conference, NordSec 2017, Tartu, Estonia, November 8–10, 2017, Proceedings

A2 - Lipmaa, Helger

A2 - Mitrokotsa, Aikaterini

A2 - Matulevičius, Raimundas

PB - SPRINGER

CY - Cham

T2 - Nordic Conference on Secure IT Systems

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ER -

Geniola A, Antikainen M , Aura T. A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers. julkaisussa Lipmaa H, Mitrokotsa A, Matulevičius R, toimittajat, Secure IT Systems: 22nd Nordic Conference, NordSec 2017, Tartu, Estonia, November 8–10, 2017, Proceedings. Cham: SPRINGER. 2017. s. 209-225. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science). doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-70290-2_13

A Large-Scale Analysis of Download Portals and Freeware Installers

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Julkaisusarja

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