3.3.2009.3 - chrmstp.exe added to auto runs (it's back!)

Pathduck

I'm kind of OCD about auto-runs so I tend to check it regularly, especially after software installs.

After today's update I found this ugly thing:

From the registry:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{9C142C0C-124C-4467-B117-EBCC62801D7B}]
@="Vivaldi"
"StubPath"="\"D:\\bin\\Vivaldi\\Application\\3.3.2009.3\\Installer\\chrmstp.exe\" --configure-user-settings --verbose-logging --system-level"
"Localized Name"="Vivaldi"
"IsInstalled"=dword:00000001
"Version"="43,0,0,0"

Found this old thread about the same thing:
https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/3021/chrmstp-exe-on-logon

Older scan of the file:
https://www.hybrid-analysis.com/sample/84816ba98904548aa3c4d314ff79d9689d5d5f45254ea20153bb60087d55c5d3?environmentId=100
(Does a lot of nasty stuff, sending data to the G-man)

Apparently this is the setup.exe with another name. But set to run on every logon. I think it does things like create a shortcut on the desktop for instance. I'm perfectly able to do that on my own thanks very much.

I really hope this is just some oversight from Vivaldi and they do not plan on keeping adding this Chrome monstrosity on every update. I hate it when tricks like this is being pulled. Will report it as a bug tomorrow (too late now...)

rseiler

@Pathduck It must do something other than putting an icon on the desktop, since Vivaldi doesn't do that here and neither do Brave, Chrome, and Edge, the other three things I see listed there. Note that I'm speaking of on an ongoing basis. Whether they did that upon initial install, I have no idea at this point.

Pathduck

@Gwen-Dragon said in 3.3.2009.3 - chrmstp.exe added to auto runs (it's back!):

Automatic updater of Chromium and of course Vivaldi:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/chrmstp.exe-28678.html

I kind of understood what it was. But I neither want nor need an automatic updater running on login. Adding one without any information or an option to remove it is just plain rude.

I've probably removed hundreds of things like this from the machines of friends and relatives complaining about their computers being "slow". Just because some muppet developer thinks that of course their little pet project needs to be running on boot and at all times.

This needs to die horribly in a fire. Until then I'll just keep deleting it from auto-runs.

Reported as VB-70686.

Pathduck

@Gwen-Dragon This is a "All users" installation, under D:\bin\Vivaldi.

Also, it's a 32-bit install on 64-bit OS, hence the WOW6432Node - so for your system the entry might be under here instead:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components

Or try checking with Autoruns:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

This might also only be added when doing a manual full install like I had to do yesterday, and I've not had to do that for years, so for all I know it's actually been like this for some time.

Pathduck

@Gwen-Dragon Viel Glück

Pathduck

@Gwen-Dragon Woopsie

Yes, this is the same I reported yesterday as VB-70677. But for me it happened with Check for updates dialog. Apparently it can also happen on regular manual update of existing installation.

Please do a favour and check AppData\Local\CrashDumps for maybe a dump of rundll.exe. I got it when it happened and I think it's related.

derDay

I'm curious to see how that turns out. This bug is years old (and IMO never disappeared)

rseiler

@Gwen-Dragon said in [3.3.2009.3 - chrmstp.exe added to auto runs \

Automatic updater of Chromium and of course Vivaldi:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/startups/chrmstp.exe-28678.html

That's curious. Has anyone ever seen any of the Chromium-based browsers update upon login? I never have. That's probably because most use an unrelated and frequently-run scheduled task to update the browser. So I doubt chrmstp.exe is really doing anything in reality, let alone impacting startup time.

Ander333

I wondered about this too, so I did some research. Apparently the "installer" (i.e. update-checker) auto-runs so that if any Chrome security updates are available, they're installed automatically so you don't end up running an insecure browser (which is what would happen if it had to wait till you actually ran it to update itself, right?). Google's just being proactive. I doubt the auto-run has any noticeable impact on system startup time or performance; it simply checks your browser's version number against the current one. Cheers!

Pathduck

@Ander333 Well, it's not returned these last four months after so I assume it was a mistake from Vivaldi's side including this.

Google's just being proactive.

Well, I don't want Google to be proactive. I want them to do as little as possible on my system.

I doubt the auto-run has any noticeable impact on system startup time or performance; it simply checks your browser's version number against the current one.

Does not matter, developers should not add all kinds of crap to the system startup just because they feel their little pet project needs it. Everyone of course thinks "it won't have any impact" and then the user is stuck with dozens of these things on startup, slowing everything down.