this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2025
120 points (98.4% liked)

Cybersecurity

8612 readers
66 users here now

c/cybersecurity is a community centered on the cybersecurity and information security profession. You can come here to discuss news, post something interesting, or just chat with others.

THE RULES

Instance Rules

Community Rules

If you ask someone to hack your "friends" socials you're just going to get banned so don't do that.

Learn about hacking

Hack the Box

Try Hack Me

Pico Capture the flag

Other security-related communities !databreaches@lemmy.zip !netsec@lemmy.world !securitynews@infosec.pub !cybersecurity@infosec.pub !pulse_of_truth@infosec.pub

Notable mention to !cybersecuritymemes@lemmy.world

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Monument@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The why is sort of at the limits of my knowledge. I can tell you a ‘close enough’ what, though.

By default, Windows tries to install programs to the program files directory, but that requires admin, which triggers user account control. However, apps that do not require admin to install or run can still be installed to the users profile. Clicking cancel from a UAC prompt will just try to install the program locally instead of for all users.

My assumption is that many system administrators believed UAC was enough, or that programs installing locally (as in, just for that user) and not requiring admin were not a big deal.