Need Help In Getting To Other Programs, While Safepay Has Blacken Everything Out

I'm a new Bitdefender user. I think the idea of Safepay is, from what I gather, a good one. However, there's one thing which is a major problem for me. I use Quicken to do my banking, and tonight I was logged onto my bank, Safepay was activated and all but the browser was available to me. However I need to be able to see the ledger in Quicken to compare it to the account on my bank's website. That is completely impossible. I've tried doing a Control-Alt, to switch to Quicken, but that's impossible. I've tried printing out the entire ledger from my bank, by using the Print command on the browser from within Safepay, but that only prints out the ledger in portrait format, which cuts off all of the debits and credits. This isn't working at all for me, and unless I find a way to get around it, I'll have to disable Safepay.


So, how do I work around this?

Comments

  • camarie
    camarie Principal Software Developer BD Staff
    I'm a new Bitdefender user. I think the idea of Safepay is, from what I gather, a good one. However, there's one thing which is a major problem for me. I use Quicken to do my banking, and tonight I was logged onto my bank, Safepay was activated and all but the browser was available to me. However I need to be able to see the ledger in Quicken to compare it to the account on my bank's website. That is completely impossible. I've tried doing a Control-Alt, to switch to Quicken, but that's impossible. I've tried printing out the entire ledger from my bank, by using the Print command on the browser from within Safepay, but that only prints out the ledger in portrait format, which cuts off all of the debits and credits. This isn't working at all for me, and unless I find a way to get around it, I'll have to disable Safepay.


    So, how do I work around this?


    A feature to allow switch back and forth to/from original desktop and Safepay desktop is currently in analysis and we'll probably add it in the next releases.


    Regards,


    Cristian

  • A feature to allow switch back and forth to/from original desktop and Safepay desktop is currently in analysis and we'll probably add it in the next releases.


    Regards,


    Cristian


    Will that happen soon?

  • camarie
    camarie Principal Software Developer BD Staff
    Will that happen soon?


    I'm trying to push this in the next two weeks. I hope management will approve this ASAP, there are multiple scenarios where this could prove useful (view download files, access password managers, do some other work and resume session).


    What can I say for now - stay tuned. Feel free to contact me here (I'm the Safepay developer lead) any time.


    Regards,


    Cristian

  • I'm trying to push this in the next two weeks. I hope management will approve this ASAP, there are multiple scenarios where this could prove useful (view download files, access password managers, do some other work and resume session).


    What can I say for now - stay tuned. Feel free to contact me here (I'm the Safepay developer lead) any time.


    Regards,


    Cristian


    Thank you, Cristian, I will. I think I can find a work-around, but it's kind of convoluted. Your proposal sounds more promising.

  • columbo
    columbo
    edited October 2012
    A feature to allow switch back and forth to/from original desktop and Safepay desktop is currently in analysis and we'll probably add it in the next releases.


    Regards,


    Cristian


    I'm trying to push this in the next two weeks. I hope management will approve this ASAP, there are multiple scenarios where this could prove useful (view download files, access password managers, do some other work and resume session).


    What can I say for now - stay tuned. Feel free to contact me here (I'm the Safepay developer lead) any time.


    Regards,


    Cristian


    Hi Cristian :)


    Would this allow those of us who are having issues in even getting Safepay to print, be able to access the Taskbar, Desktop or Windows Start to launch the Snipping Tool, or our on-board image capturing software to at least capture receipts etc. in Safepay? Or would the Safepay resumed session block that software from working. It would be nice if the Taskbar could stay "open" in Safepay, to be able to launch those utilities.


    http://forum.bitdefender.com/index.php?showtopic=36454


    Thanks for your help :)

  • camarie
    camarie Principal Software Developer BD Staff
    Thank you, Cristian, I will. I think I can find a work-around, but it's kind of convoluted. Your proposal sounds more promising.


    So I have created the inquiry request for the PM and she's just concerned about what security issues, if any, can appear if I do the implementation.


    Since is just a switch back/forth between desktops and no security is changed during this (default sessions is active, Safepay desktop is also active, no security changes) I'm confident that in the next two 2-4 weeks the implementation will be completed.


    Not sure when it will also be released, but now the thing has started and I will do it.


    Regards,


    Cristian

  • camarie
    camarie Principal Software Developer BD Staff
    Hi Cristian :)


    Would this allow those of us who are having issues in even getting Safepay to print, be able to access the Taskbar, Desktop or Windows Start to launch the Snipping Tool, or our on-board image capturing software to at least capture receipts etc. in Safepay? Or would the Safepay resumed session block that software from working. It would be nice if the Taskbar could stay "open" in Safepay, to be able to launch those utilities.


    http://forum.bitdefender.com/index.php?showtopic=36454


    Thanks for your help :)


    The thing is a little bit more complicated than this. The print issue is a hard one, I admit it, and it not Safepay who does not launch the print. The problem is the print thunk 32/64 process (splwow64.exe) which intermediates the print job between a 32-bit application and 64-bit print spooler service. splwow64 accesses the network and performs a number of operations which interferes with firewall and process watch, this is why this is a hard one. Also, the issue is intermittent - which makes it even harder to have a reproduction case (for example in my team nobody has been able to reproduce it, even with network printers).


