Frostwire is now a malware
 

Had the displeasure to install Frostwire a few days ago.
Just terrible.
First they want to install the toolbar and even ask "are you sure" when refused. Well, yes, I'M SURE, I don't want your ad-ware.
But worst of all they now use hidden folders .netshare for hidden torrents that are not documented and not found in the configuration panel. That is a viral behavior.
And then they automatically, without asking for permission, start downloading 1.4Gb video via a torrent.
These Froswire devs are turning into real scumbags.
Frostwire needs to be forked.

File_Girl did a version of FW without the toolbars & other junk. Not sure about the other issue.

.netshare sounds like a common p2p network file to me. File_Girl could correct me there.
Downlloadinig a torrent without your permission .. yikes. What was the file?

The .networkshare is a hidden and nowhere documented folder that holds torrents that Frostwire automatically distributes without permission from the user.
The torrent in question is called "Four Eyed Monsters" and it's a 1.4 Gb film.
It also seems Frostwire checks for updates (transmitting who knows what information in the process) without giving the option to disable the feature.
I will never accept automatic updates from any app on my computer and if the app does not give me a choice I will stop using it.
The film is distributed as part of their new Frosclick endeavor.
I don't care what they do on Frostclick but they can't use my bandwidth without asking me first.

Frostwire, is it safe?
 

Shapeshifter910

What you have said about Frostwire is very disturbing, especially the part about distributing torrents without the user's permission:However, I will confirm what LOTR has said about File_Girl's version of FW, i.e. it does not have any junk in it. Also, it does not ask you to or perform an automatic torrents download, I know this because I installed and used FW last Saturday.

But you are right about the normal version of FW, it does ask if you want to download (I think) Google's toolbar, which most free apps and utilities do nowadays (even CCleaner), and (I remember) an auto torrent download which I cancelled and deleted.

As for checking for updates, all applications do that but I understand that File_Girl's version does not.

However, I am not aware of FW uploading or distributing itself or anything else without permission and so using my bandwidth for it's own ends. In fact, that's the reason I no longer use LW because the LW org. was using my bandwidth to aid in LW distribution without any form of notification or warning.

Finally, I am very paranoid about my PC's security and I will certainly be watching out for any viral behaviour from FW but since I now use File_Girl's cleaned up version I doubt if any of the problems you are worried about still exist.


UK Bob

PS. File_Girl, you are a bright shining star, thank you for the work you have done.

Thanks ukbobboy01 for you comment about FW...I found the new version 4.21.1 of FW verry suspect, which installed a load of crapp even i say N0 to every thing they offer me...My home page was changed to Ask dot com, and they put what they called "Open Candy" on my pc as well, which is only useless crapp...They also added like LW did a Auto-Update function which can be used to manny other things like ukbobboy01 mention about in his post above!

I think the new FW 4.21.1 can do this, and i do not like it....The FW 4.20.9 the one i fixed as ukbobboy01 telling about does not have the behavior as shapshifter910 tells us about...I do believe shapeshifter910 tells us about is the reality of the new fw 4.21.1...I also think FW will be the next target for RIAA, they only need to kill LW for good first! I would not be suprised to see if LW ending up like BearShare did, and become a iMesh clone!

PS:Btw LOTR i also notice that folder as shapeshifter910 mention ".netshare", but i think it is not Malware like that...Yes i also noticed the same torrent file called "Four Eyed Monsters" in FW version 4.21.1, but in the version i fixed is this folder not there...

Most of our .xxx folders are there to not bother the user with things they don't understand. No malicious code anywhere, go ahead and checkout our repo.

If they're undocumented, by all means go to our repo (frostwire / frostwire / overview), read the code and document away, help is needed. We could use people making youtube videos explaining what things are and why they are there.

The promo's usually have a "Download Now" button, if not it's pretty obvious that if you click you'll start downloading a torrent. These promo's are there for no cost to the Content Creators and they are a show case of what legal p2p is and how the network can be used to their advantage. We have help distribute several million legal downloads of movies, music albums and software. We are friends of Vodo.net and other organizations looking to promote free content. Thanks for calling us scumbags before talking to us.

The Ask toolbar offer has been there for years, if you can read you will not install it, if you do you can help the project continuity.

As of 4.21.x FrostWire we have now implemented automatic updates via BitTorrent, this way we eat our own food to distribute our technology, we have still not rolled out the first automatic update, this will happen for 4.21.2 once it's ready.

So nope, no malware, we'll never do malware, we're not that stupid.

Feel free to visit our forum's at http://frostwire.com/forums

We'll soon be activating the Mojito DHT aswell (in case anybody is wondering).

The FrostWire Team

Does 'any' user of any software really appreciated auto-updates of the software they use?

Some like myself like to read user feedback on update reports before updating their software. Not being forced to update without a choice. For some professional programs this can render the program unusable, or buggy/problematic & ruin the projects they are working on.

For p2p software, we saw what happened to LW with auto updates, same thing happened to Foxy with auto updates. People will sit at home nervously wondering when it is going to happen with FW. The concept of auto update is 'control', which lots of people do not appreciate.

Do FW devs drop by these forums much btw. :)

Ha must stupid thing i ever have heared about is this:


We all know what Ask Toolbar is...It's Adware and why did FrostWire change my home page and set it to Ask dot com even i unchecked all your fancy offers of crapp...Btw glubatron you not mention enny thing about Open Candy or???

It is quite simple. If a user can't opt out of something, then you have to make the user aware of this. If you want to promote something, then make it clear to the user what you are promoting. Doing things "behind the scenes" is generally not liked. A good example would be the recent Adobe reader downloads, where until enough users got furious about it, there was an already checked "Include MacAfee Security Scan" nicely hidden away from sight at the very bottom of the page.

While I'm sure you aren't breaking laws by doing this, you are losing the clients trust. And the "If you read closely enough" I'm afraid doesn't fly.

Your site says: No Spyware. No Adware. Guaranteed. http://www.frostwire.com/ Shouldn't it be. "Choice to opt out of adware install."?

What is Ask if I may ask? Do you really believe that Ask isn't adware. What's your definition of adware then?

Also I see absolutely no mention of Ask upon downloading Frostwire. On the other hand the moment I run the installer Comodo pops up asking about AskInstallChecker-1.5.0.0.exe, I chose to block it and now Frostwire won't install. Rerunning the installer with always blocking the above file worked. I was still asked if I was sure I wanted to continue install without installing the Ask.com Toolbar, which is just idiotic, since it's checked by default.

I also read the agreement in it's entirety and nowhere did it mention forced autoupdate nor your bandwidth being used to distribute anything.

I would say NO!

This will happen to FrostWire as well if RIAA shut them down....