AMD to remove auto-update notification from AMD Catalyst Control Center – Security Vulnerability Cited
This week, AMD stated that they will be removing the auto-update notification functionality from versions of AMD Catalyst™ Control Center. This applies to all Windows versions including Windows Vista, 7, and 8, beginning in 2013. In the meantime, they recommend this for Radeon users on their website:
Due to a minor security vulnerability in the auto-update notification, users are recommended to update to the latest AMD Catalyst™ driver release from the amd.com web site. Alternatively, users should (i) uncheck the “Automatically check for updates” option under AMD Catalyst Control Center > Information > Software Update, and (ii) choose to “Skip” notifications from the AMD Catalyst driver, which notifications recommend updating to the latest driver.
AMD’s Catalyst Control Center is the software provided by AMD to adjust the settings of their graphics hardware. It automatically checks AMD’s website regularly for a new Catalyst driver release and if an newer version is found, a pop-up message appears to recommend that the user download and install the latest Catalyst driver.
AMD doesn’t say what the “minor security vulnerability” might be although clearly it is serious enough for the company to discontinue the auto-updates. It is easy to speculate that an exploit may have been found that allows a third-party to spoof AMD’s message to trick a user to download a malware-laden package instead of AMD’s Catalyst driver update.
The next Catalyst release will disable this automatic driver messaging function and AMD recommends that the current auto-update also be disabled by the user by unchecking the option, “Automatically Check for Updates” in the Catalyst Control Center.
If you do get a notification, it is suggested that you “Skip” it and only download drivers from AMD’s driver update website.
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