I'm trying to deploy and distribute a C++ app on Windows.
I've managed to create an MSI installer with Visual Studio (with the Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Project extension). When I run it on my computer, everything is fine. But if I run it on someone's else computer, Windows Defender displays a SmartScreen warning:
We are still in beta, so we don't have a lot of money or any certificates, but we want to make the beta available without this warning to allow users to test the product and give us feedback (we want to setup a build-measure-learn method).
I've seen that I can use EV certificates to remove this warning (but they are too expensive, so it's not an option).
How can I remove this warning for every user who downloads my installer from my website (without any cost, if possible)?
You need an officially code sign or and code sign EV certificate, it will cost some money, and sign with signtool or build events your output (dll, msi, exe) with that certificates. Then your setup, is from a known publisher (you / your brand).
You can use a self-signed cert, but then you need to install the cert on every machine ... that use case is useful for "internal" usage. In your case, when you offer a download from your Website, you need to inform the user, that you used a self-sign cert and you can offer the CA of your cert and ask the user to install it ... or you just mention that the cert is self-signed and share the Fingerprints / MD5 Hashes so your customers can verify the content on there own.
Related
I have what appears to be a valid signed Electron Windows application. I am using Electron Builder to sign the app for Windows with the same Apple .p12 certificate that we use to sign the app for macOS. The Electron Builder website mentions the following:
Code Signing Certificate shows a warning during installation that goes
away once enough users installed your application and you’ve built up
trust.
https://www.electron.build/code-signing#where-to-buy-code-signing-certificate
How long does it take for this trust to build up?
Here is a screenshot showing the certificate details in Windows:
Windows SmartScreen lists the publisher for the app as "Unknown publisher". Is there something I am missing here?
Even though this sounds irresponsible, answer is you never know when your application will earn enough reputation to pass smartscreen filtering. it's not static / fixed time period.
https://www.ssl.com/faqs/which-code-signing-certificate-do-i-need-ev-ov/#smartscreen
Unfortunately, Microsoft does not publish guidelines on what constitutes enough downloads to eliminate SmartScreen warnings. Microsoft has also indicated in the past that signing code is a “best practice” that you “can follow to help establish and maintain reputation for your applications.”
Unless you use EV cert, the only way to accelerate this is to publish your application and meaningful numbers of user download & installs without malicious behavior.
I need to install a cert to allow a browser to talk to localhost via our app. The .pfx file created for this purpose works great when imported with the Windows 10 MMC tool. But that's a lot of steps to make our users do manually.
By following the steps in this answer (Install a pfx certificate in a users store in Windows using WiX), I can build an MSI and it runs on the target machine without errors.
However, the cert does not exist in the usual "Certificates - Local Computer" MMC tool, nor can the cert be bound to the app with netsh. After a bit of searching, it turns out the cert is installed "somewhere in IIS", and is only visible in the IIS tool (?!).
Using openssl, I converted the .pfx to a .pem file. When running the MSI, this DOES seem to install the cert to the proper place (?!). However, the cert is missing the private key, so it also can't be bound with netsh ('SSL Certificate add failed, Error 1312').
What on earth is going on, and how can I make Wix install the certificate properly?
Well, I guess I figured it out. I tried running the MSI on a virgin Windows 10 installation, and the .pfx file installed correctly and can be bound ok.
So, my guess is that "something" is checking the local computer to see if IIS is installed, and makes the decision to install the cert in a place that only IIS can see or use it. There's probably a lot more going on behind the scenes, but that's the gist of it.
In summary, use a .pfx file to get the private key, and remember that the installation will only work on computers without IIS installed.
My company distributes an installer to customers via our website. Recently when I download via the website and try to run the installer I get the warning message:
Windows protected your PC
Windows Defender SmartScreen prevented an
unrecognized app from starting. Running this app might put your PC at
risk.
If I right-click on the installer and choose Properties I note the following:
Our installer is signed.
How do I find the reason for the Windows Defender SmartScreen warning?
I have not managed to find any log file for Windows Defender nor found anything in the Event Viewer.
TL;DR
This warning is shown if your app doesn't have enough reputation with Microsoft SmartScreen yet. In order to gain reputation, you can either
submit your app for malware analysis to Microsoft,
buy an "Extended Validation" code signing certificate,
buy a standard code signing certificate, or
just wait for a long time.
