How do we remove this malware/virus called "creative cloud"?

[escapetosaturn]

We are running Photoshop and Illustrator in an enterprise environment and we don't want creative cloud on this environment. Unfortunately, every time you deploy Photoshop or Illustrator on a server, this "creative cloud" malware/virus auto-installs itself (this is what makes it a malware/virus). 

I have blocked creative cloud in the firewall, and have become pretty adept at finding all the pieces of this malware/virus and removing it, but is there a way to ensure it never installs in the first place? 

Thanks. I'm getting absolutely sick and tired of this, I'm looking to a way to have it reported as a virus and added to my anti-virus malware/virus definitions. 

[Lumigraphics]

Well, its not a virus. If you are in the enterprise you know that software often has complex frameworks and multiple pieces. Leave the installation alone. Photoshop and Illustrator are PARTS of Creative Cloud and if you start deleting things you will be back here complaining about your software not working.

[escapetosaturn]

Any program that installs that auto-installs and runs itself without the user's permission is by definition a virus.

[Lumigraphics]

ITS NOT A VIRUS! YOU HAVE TO EXPLICITLY INSTALL IT!!!

[escapetosaturn]

No, it installs itself whenever you install a different piece software (Photoshop or Illustrator). That's what makes it a virus. If I install Chrome, and another program I didn't not give permission to run auto-installs itself without permission and sets it up to start up when you computer starts and runs in the background, all without permission, that's called a VIRUS. 

[Oleg26268365528w]

Did you get the question??? Or you just spend our time with "smart" ideas???

[Lumigraphics]

Oh and I would check your licensing to make sure it can be installed and run the way you are doing. Adobe generally intends its programs to be run on a workstation and licensing is per-seat.

[escapetosaturn]

It can. We have a license for every seat. We just want to remove the "creative cloud" malware/virus.

I even talked to support to get a version of the installers that don't include the malware/virus, which they provided, but the installers still secretly installed creative cloud, the difference is they simply don't tell you it's being installed but it shows up on the machine after the install process anyways. This is how viruses and other malicious malware operate. Adobe needs to be punished for this, and users need a way to eliminate this malware/virus from their machines and prevent it from installing.

[Lumigraphics]

You don't understand how software works. Creative Cloud and Photoshop/Illustrator ARE THE SAME THING.

[escapetosaturn]

I'm a sysdmin, I do this for a living, I probably know a lot more about software than you.

It's very simple, if it's the same program, how come I can remove it and Photoshop and Illustrator still run?

It's not the "same program" is a malware/virus that Adobe bundled with their software because they don't respect their customers and think it's OK to push malware/viruses on their customer's computers. 

[Lumigraphics]

Doubtful that you know more about software but ok. Would you be happier if each application had every shared library and resource stuffed into the .exe instead of out on disk someplace?

The fact is here that you are mischaracterizing Creative Cloud and its ridiculous. You need to stop or just uninstall everything and move on.

[escapetosaturn]

Well that fact that you think malicious software that installs itself without a user's permission is not a virus or malware shows you don't know much about software or IT to start with. The fact that you claim CC is "part of photoshop" when photoshop runs just fine if you manually remove the CC virus provides further evidence that you don't know much about software.

Alternatively, you do know plenty about software [ abuse removed by moderator ]

Ultimately, I didn't come here to debate with virus / malware apologists [ abuse removed by moderator ]. I wanted a solution to this problem. If all you can provide is excuses, I think there's nothing else for me here.

[Mylenium]

Long and short: No. Why Adobe are pushing it upon enterprise users is hard to understand, anyway.

Mylenium

[jane-e]

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@escapetosaturn wrote:

We are running Photoshop and Illustrator in an enterprise environment and we don't want creative cloud on this environment.

---

Since this is not a question about how to use Photoshop, I have moved this thread to Enterprise and Teams. If this is the wrong place, they will advise.

~ Jane

[escapetosaturn]

Ok, thanks!

[jane-e]

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@escapetosaturn wrote:

but is there a way to ensure it never installs in the first place? 

