When I start etcher Windows Defenders Antimalware service goes off the chart when I check task manager even tho I entered an exclusion for Etcher. Takes a good 2 min for etcher to start after clicking on it/ This can’t be normal?
Hi @samiam, we have had a few imitator sites recently which have been promoting fake versions of etcher that download malware, we wrote a blog about it recently here:Beware of false, harmful software claiming to be balenaEtcher
Can I check that you downloaded etcher from here: balenaEtcher - Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives?
I followed the link from the Zorin OS site for the download. So if they had a false link then it’s possible> I have version 1.70 and was downloaded December 21, 2021. I used it to burn a linux Mint Iso for an install. If its a fake version could it have infected my Linux install ? Everything seems fine with it and Clam AV scan shows nothing.
Hi Sam,
If its a fake version could it have infected my Linux install ?
A modified version of Etcher could feasibly insert a payload into the flashed device in order to compromise the OS it installs. However, I haven’t heard of an exploit such as this, and it’s probably not likely.
You can check the integrity of the release you downloaded by comparing the checksum against the same version downloaded from the above, legitimate link.