is there a risk of infection from wallpapers?

[TECHNIKAKeitoSithuro]

i saw somewhere that someone almost got a trojan from a wallpaper here in the steam workshop (it was circumvented using the windows default AV but a bit irrelevant) so is that a real risk to be awary of? how can i possibly know what im installing is safe?

[Asuki]

Avoid "Application" and "Web" wallpapers and you'll be fine :)

[Aidenel]

Originally posted by Asuki:

Avoid "Application" and "Web" wallpapers and you'll be fine :)

basically this, aye.

[TECHNIKAKeitoSithuro]

Originally posted by Asuki:

Avoid "Application" and "Web" wallpapers and you'll be fine :)

im not familiar with the kind, could you elaborate a bit more?

[Asuki]

There are 4 types of wallpaper on Wallpaper Engine: Scene, Video, Application and Web.

Scene and video are safe (or at least I never got any with a malware in it).;

Application and web are the type that you should be wary of:
-the application ones basically are normal apps that will run in the background and reproduce the content of the wallpaper on the desktop just like a scene or a video BUT since it's a app you can hide stuff in it, this is of course dangerous and a lot of application type are either false positive virus, or straight up viruses;
-the web ones may contain hidden adware without pop ups.

This is also the reason why these two type are never approved (I think).

All you have to do is simple: before subscribing to any wallpaper check if it is a "Type : Application / Web", and remember that you can always filter these types out in the app.

[Aidenel]

to add to Asuki, when browsing in the wallpaper engine program you can disable the showing of App and Web wallpapers entirely.

[Careful, I got a reputation.]

for the record I am pretty sure that valve would be pretty pissed if there were malware hiding in the workshop and likely wouldn't hesitate to get rid of any malware infested application wallpapers

[TECHNIKAKeitoSithuro]

Originally posted by Asuki:

There are 4 types of wallpaper on Wallpaper Engine: Scene, Video, Application and Web.

Scene and video are safe (or at least I never got any with a malware in it).;

Application and web are the type that you should be wary of:
-the application ones basically are normal apps that will run in the background and reproduce the content of the wallpaper on the desktop just like a scene or a video BUT since it's a app you can hide stuff in it, this is of course dangerous and a lot of application type are either false positive virus, or straight up viruses;
-the web ones may contain hidden adware without pop ups.

This is also the reason why these two type are never approved (I think).

All you have to do is simple: before subscribing to any wallpaper check if it is a "Type : Application / Web", and remember that you can always filter these types out in the app.

ohh i see i seee, thanks!!