Microsoft begins active struggle with adware type Superfish

Photo source: Shannon Stapleton / REUTERS

Microsoft has announced its intention to “detect and remove” unsafe adware from user PCs on Windows OS starting in 2016. This decision was made to prevent a recurrence of the problem with the Lenovo PC software. In particular, the company introduces new rules for adware. Now such software can use only official browser tools to install, run, block and uninstall. The changes will take effect in March 2016.

The purpose of the new Microsoft policy is software like Superfish, adware, which was pre-installed on Lenovo's personal computers from 2014 to 2015. This software, as previously reported , listens to traffic, analyzes user requests in search services, and adds its own advertisements to web pages.
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And all this works at the level of the system itself, with the interception of HTTPS traffic as one of the “work” tools.

In order to be part of the system, the program installs the Superfish CA-certificate in the Windows keystore, with the replacement of certificates on your own. The software came with laptops of Lenovo Y50, Z40, Z50, G50 and Yoga 2 Pro models.

The message from Microsoft says: “All these methods of intercepting traffic allowed to insert advertisements into web pages of any type, without browser control. We are trying to give the user the ability to control web browsing, and similar software reduces such control. ”

And the problem is not only in advertising. The fact is that the software itself is poorly protected from hacking by. Burglars, if desired, can intercept control on adware of the Superfish type and perform other types of operations from the user's PC, including interception of important information (bank account and access to it, access to other resources, etc.).

From March 31, 2016, "programs that create advertising in browsers should use only the regulated capabilities of the browser for installation, execution, blocking and removal."

As for the Superfish, even after removing this software, the vulnerability for the user's PC remains open. Not so long ago, Lenovo apologized for the problem and released the official Superfish removal tool that solves the problem.