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Hackers breach JDownloader's website to serve malware-laced downloads

107 points by bundie

by RandomGerm4n

5 subcomments

I wish there was finally a decent alternative to this junk. JDownloader pretends to be GPL, but parts of it are closed source. Plus, the Windows installer on the official site is a gamble, and you can only find a clean installer in the forum. The developers claim it’s "just adware", but since it’s a web-based installer, different things are offered depending on your IP address. Some of these install themselves even if you decline them, and some also contain real malware. It was actually to be expected that they wouldn't secure their website properly and that someone else would end up spreading malware as a result. The only reason to still use this software is that it works with every obscure filehoster out there. Alternatives like pyload are much less effective at bypassing all the security measures these sites put in place to block download managers. It also lets you download videos from streaming sites that other tools like yt-dlp refuse to support.

by Existing4190

0 subcomment

> As there has been a question about updates. Those are not compromised, different infra, protected by end-2-end digital signature.
Phew!
From: https://old.reddit.com/r/jdownloader/comments/1t6goqe/is_the...

by nticompass

6 subcomments

I remember using download managers back in the day, and by "back in the day" I mean dial-up (and maybe early DSL). I liked being able to pause downloads and possibly split them up using multiple connections.
Nowadays, are download managers even needed anymore? At least for me, the internet is fast enough that I don't need a separate download manager, plus browsers support the pausing (and maybe multiple connections?) feature already.
I'm just curious why someone would need to use JDownloader.
EDIT: I hadn't thought about "warez" sites in a while and sites like megaupload where you had to wait for a timer. Those are totally "valid" uses for a downloader like this, thanks.

by kanemcgrath

0 subcomment

I am always worried that popular software like this is getting compromised. But what about all the smaller stuff? I download and run a bunch of small programs, especially for game modding. Do the small tools not have the same risk because of their smaller scale invites less dedicated attacks? or do they get compromised and fly completely under the radar?

by raphinou

0 subcomment

When will we finally sign artifacts?
I'm not only complaining, I also work on a solution (asfaload) that I want easy to use. As it is multisig, such platform breaches become impossible. Below is the doc of the CLI, i'm looking for testers and challengers of the solution!
https://asfaload.com/doc/

by Our_Benefactors

0 subcomment

I’ve never run into a program that manages to disregard as many UX best practices as Jdownloader. It has more maddening features than I can count. Even stuff like sorting a column by date doesn’t work how you would want it to, because it applies some “package grouping”. It’s the epitome of nonsensical defaults, features that maybe 1% of the user base would want and care about but toggled on by default.

by hereme888

0 subcomment

by kristofferR

1 subcomments

What's new? Hasn't JDownloader already served malware with the default installer for years, you had to use specific adware-free installers to avoid it?
https://board.jdownloader.org/showthread.php?t=54725

by bundie

1 subcomments