Popular Steam Wallpaper Program Removes App Over Malware Concerns
Wallpaper Engine, a long-standing desktop wallpaper application available on Steam, is being permanently removed from the platform due to security concerns. The popular tool, which has been available for nearly a decade, was hijacked by malicious actors months ago who exploited it to distribute malware to users’ machines. The malware ran silently in the background while users had the wallpaper program active.
In response to the security breach, the application’s developers announced that Wallpaper Engine will be delisted from Steam effective Monday, July 6. Users have until that date to back up any custom wallpapers they’ve created or downloaded through the application. According to the developers’ statement, the removal impacts only 0.5% of all wallpapers on the platform, with actual user numbers affected being significantly lower than that percentage.
The incident highlights ongoing security challenges for application distribution platforms and the risks posed when legitimate software is compromised by malicious actors.