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New owners of Windows 10 computers should be careful not to download Google Chrome via Microsoft Edge because Bing apparently returns search results containing malware and adware.
There's a joke going on that says that the only goal of Microsoft Edge is to download Google Chrome, but it seems that tables could turn easily for users who are not careful. Fortunately, the Twitter user, Gabriel Landau, was not the victim of a fake Google Chrome download page returned by a Bing search.
Brand new Win10 laptop. Try to install Chrome. Almost become owner with my very first action. Why is this still happening in 2018, @bing? Please, explain. pic.twitter.com/uYJhu7xa9H
– Gabriel Landau (@GabrielLandau) October 25, 2018
In a video Landau posted on his Twitter account, he explained how he had searched for the "chrome download" on Bing via the Microsoft Edge browser. He clicked on the first link that appears, which is marked as "google.com", leading to what appears to be the legitimate Google Chrome download page.
However, after a closer inspection, the URL of the page is "googleonline2018.com". The page is not an exact replica of the official Google Chrome landing page, but it seems real enough to fool users. In addition, clicking the Download Chrome button starts downloading ChromeSetup.exe, but checking the properties of the file reveals that it is digitally signed by a company named Alpha Criteria, which is obviously not Google. It is very likely that the fake file contains malware.
A survey by How To Geek revealed that the fake website is actually described as "deceptive site" by Google Chrome, but that it is not reported as such by Microsoft Edge and Bing. The Bing search query has been reproduced on some systems, but not only on Microsoft Edge.
The main problem here is that Bing apparently does not check the URL of the search result, which makes it possible to download the probable malware by unsuspecting users. Even worse, Bleeping Computer published the same ad in April. This is a recurring problem.
A spokesman for Microsoft contacted How To Geek to say that the fake ad had been removed from Bing and that the account associated with the malicious content had been banned. However, there is no indication why the ad was marked as coming from "google.com" and there is no guarantee that the ad will not reappear after a few months.
The problem makes it clear that users should always be very careful to download anything from the Internet. Even though websites and links seem legitimate, it's always best to check everything thoroughly to avoid headaches due to malware infections.
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