This is why I never feel safe downloading a program from Github. I need a recognisable domain name website that google or duckduckgo has picked as the product.
No it’s not perfect, but it feels safer than a random github.
I need a recognisable domain name website that google or duckduckgo has picked as the product.
This doesn’t always work. For example, I used to (and still do) see a lot of fake websites when I l type revanced (https://revanced.app/) on duckduckgo, and I’ve nearly fallen for two of the fake ones before (I think two of .com / .org / .to…?)
Thankfully ublock origin warns users of this:
Otherwise, I’d have 100% downloaded some malware-loaded crap.
It’s important to note that new scam sites won’t be picked up until someone reports them, so there’s still a chance you’ll be one of the first to a new domain.
Kagi:
1st result: their Github page
2: magiskDOTme/ (icon showing it may be scam)
3: magiskmanagerDOTcom/ (scam icon)
4: themagiskDOTcom/ (scam icon)
No way I’m clicking on anything but the Github page.
Kagi is somewhat better than Google, but you have to pay attention to the small warning icon.
I would say bot search engines do a bad job and shouldn’t show those results (or have an option “show me unsafe websites”)
edit: uptodown and softonic might not be as bad. Still wouldn’t download from them.
This reminds me of the new vector for malware that targets “vibe coders”. LLMs tend to hallucinate libraries that don’t exist. Like, it’ll tell you to add, install, and use jjj_image_proc or whatever. The vibe coder will then get an error like “that library doesn’t exist” and "can’t call jjj_image_proc.process()`.
But you, a malicious user, could go and create a library named jjj_image_proc and give it a function named process. Vibe coders will then pull down and run your arbitrary code, and that’s kind of game over for them.
You’d just need to find some commonly hallucinated library names
It’s taught me that bigger standard libraries are better. You still have similar issues, but at least nobody’s importing LeftPad. And your remaining dependency probably isn’t importing LeftPad either.
This is why I never feel safe downloading a program from Github. I need a recognisable domain name website that google or duckduckgo has picked as the product.
No it’s not perfect, but it feels safer than a random github.
This doesn’t always work. For example, I used to (and still do) see a lot of fake websites when I l type revanced (https://revanced.app/) on duckduckgo, and I’ve nearly fallen for two of the fake ones before (I think two of .com / .org / .to…?)
Thankfully ublock origin warns users of this:
Otherwise, I’d have 100% downloaded some malware-loaded crap.
Just tried a search for Magisk and uBlock indeed does a great job at blocking all the scam websites.
It’s important to note that new scam sites won’t be picked up until someone reports them, so there’s still a chance you’ll be one of the first to a new domain.
I need to install Magisk.
Google:
1st result: their Github page
2: magisk-manager.fr.uptodownDOTcom/android
3: magiskmanagerDOTcom/
4: magisk-manager.fr.softonicDOTcom/android
Kagi:
1st result: their Github page
2: magiskDOTme/ (icon showing it may be scam)
3: magiskmanagerDOTcom/ (scam icon)
4: themagiskDOTcom/ (scam icon)
No way I’m clicking on anything but the Github page.
Kagi is somewhat better than Google, but you have to pay attention to the small warning icon.
I would say bot search engines do a bad job and shouldn’t show those results (or have an option “show me unsafe websites”)
edit: uptodown and softonic might not be as bad. Still wouldn’t download from them.
Wait til you hear about npm.
This reminds me of the new vector for malware that targets “vibe coders”. LLMs tend to hallucinate libraries that don’t exist. Like, it’ll tell you to add, install, and use jjj_image_proc or whatever. The vibe coder will then get an error like “that library doesn’t exist” and "can’t call jjj_image_proc.process()`.
But you, a malicious user, could go and create a library named
jjj_image_procand give it a function namedprocess. Vibe coders will then pull down and run your arbitrary code, and that’s kind of game over for them.You’d just need to find some commonly hallucinated library names
As a Typescript developer, npm is a damn mess. I ain’t got a clue how to handle these dependencies.
It’s taught me that bigger standard libraries are better. You still have similar issues, but at least nobody’s importing LeftPad. And your remaining dependency probably isn’t importing LeftPad either.