uTorrent silently installing bundled Bitcoin mining software

[Beskamir]

Well looks like ill be uninstalling utorrent, any alternate recommendations?

qbittorrent. It's open source.

 

It's what I've been using on my desktop for the past year or so. That said I don't use my desktop for torrenting files on a regular basis. Instead I use transmission on my server.

[Totallycasual]

Who said using BitTorrent software means you're pirating? Just because someone owns knife doesn't mean they only use it for stabbing people.

 

It would be different if we were talking about say for example gun control because in that case the vast majority of people aren't doing anything wrong with their guns, the opposite is true when you're talking about using this particular software. 

[Arct1c0n]

Welp, time to jump ship to another torrenting site, just like Limewire, napster,  Demonoid, Pirate Bay.....

[TAK]

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[Sankster]

It would be different if we were talking about say for example gun control because in that case the vast majority of people aren't doing anything wrong with their guns, the opposite is true when you're talking about using this particular software. 

 

[connorpiper]

Wow that's messed up, but then again so is pirating.

 

Torrent =/= Pirating

[BallisticPeanut]

I switched to Deluge a while ago when I got tired of the ads and updating. Has worked with no issues so far.

[Syntaxvgm]

Yup. 

No only is that wrong, it might be illegal, I don't know if they hid it or had it written somewhere in the terms. 

[Totallycasual]

A lot of people seem to have taken issue with what i said about pirating, the percentages could be debated but you guys aren't seriously trying to deny that the vast majority of people using Utorrent are downloading pirated content, movies, tv shows, games etc etc? 

 

Sure there are legitimate uses for peer to peer technology, Blizzard for example someone mentioned earlier. We're talking about Utorrent here are you naive or just being obtuse? 

[Syntaxvgm]

A lot of people seem to have taken issue with what i said about pirating, the percentages could be debated but you guys aren't seriously trying to deny that the vast majority of people using Utorrent are downloading pirated content, movies, tv shows, games etc etc? 

 

Sure there are legitimate uses for peer to peer technology, Blizzard for example someone mentioned earlier. We're talking about Utorrent here are you naive or just being obtuse? 

My gun is for self defense. 

My utorrent is for piracy. Like, actually lately, less piracy than not, mainly because I haven't been watching a lot of anime, but still piracy, and not just shows. I'm not buying 500$ programs to use them once for non-commercial uses, likely to have them not do what I needed anyway and have to try 10 programs before I find the right one. no thanks. My sentiment changes when it's something I'd use non-personally. Almost every good program I have bought I've pirated first if I didn't have a non-commercial version. It'd be stupid not to. 

And I think MOST people that torrent are bootlegging crap, even if they also use it legitimately . Not illegal, btw. 

[Totallycasual]

Almost every good program I have bought I've pirated first if I didn't have a non-commercial version. It'd be stupid not to. 

 

So you think if i buy lets say for example GTAV for PC just based on reviews etc and you pirate it first to see if you think its worth your money im the stupid one for not doing the same? 

[Misanthrope]

Let's be honest, companies would used a close sourced torrent program not uTorrent which is known for scummy shit.

 

Companies only being able to use closed source software is mostly a myth instigated by closed source software vendors: Being open source doesn't automatically means it's less secure, just as knowing how a strongbox is built doesn't helps you crack it any easier once it's already built or in this case, compiled. 

 

Now the fact that it is not always easy to find open source program for specialized applications, that is true, but it has nothing to do with any inherit problems with open source or commercializing open source software, and everything to do with supply and demand and just not being enough demand to build highly specialized software.

[Syntaxvgm]

So you think if i buy lets say for example GTAV for PC just based on reviews etc and you pirate it first to see if you think its worth your money im the stupid one for not doing the same? 

that's a game. Not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about expensive software meant to accomplish some task. For example, I wouldn't buy something that costs 500$ and it's meant to do x, but you don't know how well it does x until you try it. I have no shame in bootlegging something I won't use professionally, and I don't buy things for professional use unless I'm 100% sure I can use it or have already used it. 

