NVidia drivers 270.xx+ create hidden password-protected user account on your computer

[pcslookout]

Really?
Why don't you unstall their driver then?
Because I am 100% sure you did not approve every single filecopy, registy entry or active .dll?

If I ever go into buisness I sweer I will have a EULA that prohibit people from the US using my products, due to paranioa/tinfoil hat consern....and stance like yours.

Well get use to it that is who I am and how I am. Can't help it. I am a perfectionist.

I agree with you on the second part fully.

 

[Lonbjerg]

Well get use to it that is who I am and how I am. Can't help it. I am a perfectionist.

I agree with you on the second part fully.

Then you need to redo your usernick *shrugs*

 

[pcslookout]

Then you need to redo your usernick *shrugs*

Ok I don't know if there is something in the water there or what but glad to see you are as quick as you are with the forums. It is rare seeing people just as quick. Thanks!

Most people here are never like that. There some but it is even more rare here.

 

[Red Storm]

You sound like you don't know how the updater works?

I'm going by your previous post to another user where you said "You don't like to get automatic driver updates?" and my answer to that is no, I do not want my video driver to automatically update.

 

[readymix]

"NVidia drivers 270.xx+ create hidden password-protected user account on your computer"


not present in the 275.xxx quadro drivers.

 

[NIGELG]

Now what the reasoning behind this?
You don't like to get automatic driver updates?
You want to waste your time doing it manually?

Because if you say "sercurity reasons" I am going to slam my face against my desk...really hard!

I wish he had said 'security reasons' a 100 times so you could have slammed your face...really hard a hundred times.

 

[Madcatatlas]

I wish he had said 'security reasons' a 100 times so you could have slammed your face...really hard a hundred times.

lol!

:thumbsup:


And ljonberg: are you being dense and or provocative on purpose?

If people think this is an issue I have to *ROFL*

A none-priviliged account...oh the tinfoilhats will be strong with this one

is this the kind of posting we want to see in response to every issue raised by new and old members alike?

 

[crisium]

I actually do not like automatic driver updates. Very rarely there are reported problems or even decreased performance in select titles and I like to give it some time before trying.

And the other reason is security concerns, yes.

 

[skipsneeky2]

Never installed more then the basic drivers and physics.

Only updated if needed like 285.38 for BF3 .

Was on 266.68 till i went with 285.38 then i got random system reboots,rolled back to 280.26 and random issues with BC2 ....back to 266.68 i go...the last best stable driver iv'e ever used this year alone.

Am i the only one who can relate? Or do the newer drivers plague older generation cards while improving newer ones?

 

[SlowSpyder]

And ljonberg: are you being dense and or provocative on purpose?



is this the kind of posting we want to see in response to every issue raised by new and old members alike?

Lonbjerg makes exactly four types of posts. Any of the below, or a combination of.

-Posts that praise Nvidia no matter the circumstance.
-Posts that belittle AMD.
-Posts that use the word "fallacy" (often incorrectly as he'll use that word when someone differs in opinion from him)
-Posts where he belittles others.

As for this actual subject, I'm not sure it's a big deal at all. But I would rather Nvidia be forward that this happens. But this is now a non-issue for me, I was looking at some Nvidia GPU laptops, but ending buying a Llano baed part. So I guess I don't care what Nvidia does.

 

[waffleironhead]

So nvidia is creating a hidden user, with most likely a non-unique password, with install and debug privileges on your system without your knowledge. I'm wondering how strong the password is.
Anyone care to run a password crack and see just how secure this account is?

 

[SergeC]

This is how they silently install profile updates. Optimus has had this for years. I thought everyone knew this?

This. How did you think it worked?

 

[Madcatatlas]

This is how they silently install profile updates. Optimus has had this for years. I thought everyone knew this?

comment to the bolded "part":

Everyone? you really thought this?

what is your definition of everyone? Anandtech.com is one of the most visited hardware websites in the world, surely you dont think even the majority of people visiting Anandtech know this little detail/secret or whatever you want to call it.

And as stated in my first post in this topic, i dont care aslong as it doesnt track personal information, gather that for nvidias goals or to be used by third party goals and it doesnt slow my computer.

I actually think it is a good thing, as long as it does not slow my computer or compromise the safety of my personal information.

 

[BFG10K]

I don’t install the update part of the drivers, and I don’t have this user account.

 

[Will Robinson]

Lonbjerg makes exactly four types of posts. Any of the below, or a combination of.

-Posts that praise Nvidia no matter the circumstance.
-Posts that belittle AMD.
-Posts that use the word "fallacy" (often incorrectly as he'll use that word when someone differs in opinion from him)
-Posts where he belittles others.

