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interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%8B%A4%EC%9A%B4%EB%A1%9C%EB%93%9C%EB%8B%B7%EC%BB%B4" title="다운로드닷컴 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="다운로드닷컴" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNET_Download" title="CNET Download – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="CNET Download" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Download.com" title="Download.com – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Download.com" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a 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<div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"><span class="mw-redirectedfrom">(Redirected from <a href="/w/index.php?title=Download.com&redirect=no" class="mw-redirect" title="Download.com">Download.com</a>)</span></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Internet download directory</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><caption class="infobox-title fn org">CNET Download</caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Download_logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Download_logo.svg/300px-Download_logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="300" height="67" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Download_logo.svg/450px-Download_logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Download_logo.svg/600px-Download_logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="114" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">Type of site</div></th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Download" title="Download">Downloads</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Owner</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Ziff_Davis" title="Ziff Davis">Ziff Davis</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Created by</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/CNET" title="CNET">CNET</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">URL</th><td class="infobox-data url"><span class="url"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://download.cnet.com/">download<wbr />.cnet<wbr />.com</a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/wiki/IPv6" title="IPv6">IPv6</a> support</th><td class="infobox-data">No</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Commercial</th><td class="infobox-data">Yes</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Registration</th><td class="infobox-data">Optional</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Launched</th><td class="infobox-data">October 23, 1996<span class="noprint">; 28 years ago</span><span style="display:none"> (<span class="bday dtstart published updated">1996-10-23</span>)</span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Current status</th><td class="infobox-data category">Active</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>CNET Download</b> (originally <b>Download.com</b>) is an <a href="/wiki/Internet" title="Internet">Internet</a> <a href="/wiki/Download" title="Download">download</a> directory <a href="/wiki/Website" title="Website">website</a> launched in 1996 as a part of <a href="/wiki/CNET" title="CNET">CNET</a>. Initially it resided on the domain <i>download.com</i>, and then <i>download.com.com</i> for a while, and is now <i>download.cnet.com</i>. The domain <i>download.com</i> attracted at least 113 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a <a href="/wiki/Compete.com" title="Compete.com">Compete.com</a> study.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Overview">Overview</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=CNET_Download&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Overview"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The offered content is available in four major categories: <i>software</i> (including Windows, Mac and mobile), <i>music</i>, <i>games</i>, and <i>videos</i>, offered for download via <a href="/wiki/File_Transfer_Protocol" title="File Transfer Protocol">FTP</a> from Download.com's <a href="/wiki/Web_server" title="Web server">servers</a> or third-party servers. Videos are streams (at present) and music was all free <a href="/wiki/MP3" title="MP3">MP3</a> downloads, or occasionally <a href="/wiki/Digital_rights_management" title="Digital rights management">rights-managed</a> <a href="/wiki/Windows_Media_Audio" title="Windows Media Audio">WMAs</a> or streams until it was replaced with <a href="/wiki/Last.fm" title="Last.fm">last.fm</a>. </p><p>The Software section includes over 100,000 <a href="/wiki/Freeware" title="Freeware">freeware</a>, <a href="/wiki/Shareware" title="Shareware">shareware</a>, and try-first downloads. Downloads are often rated and reviewed by editors and contain a summary of the file from the software publisher. Registered users may also write reviews and rate the product. Software publishers are permitted to distribute their titles via CNET's Upload.com site for free, or for a fee structure that offers enhancements. </p><p>Up until 2015 CNet used Spigot Inc to monetize the traffic to download.com. According to Sean Murphy, then a General Manager at CNet, "Spigot continues to be a great partner to Download.com, sharing our desire to balance customer experience with revenue."<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Malware_distribution">Malware distribution</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=CNET_Download&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Malware distribution"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In August 2011, Download.com introduced an installation manager called CNET TechTracker for delivering many of the software titles from its catalog.