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Forum Discussion
Taffelzips
10 years agoExplorer | Level 3
Does dbxsvc.exe in Windows System32 folder actually belong to Dropbox program?
Hi, I'm running Dropbox on Windows 10 and everything is basically working fine. Some time ago I noticed a new service called "Dbxsvc" running on my computer. It runs from a file named dbxsvc.exe in my Windows System32 folder.
Is this some kind of malware or some new part of the Dropbox program?
I know there are two other dbxsvc.exe files on my computer. They are in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Client\driver_amd64\dbxsvc.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\Dropbox\Client\driver_x86\dbxsvc.exe
They seems legitimate. But this third one in System32 is the one running the "Dbxsvc" service.
I've managed to shut down and delete the service and then delete the file itself. Dropbox still works just fine.
The thing is, this file reappears randomly.
So should I leave it or be worried about it?
No other strange behavior on my pc and Windows Defender doesn't seem to have a problem with this file.
If anyone can help, thanks!
- Hey Taffel,
The new service you're seeing is an intended part of the application, I'd advise leaving it as is.
You noted sync still appears to work correctly without this service however should you encounter any sync issues with the service removed it will limit our ability to resolve the issue.
26 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
- Josh L.209 years agoCollaborator | Level 10WHAT does the "intended part of the application" do, which Dropbox.exe doesn't do?
Now I have three services related to Dropbox:
- Dbxsvc.exe = SYSTEM account - Started
- Dropbox Update Service (dbupdate) - Automatic (Delayed)
- Dropbox Update Service (dbupdatem) - Manual
Someone please chime in... - Roger P.169 years agoExplorer | Level 4
As Dropbox will not specify what these services do, I have completely disabled dbupdate and dbupdatem using Autoruns, and set dbxsvc.exe to start manually through Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services, all without any adverse effect on the program's functionality as far as I can detect.
- SChalice9 years agoHelpful | Level 6
Roger, are you suggesting that DropBox still functions properly even without dbxsvc? If so, then that is pretty much proof that it is spyware.
Does DropBox really want this kind of scrutiny? How many millions in dollars in revenue, if not the life of the company itself, are they risking?
- Josh L.209 years agoCollaborator | Level 10It's funny - the file hash is now showing "oldf917.tmp" rather than "DbxSvc.exe"
- JustinT9 years agoNew member | Level 2
It has no description at all.
So, what is it, exactly? I'd check the comprehensive release notes, but those also don't exist.
Right.
These are astonishingly shady service characteristics (e.g., spyware-ish name, spyware-ish executable file location). Frankly, I'd be more inclined to believe "Dropboxer" Dorothy Jane completely mispoke, and the fake Dropbox service just happened to come from an unrelated spyware infection... but, even bigger companies have made similarly stunning mistakes in the recent past. So anything is possible.
We need an official explanation.
- SChalice9 years agoHelpful | Level 6
I think we got our answer by their silence on this thread. I suggest that is simply a backdoor trojan and NSA spyware.
- Rich9 years ago
Super User II
SChalice wrote:
I think we got our answer by their silence on this thread. I suggest that is simply a backdoor trojan and NSA spyware.
Thank you! I needed a good laugh today.
- JustinT9 years agoNew member | Level 2
SChalice wrote:I think we got our answer by their silence on this thread. I suggest that is simply a backdoor trojan and NSA spyware.
Is that legal, these days? Normally, I'd expect ramifications, but... not in the nightmarish, anti-privacy dystopia we live in now.
- JustinT9 years agoNew member | Level 2
Rich wrote:Thank you! I needed a good laugh today.
Did you have a good LOL when Sony slapped a rootkit on your PC?
- SChalice9 years agoHelpful | Level 6
Edward Snowden has warned against the cloud storage service Dropbox which he says is "hostile to privacy".
Snowden pointed out that Dropbox had appointed former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to its board in April 2014.
"Dropbox is a targeted you know wannabe PRISM partner," he told the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/17/edward-snowden-dropbox-privacy-spideroak
According to Edward Snowden, people who care about their privacy should stay away from popular consumer Internet services like Dropbox.
Condoleezza Rice advocates illegal NSA surveillance
http://www.drop-dropbox.com/surveillance.html
Dropbox may be reading your stored documents. This revelation arrives by way of WNC InfoSec who claim that several ".doc" files had been opened on the Dropbox end in a recent test using HoneyDocs. Dropbox reportedly states that this is normal behavior for the storage company.
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/dropbox-libreoffice-honeydocs-amazon-ec2-amazon-s3,news-17549.html
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