Wallpaper Engine removes 0.5% of Workshop wallpapers after security review
Some Workshop anime wallpapers had an extra feature no one wanted.
The developers of Wallpaper Engine are removing the legacy “Application” wallpaper type from the public Steam Workshop. The change is part of Wallpaper Engine 2.8.42 and follows recent reports about malware distributed through this wallpaper type.
According to the developers, Application wallpapers account for 0.5% of all wallpapers, with actual user numbers said to be lower. The format was hidden by default in the app and required warnings before use. Most existing Application wallpapers are being moved to friends-only during the transition, and users have around one week to back up items they want to keep locally.
The feature was created during the early development of Wallpaper Engine. It allowed users to run custom Windows executables as desktop backgrounds. The developers now say executable files cannot be secured reliably through automated checks, so users can no longer upload or download Application wallpapers through Steam Workshop.
Source: Steam
Malware reports led to removal
Kaspersky said attackers used Steam Workshop packages for Wallpaper Engine to distribute malware. The issue was tied to Application wallpapers, which can run Windows executable code. Kaspersky found malicious packages with EXE, DLL and script payloads, along with password-protected archives that could launch payloads when the wallpaper was applied.
The Wallpaper Engine team says the recent outbreak affected a small number of users due to existing safeguards. It also says leaving existing wallpapers online would still carry risk because Steam Workshop does not offer a way to lock items from future updates. If a creator account were later compromised, a previously safe wallpaper could receive a malicious update.
Local use remains
Custom Application wallpapers can still run locally on a user’s own PC, but public distribution through Steam Workshop is being discontinued. Users with active Application wallpapers should back up files within the next week if they want to keep them.
Source: Steam
