Is torch browser safe?

Hi:

I have heard that the new browser called TORCH BROWSER is fast and has a online media-grabber and torrent downloader and chrome copy. They say its fats and stable with security built in. Now on the negative site it does not have a uninstaller and to get rid of it you have to go to safemode and clean its registry footprints.

Anyway anyone using it or know if its a safe browser and is it good? Thanks in advance for your answer.

 

No uninstaller? No thanks. In built Torrent down loader and security don't go han in hand.

Do you have any more concrete information about it?

 

Torch browser is basically a trojan.

It comes 'bundled' with a lot of questionable toolbars and programs. Some that are considered outright malware, have Torch bundled. In my malware testing, I have had torch installed with malware.

 

Dude, you really scared me. I uninstalled it, and BTW, mine did have an uninstaller. But I later went to check their website, and I came across this- http://support.torchbrowser.com/Knowledgebase/Article/View/5/0/does-torch-contain-adware-and-spyware . It looks pretty safe to me so I reinstalled it. I looked carefully and I don't see any bundles or anything. I also ran it through my anti-virus and I'm not seeing what you're talking about. Are you sure we're talking about the same software?

 

Did you have the PUP/PUA setting enabled in the AV? Though even if it is enabled you can't be 100% sure that it would get detected, as all vendors don't share the same views regarding PUP/PUAs

 

I very much doubt that the Torch browser is a trojan, this sounds like a rash statement & FUD to me. It even has its own Wikipedia page. VirusTotal clears their site as clean & WOT gives the site a 'trusted' rating.

I have not used this browser & it seems to have had a bit of a mixed reception. There is no indication that it bundles malware as far as I can see.

In October 2012 The Blog Herald said of Torch, "The Torch Web Browser is built on a lightweight framework that offers what appears to be decent security. If you like to browse the web while grabbing various files this might be the perfect browser for your arsenal of web applications. Overall I have been pleased with the Torch Browser and I only hope it continues to grow so more social sharing features can be experienced and more files can be grabbed."[4]

In reviewing Torch in December 2012, CNET said of Torch 2.0.0.1614: "An all-in-one Web browser is nothing to sneeze at, but Torch Browser isn't going to pry you away from Chrome or Firefox. While it has options that make sharing and social media a breeze, Torch Browser just isn't unique enough to win people's hearts. It lags in performance and its major features aren't worth making the switch...Torch Browser tries to carve out its niche by being an all-in-one Web browser... However, it doesn't do any of those things well enough to replace what you currently use. Once you get over the novelty, it becomes obvious that Torch Browser isn't that powerful as a Web portal. It's noticeably slower than other browsers and it doesn't have the same sort of add-on support. The layout is just a rip-off of the open-canvas setup of other, more popular browsers. None of this is to say that using it is all a bad experience. Torch Browser still runs circles around Internet Explorer and would be a major upgrade there...While not a threat to Firefox or Chrome, Torch Browser is easy enough to use and might just impress Internet Explorer users. Heavy downloaders might enjoy the torrent downloader and media player that come with it, too." ~ Wikipedia

 

Generally what I meant was, it is bundled with a lot of 'questionable' things, such as Conduit toolbars, which in some cases force-install it.

Bearshare is known to offload PUPs, and in some cases trojans, bundled Trojan. I tend to be very suspicious of any product bundled with those kinds of things. It might be perfectly fine, really, but what it gets tossed in with is pretty alarming to me.

 

&bodhitree.
In the first line of your post you mention that unquestionable things "bundle" this browser in with them...Correct.?..If not then please correct me.

Now this does not sound like malicious activity on behalf of the browser but rather on the "unquestionable things" that you mention.
I think cold hard evidence needs to be brought to the table before we start condemning this browser.
Until such evidence is brought to light and explained in precise detail then i consider comments like this just pure FUD.

 

I tend to agree. If malware was being bundled with this browser it would surely be well documented by the security community as a whole. There is no mention of bundled malware that I can see on this YouTube clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEO8FJno1Fc

The company that releases it is apparently Torch Media. Its server appears to be in Israel. VirusTotal gives this site as clean but WOT gives it a warning: WOT Site Advisor hasn't tested this page yet. It has tested the browser page however & finds it to be OK. This is the information from Domain Tools.

So, interestingly, WOT seems fine with the Torch browser download page itself but is a little worried about the parent company. This could be where malware rumours have originated.

 

Well here is the WOT scorecard.
http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/torch-media.com?utm_source=addon&utm_content=warn-viewsc

 

What is the process name for the browser?

I'd like to enable default filtering for it by Ad Muncher.

I don't really want to install it myself...

 

I found this with Start Page, I am not sure what the relevancy of the sites are that WOT has given a 'red' rating.

 

The company torchmedia is headquarted in panama.maybe its just the toolbar which is being flagged here.

 

IDK. I've searched the Microsoft Malware Protection Centre for several variations of Torch/Toolbar/Virus/Trojan but I couldn't find anything. It's a possibility that the 'Torch Toolbar' has little or nothing to do with the 'Torch Browser' & it is the toolbar that has any possible malware. I blame a lot of the FUD & hysteria on the Net for creating this confusion. WOT can often be as much to blame as anything for this. Because of the panic, paranoia & misinformation surrounding many security subjects it is often difficult to discern the truth about some software applications. I am not in full possession of the facts but I have a feeling that the Torch Browser is malware free & relatively safe to download. However, there may be a toolbar malware variant also called 'Torch' which is genuinely malicious.

 

Hi Daveski17. It seems that you're right, Torch Browser and Torch toolbar are not related. The Torch toolbar is something completely different then Torch Browser. I also found this link http://topictorch.com/ as well as http://wizzley.com/topic-torch-removal/ It's full name seems to be Topic Torch. Published by some company called Alactro LLC. There is more uninstall info at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGFGRfersnA . What a bum rap for Torch Browser. And to Beethoven1770, You're also correct, more evidence would be needed. As I said before, I don't see any issues with my installation of the Browser, nor do I have any toolbars installed. Btw, found their facebook at www.facebook.com/torchbrowser. I'll post something there and see how they reply.

 

OK thanks for the feedback. I had a feeling that there was a difference between the two.