This Steam app with 20 million downloads is accidentally spreading malware

This Steam app with 20 million downloads is accidentally spreading malware Yadullah Abidi \ MakeUseOf Credit: Yadullah Abidi \ MakeUseOf By  Josh Hawkins Published Jun 16, 2026, 5:36 PM EDT Josh Hawkins began his writing career in 2015 with a simple video game walkthrough. Since then, he has expanded to conduct interviews with high-profile game developers, cover emerging tech products like the first VR headsets, and has spent countless hours learning the ins and outs of new operating systems for Android, Apple, and Windows devices. He is an expert at crafting in-depth how-tos, product reviews, and thought-provoking pieces on the latest tech and has bylines across multiple sites including Lifehacker, Lifewire, and Android Police. Outside of the office, Josh can be found digging into the latest video games, fantasy books, or tinkering with the newest features in Windows. Sign in to your MakeUseOf account Add Us On Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Summary Malicious Steam Workshop uploads used hidden scripts that execute malware after being downloaded. Attack exploited users' trust in Steam Workshop, not a flaw in Steam or Wallpaper Engine. Check creator profiles and comments, avoid outside downloads, and keep antivirus on. Downloading a new wallpaper can be a great way to breathe some new life into your desktop, and apps like Wallpaper Engine make the process incredibly simple. Tack on the added convenience of being able to install user-created content from the Steam Workshop, and it's easy to see why Wallpaper Engine has become so popular. However, a recently discovered malware campaign points to a much darker side of the online user content pool. One where choosing to download and trust the wrong file from places like the Steam Workshop could lead to