Read on for the details about these different options.
Option 1: Submit your app for malware analysis to Microsoft
Microsoft allows software developers to submit a file for malware analysis. According to Microsoft, this will help developers to "validate detection of their products". If the review was successful, the Microsoft SmartScreen warnings will go away faster, or sometimes even instantly (it worked instantly for one of my own apps). You need to have a Microsoft account to submit your app for review.
However, note that if you release an updated version of your app, then you'll also have to request a new review again. To overcome this problem, you'll either have to use an "Extended Validation" or a standard code signing certificate (see below).
Option 2: Buy an "Extended Validation" code signing certificate
A guaranteed way to immediately and permanently get rid of the Microsoft SmartScreen warnings is to buy an "Extended Validation" (EV) code signing certificate from one of the Microsoft-approved certificate authorities (CA's), and to sign your app with that EV certificate.
Such an EV certificate will cost you somewhere between 250 and 700 USD per year, and will only be issued to registered businesses. If you're a single developer, you must be a sole proprietor and have an active business license. You can read more about the formal requirements for EV code signing certificates in the EV Code Signing Certificate Guidelines.
An EV certificate will typically be shipped to you by physical delivery on a hardware token.
Option 3: Buy a standard code signing certificate
You can also buy a cheaper "standard" (i.e. non-EV) code signing certificate, and sign your app with that certificate. This will also permanently, but not instantly, make the Microsoft SmartScreen warnings disappear. Standard code signing certificates will cost you between 100 and 500 USD per year, and can also be issued to private developers without an active business license. Some CA's also offer discounts for open source projects.
No instant solution
The problem with standard code signing certificates is that they do not instantly silence Microsoft SmartScreen. Instead, some time will be needed for your certificate to build reputation before the warning will go away. However, once your certificate has built enough reputation, all applications signed with that certificate will be permanently trusted by Microsoft SmartScreen and won't trigger the warning anymore.
How long will it take?
So, how long will it take until the Microsoft SmartScreen warning will disappear when using a standard code signing certificate? Unfortunately, this is difficult to answer, since Microsoft itself refuses to publish any details about this. According to inofficial numbers reported by various sources (see below), it usually takes between 2 and 8 weeks until the warning will permanently go away. It seems that the exact duration also depends on the reputation of the website from which your app is downloaded.
The inofficial numbers are:
18 days and about 430 app installs. Source: one of my own certificates (Dec 2022)
42 days and about 1.400 app installs. Source: one of my own certificates (Feb 2021)
16 days and about 2.000 app installs. Source: one of my own certificates (May 2020)
One month and more than 10.000 downloads. Source: here (Jan 2020)
Between a few weeks and a month. Source: here (Dec 2019)
About 2-3 weeks. Source: here (Dec 2019)
About 3.000 downloads. Source: here (Dec 2013)
The problem of certificate rollover
Certificate rollover occurs when your old certificate expires and you begin signing your code with a renewed certificate.
It's a good idea to buy your standard code signing certificate with the longest possible validity period because when you renew your certificate, the reputation will unfortunately not automatically carry over to the renewed certificate (not even if it's signed against the same private key as the old certificate).
However, you can mitigate the rollover problem by getting your renewed code signing certificate before your old certificate expires, and then using both the old (but not yet expired!) and the renewed certificate to sign your code, resulting in two signatures. The signature from your old certificate will continue to bypass SmartScreen and, at the same time, the new signature will help the new certificate to build up trust. So, the idea is that your new certificate becomes trusted before your old certificate expires.
If your old certificate should already have expired, then you can (and should!) still add the signature from your renewed certificate to an already released version of your app, in order to gain reputation for the renewed certificate.
To correctly dual-sign your app, first sign your code with the old certificate, and then sign it again with the renewed certificate, using the /as command line option of Microsoft's SignTool to append an additional signature to the first one (instead of replacing it).
Option 4: Just wait for a long time
If you don't take any measures at all, the Microsoft SmartScreen warning will also go away eventually. This might however take a ridiculous amount of time (months) and / or downloads (tens of thousands). Another big problem is that each time you'll release an updated version of your app, the waiting period will start all over again. So, this probably isn't the solution you're looking for.
