In the past couple of years we have had a few threads dealing with download aggregator sites which used ‘
installers’ bundling genuine updaters with adware. CNet’s
Download.com (successor to VersionTracker) and
Softonic come to mind.
Recent developments suggest that MacUpdate may have to be added to such sites,
despite previous noises to the contrary. So far, not all updaters are adware-bundled (yet), but the fact that MacUpdate is
actively ‘moderating’ complaints and cautionary comments (scroll down) on the affected pages doesn’t help spotting the ones that are.
Contrary to CNet’s Download.com, the adware-installer hobbled MacUpdate downloads are not immediately obvious as such; only after downloading and opening the
XYZ Installer.dmg is the user presented with a nondescript ’
MacUpdate installer’ instead of the properly named software. Suffice it to say that one should NOT run these, but navigate to the original software publisher’s website (a link is present on the software’s MacUpdate page) and download the official updater or installer directly from them. I plan to update this post when more specifics become available.
