LG Split Screen Improves Usability and Reduces Security Drastically

Developer's Couch ^ | April 8, 2015 | Chris

[Utilizer]

Life is good (LG) is what you may say out loud when using LG stuff. Unfortunately, today I have to tell you that life is horrible. I recently upgraded to an ultra wide LG screen which comes with split screen software. While I am happy with the hardware, I am utterly disappointed how LG treats security. The TL;DR version is that instead of writing software properly, they just disable UAC upon installation in order to make their software work.

I received my monitor some time around last week and quickly installed the software. Nothing special has happened during the setup I thought. It asked me for a reboot and the other typical stuff you get during a setup. However, a week later I realized that my Notepad++ session is in Administrator mode without me even explicitly launching it as an Administrator. Normally, you have to right click on the icon and “launch it as Administrator.” Another indicator that something was wrong is that each time I used the “Run” application, it would start CMD with an Admin.

[Utilizer]

For those of you who purchased an LG monitor, an unwelcome surprise has been discovered in part of the included software. Although there seems to be some difficulty in deciding if this indeed an LG problem or a Windows problem.

Seems kind of minor, and I run Linux not 'doze so I do not know if this mentioned software came with the unit and am not affected by it, but those of you Running with Redmond might wish to have a look about.

[Utilizer]

ping...

[PAR35]

Running with Redmond might wish to have a look about.

You don't need special software to run a split screen in Windows. Perhaps you should upgrade from Linux.

I used to play with Linux on some old boxes, but most distros are as bloated as MS these days. Unless you run one of the light builds with limited functionality, you might as well stick to Windows.

[Utilizer]

No thanks. I happen to like My software without a price tag or mandatory and draconian registration requirements, and My computers to be virus, malware, and adware -free boxen.

Linux is the only way to go for these machines.

[EinNYC]

LG, as a company in general, is the lowest form of scum. After recently having gone through a horrific “adventure” in the most degrading possible parody of “customer service” regarding a less-than-optimally-functioning LG cell phone, I won’t have an LG product in my home. LG, for me, stands for “Lousy Garbage”.

[Utilizer]

Crikey. Sorry you had such a bad experience with them dealing with their customer service department. I have never had to deal with that particular department and My only experience was with a cellphone and monitor which has thus far been positive so I suppose I should feel grateful. Hope you come by better service in the future.

Cheers!

[Svartalfiar]

Why would you need software to use a monitor? Is this SplitScreen thing something special, or just a regular extended desktop? The article doesn’t describe it at all.

[dayglored]

Of special interest to developers and others -- SECURITY ISSUE with LG - UAC disabled ... PING!

... and a thankful tip-o'-the-hat to Utilizer for the heads up!

[dayglored]

> My only experience was with a cellphone and monitor which has thus far been positive so I suppose I should feel grateful.

I got an excellent LG/Verizon flip-phone a LONG time ago, got the next model after that, and it was so good that when they stopped making it available through Verizon, and I needed a replacement, I bought two more over eBay -- one to replace it and one as a spare. (My next phone was an iPhone so no more flip phones.)

I never had to deal with their customer service, but their hardware was great by me. OTOH, this security issue is a large disappointment to hear about.

[Utilizer]

For greatest functionality, manufacturors ship specialized software and ‘drivers’ that tell Windows how to best access the features provided by the products the OEMs produce.

This particular software is a small program provided by the OEM to display the monitor’s ‘split-screen’ capability and is not strictly necessary for the monitor’s primary functionality.

Rather like a certain OEM used to provide a small program called JoyToy with every joystick they sold, which would produce “bullet holes” onscreen when you pulled the trigger of the joystick and would track them across the screen when you tilted it in any direction at the same time.

In this case, the software presented a Security Risk due to how it required the user to install it, thus the warning.

Hope that helps. :)

[Rebelbase]

My son chipped in to help his mother buy a computer for her mother this past Christmas. Sole use of the machine was to email and surf. Son told his mom, have a shop remove Windows and install Linux, if not it’ll get hosed up beyond use within 90 days.

The 2nd week in march it was hosed up with viruses and malware so bad it required an operating system re-install—Linux this time.

[Utilizer]

There is another option. Download a kiosk distro bootable cd and run that. That way, you can browse all you wish, work with emails, and since the distro will not allow any writing to your drives or modifying your machine in any way, you are quite safe going online and can keep your ‘doze OS.

I personally need to dual-boot on the main machines here because there are certain specialized programs that will only run in the ‘doze environment and the companies involved do not have any linux versions nor do they plan to do so in the future. Sparc, Irix, Unix and H-P machines along with their ‘doze XP offerings, but still no Linux.

*sigh*

Someday.