After clicking on Properties of any installer(.exe) which block your application to install (Windows Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app ) for that issue i found one solution
Right click on installer(.exe)
Select properties option.
Click on checkbox to check Unblock at the bottom of Properties.
This solution work for Heroku CLI (heroku-x64) installer(.exe)
If you have a standard code signing certificate, some time will be needed for your application to build trust. Microsoft affirms that an Extended Validation (EV) Code Signing Certificate allows us to skip this period of trust-building. According to Microsoft, extended validation certificates will enable the developer to immediately establish a reputation with SmartScreen. Otherwise, the users will see a warning like "Windows Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting. Running this app might put your PC at risk.", with the two buttons: "Run anyway" and "Don't run".
Another Microsoft resource states the following (quote): "Although not required, programs signed by an EV code signing certificate can immediately establish a reputation with SmartScreen reputation services even if no prior reputation exists for that file or publisher. EV code signing certificates also have a unique identifier which makes it easier to maintain reputation across certificate renewals."
My experience is as follows. Since 2005, we have been using regular (non-EV) code signing certificates to sign .MSI, .EXE and .DLL files with timestamps, and there has never been a problem with SmartScreen until 2018, when there was just one case when it took 3 days for a beta version of our application to build trust since we have released it to beta testers. It was in the middle of the certificate validity period. I don't know what SmartScreen might not like in that specific version of our application, but there have been no SmartScreen complaints since then. Therefore, if your certificate is a non-EV, it is a signed application (such as an .MSI file) that will build trust over time, not a certificate. For example, a certificate can be issued a few months ago and used to sign many files, but for each signed file you publish, it may take a few days for SmartScreen to stop complaining about the file after publishing, as was in our case in 2018.
We didn't submit our software to Microsoft malware analysis. Microsoft started to provide this service in 2017. It may be a viable alternative to an Extended Validation (EV) certificate.
In conclusion, to avoid the warning altogether, i.e., prevent it from happening even suddenly, you need an Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificate, and/or, you can submit your software to Microsoft malware analysis.
UPDATE: Another writeup here:
How to add publisher in Installshield 2018
(might be better).
I am not too well informed about this issue, but please see if this answer to another question tells you anything useful (and let us know so I can evolve a better answer here): How to pass the Windows Defender SmartScreen Protection? That question relates to BitRock - a non-MSI installer technology, but the overall issue seems to be the same.
Extract from one of the links pointed to in my answer above: "...a certificate just isn't enough anymore to gain trust... SmartScreen is reputation based, not unlike the way StackOverflow works... SmartScreen trusts installers that don't cause problems. Windows machines send telemetry back to Redmond about installed programs and how much trouble they cause. If you get enough thumbs-up then SmartScreen stops blocking your installer automatically. This takes time and lots of installs to get sufficient thumbs. There is no way to find out how far along you got."
Honestly this is all news to me at this point, so do get back to us with any information you dig up yourself.
The actual dialog text you have marked above definitely relates to the Zone.Identifier alternate data stream with a value of 3 that is added to any file that is downloaded from the Internet (see linked answer above for more details).
I was not able to mark this question as a duplicate of the previous one, since it doesn't have an accepted answer. Let's leave both question open for now? (one question is for MSI, one is for non-MSI).
I always use Inno Setup for packaging and publishing. Users download the application using a link for example: https://oursite.com/codesigned/mysetup.exe
Till now, it always worked. But recently I have to renew my code signing certificate because its expired. After renew I have SmartScreen problem, every users download the application and gets this Smartscreen which was not before.
I have used signtool.exe verify /pa innosetup-made-myexe.exe and it shows successful, also I have done the verification with Windows Application Certification Kit, that shows it is PASSED, but with WARNNINGS, all those WARNNINGS mostly generated by Inno Setup.
Here you can find the output, where its showing WARNINGS on Inno Setup exes:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11frW_GxI0xSVcrAXh4_rqcKBQSaermAlpYKj4xzQi4o/pub
How can I fix this problem?