I generally don't pirate games to see if they were worth the money, and I do get burned, but that's games and how they are. I just avoid buying on launch like I did with watchdogs and got burned. I will say I think buying used games is as bad as bootlegging almost, might as well pirate it at that point, not like the developer gets any money, just gamestop or something. 

 

Btw an example of where I stand morally-

If you need photoshop to put fury porn on reddit or deviantart or something stupid, and you bootlegged it, fine. (I know most use Sia's paint tool, but go with it) 

But as soon as you sell some of these on deviantart or something, like do commissions ect, you need to buy the program or the commercial version of it if it's got 2 separate licences. 

Now, with creative cloud, it's more accessible, but CS6 cost me more than my desktop did I think, and it used to be really hard to justify spending 6-700$ on something you make shit like that with for free. 

Now here's where it gets hairy-

I own PS, but not illustrator. I have a bootlegged copy of illustrator. I don't use it professionally yet, but I have gotten really good at it and made some cool stuff, and I plan to use it on the next thing I sell. I've already made some of the assets with it that I'm pretty sure I'll use, I just have not got it ready to sell yet. When the the time comes I do sell it, I will have to buy illustrator before I sell it. I bootlegged CS6. That was like 600$. But I'm going to buy creative cloud. Since I moved from a one time thing to a subscription thing and payed a lot less, and developed on it for a long time, I don't know how I feel about that. I will likely keep renewing and using my illustrator subscription for a long time, but I don't see it to be worth 600$ to get cs6 for minor photo assets I'm making, I don't use it nearly as much as photoshop. Should i buy CS6? Should I buy an extra year on another account because I've used it off and on for a year? Or is starting the subscription ok because that's when I'm selling things made with it or made in part by it? I'm not sure what I'm gonna do yet. 

[TAK]

.

[GoldSrc]

Luckily i don't run it at startup and turn it off as soon as my download is done

Seed that Linux distro until you bleed.

[zEr04]

I have uninstalled and installed it again.. Can't see any unusual activities going on?? There was a quote in the article;

"The issue specifically relates to uTorrent version 3.4.2 build 28913 (32-bit), which is the company’s most recent update." The one I just downloaded is: build 38913. Maybe it's fixed?

 

Only reason why I put up with uTorrent is the scheduling.. Tried the qbittorrrent one and not a big fan.  If any one else knows other good clients that implement a decent scheduler I am all for.

[Syntaxvgm]

I have uninstalled and installed it again.. Can't see any unusual activities going on?? There was a quote in the article;

"The issue specifically relates to uTorrent version 3.4.2 build 28913 (32-bit), which is the company’s most recent update." The one I just downloaded is: build 38913. Maybe it's fixed?

 

Only reason why I put up with uTorrent is the scheduling.. Tried the qbittorrrent one and not a big fan.  If any one else knows other good clients that implement a decent scheduler I am all for.

Try old versions of utorrent? I use like 2.0.1, idk if it has scheduling. 

[Opcode]

Soooo. Is it hidden and hard to detect? Any simple way to know if one is affected?

It's probably compiled directly into the uTorrent binary. So unless you disassemble it and debug it you won't ever know what it's actually doing. Tho I guess you could monitor the traffic on your machine with a packet sniffer. As Bitcoin miners have to obtain chunks so they can actually have work to do. So you might be able to snag the work request and completion packets that it sends. That would probably be the easiest method unless they have it setup where the client communicates with their own server that redirects these work order requests and encrypts them with something strong before sending them to the end user.

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

Try old versions of utorrent? I use like 2.0.1, idk if it has scheduling. 

wow, that's older that what i use (3.3)

[Hackzzila]

News flash, thats my laptop was running at 100% load ALL OF THE TIME

 

RAGE MODE!!!!!!

F*** U uTorrent F*** U!

YOU KILLED MY LAPTOP MOTHER F***ERS!

[Albatross]

Great, now I have to find a replacement.

[Thronar]

They pulled an esea

[SirSquid]

Wow that's messed up, but then again so is pirating.

utorrent isn't used by just pirates, I used it to download unigine valley.

[Opcode]

Great, now I have to find a replacement.

You won't disappoint.

 

[Albatross]

You won't disappoint.

 

 

Thanks! Uninstalling uTorrent now.