8/20/16

Original Poster

Peter Van Erp

Google Earth update pop-up

I just started get a pop up "Google Earth update helper wants to make changes. Type your password to allow this".

It pops up while I'm browsing in Chrome, in a typical Mac style Admin graphic.

MacPro OS 10.9.5

I suspect phishing, although it rejected a spurious password. I have never seen this in many years of Google Earth. Is there a way to stop it?

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Recommended Answers (3)

8/22/16

robertlipe

That "G" in his badge confirms it's a Google Employee. (That's changed many times through the years, so it's OK to have not noticed.)

Viet-Tam Luu may be a new name here, here, but I'll offer my credibility (if I have any...) that there is indeed a software engineer of many years by that name working on Google Earth (and has been for years) and this aspect specifically and that the Viet-Tam Luu I have lunch with from time to time writes and talks like the one above, so I'm pretty convinced that he's the Real Deal. He's not had a high public profile, but I'd be hard to catphish on this one.

In case I have no credibility, and you question that I'm the real deal, I'm also a developer on Earth and have been working with the group since about 2005. While I'm scarce in this group, check the byline of https://maps.googleblog.com/2009/02/explore-your-travels-with-gps-in-google.html The creator of GPSBabel, a post history of > 10 years on Earth-things (predating Keyhole's sale to Google) etc.

Googlerblemtoo, this shouldn't cause Finder to lose its mind. Finder does get annoyed if you eject the volume for the window you have open; it'll abruptly close the window, but it's still responsive to events like New Window, etc.

The Plugin has been effectively dead for a long time; it's not run on any viable browser in a while. Removing it is a good prescription.

We know that software claiming to be an installed app and asking for an admin password is bad. Having it happen late on a Friday is particularly bad. Sorry.

8/20/16

Viet-Tam Luu

Hi folks,

on behalf of the Earth team I apologize for the confusion. It appears that a while back we had disabled the auto-updater for the Mac Google Earth Plugin for Safari/Firefox, possibly because of this very issue. Today we inadvertently turned it back on. Oops!

There is no malware threat; the Updater is simply trying to update any installation of Google Earth Plugin you may have previously installed on your system (and possibly forgotten about).

You can uninstall the Earth Plugin and its associated files via the instructions here: https://support.google.com/earth/answer/178389?hl=en

Specifically: "Mac: Drag the /Library/Internet Plug-ins/Google Earth Web Plug-in.plugin file to the trash, then restart your browser."

Note that depending on what version of Earth Plugin you currently have installed, "Library" may refer to the one in the "root folder" of your hard drive (commonly called "MacintoshHD") and/or the one in your home folder. If the plugin is installed in either of those locations the Updater may notify you of an available update.

Once again I apologize for any inconvenience caused.

- Viet-Tam Luu (Google Earth developer)

8/20/16

Viet-Tam Luu

Quick update: we've rolled back (undone) the changes that caused the update notifications so hopefully these will subside soon enough.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend removing the updater itself, as it may be used for other installed Google software (you can learn more about the Updater, or the version of it that we open-sourced, here: https://code.google.com/archive/p/update-engine/).

Regarding the password prompt, this is due to the latest version of the Plugin being installed as a system-wide software (just like the desktop Google Earth app is), rather than an app local to the user's account (as older versions did), which is why it is prompting for a password for login--just the same as if you were installing the desktop Earth app. So there's nothing nefarious going on--but again I do apologize about any concerns this may have caused.

Thanks,

Viet-Tam Luu (Google Earth developer)

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All Replies (255)

8/20/16

Rezwan Razani

I get the same thing. According to another string (which for some reason I can't reply to) you check with this page to see if you're updated https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Earth (it tells you the latest update), and if not, update through the update page.

My app seems updated, so I don't see why the updater is popping up at all. Also, I don't use it, so why would it update. Why today? 8/19/2016. Was something released today?

I think it's phishing and Google should look into it. Thanks!

8/20/16

Rezwan Razani

Thank you Alchemist251! Alas, the link to the thread didn't work for me. I shall uninstall. But first, it looks like nice light on the clouds outside the window. I'm going to go walk on the Earth a few steps. Thanks again for your help.

8/20/16

Alchemist251

Right. I don't know what happened. Here's a good link: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/maps/google-earth/ecqO_pffcL8

Thanks!

8/20/16

Shannon Ruthrauff

I just started getting the same thing today. Popped up by itself a couple times and also if I restart. Alchemist thanks for the information! I can't get you link to work either---is there another link to it?

8/20/16

E Kennedy

Thanks for the info, Alchemist - it just happened to me today for the first time. But, if it's a "well-known" bug why hasn't it been fixed? After all, it's over a year since the last update (May 2015)? Are the constant crashes also well-known?

249 MORE

8/23/16

Victor Yepello

It was Malware. I added my password and the next morning I was locked out of my iMac. Same with my husband's imac.

Had to do a restore both machines and then changed all passwords everywhere.

Do not take this lightly. If you added your password you have been phished.

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