Engineer Rafael Rivera, in a recent observation shared via Neowin, has shed light on the less-than-innocuous nature of the Bing Wallpaper application. While it may appear to be a simple tool for personalizing your desktop, it conceals a series of disconcerting features that draw parallels to the more irritating forms of malware from the early days of the internet.
Unveiling the Hidden Intricacies
According to Rivera, the application goes beyond mere aesthetics. Upon installation, Bing Wallpaper automatically integrates Bing Visual Search into your system. Furthermore, it contains code designed to scrutinize and decrypt cookie files across popular browsers such as Firefox, Edge, and Chrome. This level of intrusion raises eyebrows regarding user privacy and data security.
As if these actions weren’t enough to warrant concern, the application also employs a web geolocation API, which could potentially track user locations. In a bid to steer users towards Microsoft’s ecosystem, it attempts to alter the default search engine settings to Bing and nudges users to designate Microsoft Edge as their primary browser.
Perhaps most unsettling is the behavior exhibited after closing the default browser. Bing Wallpaper takes the liberty of reopening it with a new tab that misleadingly claims, “you’ve already installed Microsoft Bing Search extension.” This tactic aims to coax users into enabling the extension within their browser settings, further entrenching Bing’s presence in their online experience.
Rivera emphasizes that these actions are merely a glimpse into the myriad of “nasty tricks” employed by Bing Wallpaper, suggesting that users should approach the application with caution and consider the implications of its installation on their systems.