[miliantnutcase]

I want a 21:9 monitor- I might still consider the LG, but I wouldn’t run any of their software with it.

[EinNYC]

Yes, thanks. I purchased what was described as a new LG phone on Amazon. Within 3 months, the camera was caflooey. Also, it was very annoying that the shift button would apparently stick, resulting in whole sentences of caps which would then have to be deleted, a real pain in the behind. And, the phone could not communicate with its SD card, so I could not show pics stored on SD card to friends when meeting up with them. Very annoying phone! This phone had a 1-year warranty. I contacted the Amazon seller, who did not respond. I then contacted LG. They sent me a return authorization form to include in the package, and a link to print out free return shipping.

I called a week later, how's my phone doing? Uh, we lost it. You lost my phone?????? Yeah.

About a week later, I called LG back.

Oh, we found your phone.

You did? Great! Now is it fixed?

Oh, you have to provide us with the MEID number.

But you have the phone. It's inside the battery compartment. Why do I need to give you that? I don't even have the phone to look it up!

But you have to give it to us.

I called my cell phone carrier. They did NOT want to give me the MEID, but after I spent a LOT of time pleading my case, they relented. I called LG back.

OK, here is the MEID number of the phone. Can you fix it now?

I called back a week later. We're now about a month into LG having the phone. Did you fix my phone yet? When can I expect it?

No, we didn't. We do not accept the Amazon proof of purchase.

WHAT???? That's the only proof of purchase you get from them. You don't get a cash register receipt.

But we need proof of purchase, and we don't accept the printout Amazon gave you.

I called Amazon. They agreed to call these imbeciles and TELL them that I indeed purchased the phone and the date I did so.

I called back LG a few days later. Did you fix my phone yet?

Oh no, we found it to be refurbished/tampered with/water damaged. We can fix it, but you have to pay.

WHAT?????? I purchased that phone as new. Was never anywhere near water or any other liquid. Didn't even have a scratch on it. What do you mean "refurbished"????? You're nuts.

Well, we say it's refurbished. What should we do with your phone?

I wanted to tell them to shove where the sun never shines, but I just told them to mail it back to me.

How about THIS for customer "service"???

I told Amazon about the whole incredibly sorry excuse for customer service at LG, and that they claimed the phone was not new, and that the seller on Amazon had not responded. Amazon did its usual STERLING customer service and gave me the price of the phone as a credit.

So, score 1 Amazon and score -1,000 for LG AND the seller. Nothing made by LG will ever enter my home again.

[miliantnutcase]

We always get the Linux hobbyists crashing the MS threads. I’ll usually counter-troll with the fact that BSD is much more secure than Linux ;-)

[Utilizer]

Bloody ‘ell. My experiences were nowhere near that bad.

Mine was through NewEgg and involved a Mail-in rebate from the Mfr on a new piece of equipment. I had to mail them a copy of the NewEgg Sales receipt proving that I had made the purchase during the timeframe specified when the sales was ongoing, and the Original Shipping Label from the box it arrived in.

Sent them in, watched online as they acknowledged receipt of My documents, and waited the required three months for My refund. I would enquire occasionally about the status and each time their Status Page would state: “Your order is being processed. Please be patient.”

After the 90 days had passed with no refund and no changes in the “status”, I finally emailed the Mfr in an attempt to discover what was going on. Finally got a reply: ‘The information you provided does not relate to any sale we had ongoing during the timeframe specified.’ Not a direct quote but the best I can remember now.

Furious, I emailed NewEgg and lodged a complaint, and they were kind enough to immediately give Me the rebate amount from their own company instead of the OEM.

Have never trusted any rebate offers after that, but am very happy with NewEgg for their quick responce to My difficulties.

[Utilizer]

By the way, please don’t forget to target the seller that began all your difficulties. Tell many, many others about it.

Cheers.

[cartan]

Although there seems to be some difficulty in deciding if this indeed an LG problem or a Windows problem.

If LG’s software actually disables UAC, that is most definitely an LG problem. How incredibly incompetent! To give you a Linux equivalent, imagine some piece of software simply chmodding everything in $PATH to setuid root, probably because they can’t be bothered to figure out how to deal with operating system security properly. Yes, it is that bad!

[EinNYC]

My main experience with rebates has been with Kaspersky Internet Security. They have a “free after rebate” deal about 3x/year. So I have not paid for KIS for at least 4 years. And, they do eventually pay up after a few weeks. I also received my rebate from Staples for some copy paper I had purchased. So, rebates can actually work.

[rarestia]

Not a problem with Windows if you’re on Win8 or higher. Split-screening is now built into the operating system.

Also, there are PLENTY of monitors out there that do split screen without software. My ASUS 4K monitors do split screen with the touch of a button, but then they were $500 apiece. Get what you pay for, I suppose.