(still not sure if its Standard Code Signing vs EV code signing issue? I already used Standard Code Signing for few years, it always worked. I can upgrade to EV Code signing, but how can I make sure its not Inno Setup compiler problem? As you can see already the WARNNINGS are shown in the URL above to Inno Setup)
To verify if it's Inno Setup or code signing issue (see https://stackoverflow.com/a/29067585/285594), I have done following:
From Microsoft, I have downloaded the file call winqual.exe, which does not need Inno Setup.
I code signed the winqual.exe and uploaded to my same server
I downloaded the same file with Internet Explorer and it works without showing me the SmartScreen.
Does it make any sense now if Inno Setup is the main cause of this problem?
Nowadays, you have to use EV code signing certificates.
See Transferring Microsoft SmartScreen reputation to renewed certificate.
Below is the original answer, which addresses some specifics of the question.
If you believe the problem is due to an unsigned uninstaller, make sure you set the SignTool directive of your Inno Setup project accordingly. And make sure SignedUninstaller directive has its default value yes.
Quoting SignTool directive documentation:
Specifies the name and parameters of the Sign Tool to be used to digitally sign Setup (and Uninstall if SignedUninstaller is set to yes). When Setup has a valid digital signature, users will not see an "unidentified program" warning when launching it.
If you want to set NXCOMPAT and DYNAMICBASE flags to the uninstaller, you can create a sign.bat batch file that both calls signtool.exe and editbin.exe:
#echo off
editbin.exe /NXCOMPAT /DYNAMICBASE %1
signtool.exe sign ... %1
The calls need to be in this order, otherwise the editbin.exe breaks the signature.
Then use the sign.bat instead of signtool.exe in the SignTool directive.
Though I do not really think this is necessary, nor helps anything.
I think this is normal behavior.
When your software collect enough "likes" = downloads or installs the SmrtScreen will automatically turn off this message.
It is really annoying feature because with every software release you need to wait appropriate time while the software become "popular" and it is recognized as safe (no certificates or antivirus methods can solve it).
You do NOT need this "Windows Application Certification Kit".
What #slappy says is correct:
After renewal of your certificate, you need enough downloads and "good reviews" before this message goes away.
What you need to do is to download your application using Microsoft Edge (not Chrome or Firefox!!!).
It will most likely say "This download may be dangerous and has been blocked".
Then you can choose "Keep anyways". And then you can choose "Report as Secure".
And THEN even Smart Screen says that it doesn't trust your app (even though it's digitally signed, LOL!!!!), then you have to choose "More..." and "Install anyways".
Install it on your computer! I think that is important.
I have used 5 different computers and reported my apps as secure multiple times and installed it.
I have also asked 2 friends (because of their different IP address) to do the same.
I hate this so much!!!!!!!!!!
After 1 day, the error message was gone.
How would I sign a Visual C# executable?
SignTool.exe can't find a certificate.
How would I create a self signed key and certificate, and have signtool be able to see the certificate and use it?
OpenSSL and Visual Studio 2010 Express are installed. Running Windows 7 Ultimate x64.
Using SignTool.exe from Windows Driver Kit.
Using self-signed certificates for digitally signing your binaries pretty much goes against the concept of using digital certificates with programs. The basic idea is to prove the code was created by you (authenticity) and has not been modified since you released it (integrity). This must be done by using a signed certificate that is signed by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).
With .Net, when a binary is digitally signed, it is automatically verified for integrity and authenticity during startup. While I have not personally tested this, using a self-signed certificate is probably going to cause you a great deal of problems.
If you want to digitally sign your programs, you need to invest in a code signing certificate from a CA. There are a number of companies out there that can provide this service (Verisign, Thawte), for a fee.
While the fee might seem a bit extreme in price, remember that you are not just purchasing a digital certificate but also 24/7 validation of that certificate. Any time someone starts your program it will ensure the program was written by you and that the program has not been changed since you released it.
Once you have a certificate, you can digitally sign your program by following the steps in How to: Sign Application and Deployment Manifests.
Update: If this program is strictly an internal application (limited to you or your business), you can created your own CA. Since you would be the only one running it, only you would need to validate it. The CA certificate would need to be installed as a Trusted Root Certificate on all the machines that would run the program (or if you have access to Windows Server, you could set up a real working CA).