    The Core Security team was continuously investigating this issue and a fix will be released - on Monday I think, the final build was completed yesterday.


    We'll see if this solves this nasty print issue - otherwise I will have to think more on how this can be tracked.


    As for letting regular desktop programs to access Safepay desktop, I really won't want this to happen. It can easily open a gate from a possibly active malware in active desktop to inject in Safepay's desktop, and that will defeats the purpose of secure desktop.


    Rather than doing that, I am thinking on a better way:


    - add specific code that will track the print success operation, or the failure when this happens


    - when print fails for some reason, to offer to the user at least the possibility to save the web page in a format that can be later printed, in a location which is clearly defined to the user and with all the pages saved there.


    In this way, the user can save a page (either on demand, or as a result of a printing failure) and can at least finalize the printing after closing Safepay using other programs (for example right-clicking the saved webpages and invoking Explorer's print command from there).


    That's a long shot, and by no means that will be the final form of such a feature, but at least it can give you an idea of an alternative programmatic and clear way of completing the printing even print thunk/spooler fails to print from security and/or network access reasons.


    This week I'll met with security team guys and I hope to reach a final conclusion regarding this.


    As usual - stay tuned.


    Regards,


    Cristian

  • The thing is a little bit more complicated than this. The print issue is a hard one, I admit it, and it not Safepay who does not launch the print. The problem is the print thunk 32/64 process (splwow64.exe) which intermediates the print job between a 32-bit application and 64-bit print spooler service. splwow64 accesses the network and performs a number of operations which interferes with firewall and process watch, this is why this is a hard one. Also, the issue is intermittent - which makes it even harder to have a reproduction case (for example in my team nobody has been able to reproduce it, even with network printers).


    The Core Security team was continuously investigating this issue and a fix will be released - on Monday I think, the final build was completed yesterday.


    We'll see if this solves this nasty print issue - otherwise I will have to think more on how this can be tracked.


    As for letting regular desktop programs to access Safepay desktop, I really won't want this to happen. It can easily open a gate from a possibly active malware in active desktop to inject in Safepay's desktop, and that will defeats the purpose of secure desktop.


    Rather than doing that, I am thinking on a better way:


    - add specific code that will track the print success operation, or the failure when this happens


    - when print fails for some reason, to offer to the user at least the possibility to save the web page in a format that can be later printed, in a location which is clearly defined to the user and with all the pages saved there.


    In this way, the user can save a page (either on demand, or as a result of a printing failure) and can at least finalize the printing after closing Safepay using other programs (for example right-clicking the saved webpages and invoking Explorer's print command from there).


    That's a long shot, and by no means that will be the final form of such a feature, but at least it can give you an idea of an alternative programmatic and clear way of completing the printing even print thunk/spooler fails to print from security and/or network access reasons.


    This week I'll met with security team guys and I hope to reach a final conclusion regarding this.


    As usual - stay tuned.


    Regards,


    Cristian


    Cristian, I appreciate your letting us know the difficulty of the problem. As a developer myself, that gives me an understanding as to how hard it is and a feel for how long it might take. The fact that it isn't an easily repeatable problem is always a frustrating issue. I sympathize.

  • Any news on when the update to allow switching between Safepay and say Excel is likely to be released?

  • camarie
    camarie Principal Software Developer BD Staff
    Any news on when the update to allow switching between Safepay and say Excel is likely to be released?


    I will ask again the PM. Things are extremely busy right now, I hope she will get back to me with (at least) a promise.


    Cristian

  • I will ask again the PM. Things are extremely busy right now, I hope she will get back to me with (at least) a promise.


    Cristian


    Any news on the update yet????

  • camarie
    camarie Principal Software Developer BD Staff
    Any news on the update yet????


    Sadly, not yet. Everyone was working to beta 2014, but after 2-3 weeks of stabilization we're starting to get back to Safepay full time (at least my team).


    It will be a standalone release of the product - with improvements on the Classic Line product as well - which will include also the switch between desktops.


    Cristian

  • Has this been resolved yet.....it is over 12 months since the original posting when we were informed it would be hopefully be resolved in a few weeks?

  • camarie
    camarie Principal Software Developer BD Staff
    Has this been resolved yet.....it is over 12 months since the original posting when we were informed it would be hopefully be resolved in a few weeks?


    Switch desktop has been implemented in 2014 and standalone versions.


    Cristian