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This installer included trojans and <a href="/wiki/Bloatware" class="mw-redirect" title="Bloatware">bloatware</a>, such as <a href="/wiki/Toolbars" class="mw-redirect" title="Toolbars">toolbars</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> CNET admitted in their download FAQ that "a small number of security publishers have flagged the Installer as <a href="/wiki/Adware" title="Adware">adware</a> or a <a href="/wiki/Malware#Grayware" title="Malware">potentially unwanted application</a>".<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In December 2011, <a href="/wiki/Gordon_Lyon" title="Gordon Lyon">Gordon Lyon</a>, writing under his pseudonym <i>Fyodor</i> wrote of his strong dislike of the installation manager and the bundled software. His post was very popular on social networks, and was reported by a few dozen media. The main problem is the confusion between the content offered on Download.com<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-insecure_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-insecure-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and the software offered by the original authors; the accusations included deception as well as copyright and trademark violation.<sup id="cite_ref-insecure_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-insecure-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 2014, <a href="/wiki/The_Register" title="The Register">The Register</a> and <a href="/wiki/United_States_Computer_Emergency_Readiness_Team" title="United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team">US-CERT</a> warned that via download.com's "<a href="/wiki/Bloatware" class="mw-redirect" title="Bloatware">foistware</a>", an "attacker may be able to download and execute arbitrary code".<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 2015, research by <a href="/wiki/Emsisoft" title="Emsisoft">Emsisoft</a> suggested that all free download portals bundled their downloads with potentially unwanted software, and that Download.com was the worst offender.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>A study done by How-To Geek in 2015 revealed that Download.com was packaging malware inside their installers. The test was done in a <a href="/wiki/Virtual_machine" title="Virtual machine">virtual machine</a> where the testers downloaded the Top 10 apps. These all contained crapware/malware; one example was the KMPlayer installer, which installed a <a href="/wiki/Rogue_antivirus" class="mw-redirect" title="Rogue antivirus">rogue antivirus</a> named 'Pro PC Cleaner' and attempted to execute <code>WajamPage.exe</code>. Some downloads, specifically YTD, were completely blocked by <a href="/wiki/Avast_Software" class="mw-redirect" title="Avast Software">Avast.</a><sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Another study done by How-To Geek in 2015 revealed that Download.com was installing fake <a href="/wiki/Public_key_certificate" title="Public key certificate">SSL certificates</a> inside their installers, similar to the <a href="/wiki/Lenovo" title="Lenovo">Lenovo</a> <a href="/wiki/Superfish" title="Superfish">Superfish</a> certificate. These fake certificates can completely compromise SSL encryption and allow <a href="/wiki/Man-in-the-middle_attack" title="Man-in-the-middle attack">man-in-the-middle attacks</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>However, in July 2016, How-To Geek discovered that Download.com no longer included adware/malware in its downloads and that its Installer program had been discontinued.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=CNET_Download&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110813045313/http://siteanalytics.compete.com/download.com/?metric=uv">"Download.com attracts over 100m visitors yearly"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://siteanalytics.compete.com/download.com?metric=uv">the original</a> on 2011-08-13<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2008-05-15</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Download.com+attracts+over+100m+visitors+yearly&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fsiteanalytics.compete.com%2Fdownload.com%3Fmetric%3Duv&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150316234405/http://www.spigot.com/monetization/">"Search Extensions"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.spigot.com/monetization/">the original</a> on March 16, 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 4,</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Search+Extensions&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spigot.com%2Fmonetization%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cnet.com/techtracker">"Download App - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com"</a>. Cnet.com<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-05-04</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Download+App+-+Free+download+and+software+reviews+-+CNET+Download.com&rft.pub=Cnet.com&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnet.com%2Ftechtracker&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.extremetech.com/computing/93504-download-com-wraps-downloads-in-bloatware-lies-about-motivations">"Download.com wraps downloads in bloatware, lies about motivations"</a>. ExtremeTech<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-05-04</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Download.com+wraps+downloads+in+bloatware%2C+lies+about+motivations&rft.pub=ExtremeTech&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.extremetech.com%2Fcomputing%2F93504-download-com-wraps-downloads-in-bloatware-lies-about-motivations&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNeal2011" class="citation web cs1 cs1-prop-unfit">Neal, Dave (December 6, 2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120107175731/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2130382/cnet-accused-bundling-malware-downloads">"Cnet is accused of bundling malware with downloads"</a>. The Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 4,</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Cnet+is+accused+of+bundling+malware+with+downloads&rft.pub=The+Inquirer&rft.date=2011-12-06&rft.aulast=Neal&rft.aufirst=Dave&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theinquirer.net%2Finquirer%2Fnews%2F2130382%2Fcnet-accused-bundling-malware-downloads&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFParrish2011" class="citation web cs1">Parrish, Kevin (December 7, 2011). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.tomsguide.com/us/CNET-CBS-Malware-Trojan-Nmap,news-13410.html">"CNET Accused of Bundling Software Downloads with Trojans"</a>. Tom's Guide<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 4,</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=CNET+Accused+of+Bundling+Software+Downloads+with+Trojans&rft.pub=Tom%27s+Guide&rft.date=2011-12-07&rft.aulast=Parrish&rft.aufirst=Kevin&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tomsguide.com%2Fus%2FCNET-CBS-Malware-Trojan-Nmap%2Cnews-13410.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190518124326/https://buzzcreed.com/">"CNET Download Installer"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://buzzcreed.com/">the original</a> on 2019-05-18<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-05-18</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=CNET+Download+Installer&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbuzzcreed.com%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBrian_Krebs2011" class="citation web cs1"><a href="/wiki/Brian_Krebs" title="Brian Krebs">Brian Krebs</a> (2011-12-06). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/12/download-com-bundling-toolbars-trojans/">"Download.com Bundling Toolbars, Trojans?"</a>. <i>Krebs on security</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-05-04</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Krebs+on+security&rft.atitle=Download.com+Bundling+Toolbars%2C+Trojans%3F&rft.date=2011-12-06&rft.au=Brian+Krebs&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fkrebsonsecurity.com%2F2011%2F12%2Fdownload-com-bundling-toolbars-trojans%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-insecure-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-insecure_9-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-insecure_9-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGordon_Lyon2012" class="citation web cs1"><a href="/wiki/Gordon_Lyon" title="Gordon Lyon">Gordon Lyon</a> (2012-06-27). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://insecure.org/news/download-com-fiasco.html#exec">"Download.com Caught Adding Malware to Nmap & Other Software"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-05-04</span></span>. <q>we suggest avoiding CNET Download.com entirely</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Download.com+Caught+Adding+Malware+to+Nmap+%26+Other+Software&rft.date=2012-06-27&rft.au=Gordon+Lyon&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Finsecure.org%2Fnews%2Fdownload-com-fiasco.html%23exec&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDarren_Pauli2014" class="citation web cs1">Darren Pauli (2014-07-08). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/08/download_wrappers_spruiked_vulnerable_avg_tool_cert_us_warns/">"Insecure AVG search tool shoved down users' throats, says US CERT"</a>. The Register<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-05-04</span></span>. <q>Sneaky 'foistware' downloads install things you never asked for</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Insecure+AVG+search+tool+shoved+down+users%27+throats%2C+says+US+CERT&rft.pub=The+Register&rft.date=2014-07-08&rft.au=Darren+Pauli&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theregister.co.uk%2F2014%2F07%2F08%2Fdownload_wrappers_spruiked_vulnerable_avg_tool_cert_us_warns%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://blog.emsisoft.com/2015/03/11/mind-the-pup-top-download-portals-to-avoid/">"Mind the PUP: Top download portals to avoid"</a>. EMSISOFT. March 11, 2015<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">May 4,</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Mind+the+PUP%3A+Top+download+portals+to+avoid&rft.pub=EMSISOFT&rft.date=2015-03-11&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.emsisoft.com%2F2015%2F03%2F11%2Fmind-the-pup-top-download-portals-to-avoid%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLowell_Heddings2015" class="citation web cs1">Lowell Heddings (2015-01-11). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.howtogeek.com/198622/heres-what-happens-when-you-install-the-top-10-download.com-apps/">"Here's What Happens When You Install The Top 10 Download.com Apps"</a>. How-To Geek<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">June 20,</span> 2015</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Here%27s+What+Happens+When+You+Install+The+Top+10+Download.com+Apps&rft.pub=How-To+Geek&rft.date=2015-01-11&rft.au=Lowell+Heddings&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.howtogeek.com%2F198622%2Fheres-what-happens-when-you-install-the-top-10-download.com-apps%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACNET+Download" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLowell_Heddings2015" class="citation web cs1">Lowell Heddings (2015-02-23). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.howtogeek.com/210265/download.com-and-others-bundle-superfish-style-https-breaking-adware/">"Download.com and Others Bundle Superfish-Style HTTPS Breaking Adware"</a>. How-To Geek<span class="reference-accessdate">. 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