To answer your question, the only way I (personally) am aware of is to not install any Creative Cloud apps. 

Here's how Norton defines a computer virus.

To confirm on your setup: 

• Is Creative Cloud being installed host to host?
• Does it spread from one computer to another?
• Does it corrupt or destroy data?

Did you read the installation instructions?

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/download-install-Photoshop.html

If so, did you read the part where it says the Creative Cloud desktop app will launch on installation?

Jane

Forum volunteer

[escapetosaturn]

Any program that installs itself without permission while piggy-backed onto another program is a virus. If you are trying to hide a cherry-picked definition of a virus, it's still malware. Either way, it's malicious software that installs itself without permission. It needs to be reported to malwarebytes and AV as a virus so it's removed automatically and blocked, until Adobe learns to ask the user's permission before installing software. 

[escapetosaturn]

Also, why you would ever try to defend software installing itself without a user's permission is beyond me. I guess Adobe is relying on [ abuse removed by moderator ]to protect them from the backlash from their anti-user, anti-consumer behavior, but the true is they need to be punished for it so they learn their lesson.

Fortunately, most other developers are not malicious like Adobe is, and most don't try the same stunts, but I bet if what Adobe does with CC became common practice, you'd see AV programs and other security-oriented software stepping up to shut down such a toxic and dangerous (from a security perspective) trend. 

[ianrandmckenzie]

Hi escapetosaturn,

Unfortunately you will not find what you're looking for on this forum (outside of catharsis —I suspect that's all you're looking for anyway). This anti-user, anti-consumer is not exclusive to their enterprise suite. The only thing I can reasonably recommend to you is to advocate within your organization for alternate services that are disrupting Adobe's clear complacency in its monolothic status in the creative software space.

The main challeneg you will encounter is the challenge I encounter within myself — the learning sunk cost. I continue to subject myself to this company's unacceptable practices due to being a one-man-company and being unable to afford the time needed to learn other software.

Thank you for being droplet of reasonable voice, despite how controversial your words may seem to the sea of apologists.

[Lumigraphics]

Your tinfoil hat is a bit too tight, methinks. SMDH.

[ianrandmckenzie]

"Adobe Community Professional" is a funny title given your response being on a forum for professionals using the same type of gaslighting technique teenage boys attempt to employ when I play the occasional online game. Take your toxicity to DMs with me if you want to do this. You're embarrassing yourself. 

[Lumigraphics]

I'm a working professional photographer who is here to help, not to post paranoid screeds. Perhaps you should examine your own posts before commenting on others.

[ianrandmckenzie]

And the reason I indirectly call comnment like yours apologism is because it is not paranoia, it is measurable, objective fact. The only psychosis-aligned thinking is your blindness to these shady designs is because language like mine and saturn's is probably 'is too extreme of language' for your 'professional' sensibilities.

I am a working UX designer, developer, and technical pedantic who is here to call out brazen dark patterns from Adobe when I see them. Regardless, name calling, especially direct name-calling is unprofessional at best and ableist at worst because whether or not you knew I have dealt with (and successfully come out of) mental illness challenges. Perhaps you should examine the damage your words can do before commenting on a benign pointing out of truth.

[nathanael maury]

I do totally agree with escapetosaturn,

creative cloud run like a virus, i disable it to star by when i on the computer beacause it kill my data paket, but it still start even without permition, i try to uninstal it, no no no! it block me... impossible! 

I am a long time coustomer of adobe suite, i love photoshop and lightroom, i pay for it ! but in the resent year this way of forsing the customer to be connected at all time is getting more and more on my nerv,  i lost few day of work because i was not able to get a connection (i leave in laos where the internet is really bad)  I HAVE A LICENCE , I PAY FOR IT  but i still get block by this virus way of doing things i really would like to buy the [ removed by moderator ] software and use it in peace!

by the way sometime i am watching netflix and boom no more connection,, i open processus and ho surprise it is adobe who suck it all i kill the processu... it came back ! LIKE A VIRUS.

[Raymond5d50]

bro its what makes photoshop run lol