As for this actual subject, I'm not sure it's a big deal at all. But I would rather Nvidia be forward that this happens. But this is now a non-issue for me, I was looking at some Nvidia GPU laptops, but ending buying a Llano baed part. So I guess I don't care what Nvidia does.

QFT +2:thumbsup:

 

[bononos]

I actually do not like automatic driver updates. Very rarely there are reported problems or even decreased performance in select titles and I like to give it some time before trying.

And the other reason is security concerns, yes.

Exactly.
I don't want new driver messing up settings and such which I may have meticulously set for benches/games.
I also agree that security is a concern and the poster talking about tinfoil hats is trolling.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I can imagine scenarios in which this "secret" password leaks out, and then is used to access otherwise locked-down systems.

 

[Rifter]

I uninstalled drivers made sure the user account was gone and then reinstalled without the update crap.

Its not so much that it was a security risk(which im sure it was, im sure the password was the same for all accounts on everyones comp, and probably wasnt a strong password)

It was more the principle of doing it without telling anyone that there was a potential security issue.

And i still dont understand why they couldnt just either use the system user or at the very least not hide the user they created so it doesnt show up when you go to users in the control panel.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I personally am not fond of automatic updates. I've had to help co-workers deal with the occasional "oops! our bad!" buggy update that broke something. If a program or my drivers are working well for me I don't want to change them "just because" or to gain 1 FPS in some game that I'm not playing right now.

But: Adobe, Sun (RIP), others all manage to offer an automatic update feature that works under Windows 7 but does not require creating a hidden Windows account with possible security implications (weak password? fixed password?).

 

[Lonbjerg]

It's sad when the people whining about a thing, cleary havn't tried the thing:

I wonder if the tinfoilhats will tell me what gets updated automatically..and what need approval/interaction from the user.

But I don't that will change make people change their false/flawed statements...why let facts get in the way of a good time of tinfoilhat...

 

[Red Storm]

It's sad when the people whining about a thing, cleary havn't tried the thing:



I wonder if the tinfoilhats will tell me what gets updated automatically..and what need approval/interaction from the user.

But I don't that will change make people change their false/flawed statements...why let facts get in the way of a good time of tinfoilhat...[/QUOTE]

Plenty of applications do the same, but I don't recall any of them creating hidden user accounts on the computer...

I don't have an Nvidia card at the moment so this doesn't affect me, but I was never aware of this before seeing this thread.

 

[notty22]

It's not a normal user or guest user account. It's more like a sub-user . It's just how Nvidia worked this auto-update/notification in to windows background housekeeping/maintenance processes.
I am the administrator on this computer with UAC active. If you stumble upon where java keeps it auto-update.exe you can google it's name and you can see the masses wondering about that process and why it's where it is.
If they implement something like this, Nvidia has to make sure it functions correctly on as many peoples computers as possible. Microsoft and Nvidia work together all the time, on IE9, Win 8, for example. Microsoft does not allow certain program behavior.

Privacy-violating, useless AVG antivirus app pulled from Windows ...

IF anyone feels there is something to report to Microsoft, shoot them a email. But there is not, imo.

 

[waffleironhead]

I think most people are concerned about the security of this account and its use as a possible attack vector. They are already trusting nvidia with their drivers so thats not the problem, they are concerned as to whether other less reputable sources can take advantage of this account for other purposes.
From my own looking across the net, the account have a pretty easy 5 character password.

 

[notty22]

There is no real access rights beyond firewall access that I am aware of. That anyone has shown ? When you install AMD drivers, standard install is to allow push web content. IMO, whatever risk users feel there is here, is present in many common usage situations. Steam.exe currently offers AMD users driver notification/update prompts. That must involve some sort of scan/report. Is that a risk ?
We all should always be alert, and aware, it's not bad to discuss these things. Especially, with banking, or CC usage. There just has been nothing shown to be dangerous or sinister here.

 

[waffleironhead]

There is no real access rights beyond firewall access that I am aware of. That anyone has shown ? When you install AMD drivers, standard install is to allow push web content. IMO, whatever risk users feel there is here, is present in many common usage situations. Steam.exe currently offers AMD users driver notification/update prompts. That must involve some sort of scan/report. Is that a risk ?
We all should always be alert, and aware, it's not bad to discuss these things. Especially, with banking, or CC usage. There just has been nothing shown to be dangerous or sinister here.

I agree, this isnt sinister exactly, its one of those "the more you know". type things. Now that I'm aware of the account, I can monitor the logs for any access.