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Bonzi Buddy: A Journey Through Time - From Windows XP to Windows 11

June 26, 2024
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Bonzi Buddy: A Journey Through Time - From Windows XP to Windows 11


Ever since I installed Windows XP, I've had a fondness for quirky software. One of the most memorable is Bonsai Buddy, the talking, emailing, and browsing assistant. Bonzi Buddy was a precursor to virtual assistants like Siri, Cortana, and Alexa. This monkey had the world at its fingertips. Today, we’re going to install Bonzi Buddy on Windows 11 and Windows XP to see what the experience is like. Is it malware? Is it safe? Let's find out.

Installation and Setup

The setup wizard is complete, and we’re ready to visit the product site. Sadly, the official site is no longer active, but this is a nostalgic homage to the great monkey. After accepting the license agreement, we can run Bonzi Buddy and bring back the glory of Windows XP.

Upon launching, Bonsai Buddy introduces itself: "Hello there! I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Bonsai Buddy. What is your name?" I responded, "My name is Leo." Bonsai Buddy continued, "Nice to meet you, Leo. I'd like to tell you a little about myself. I am your friend and can learn from you. The more we search and travel the internet together, the smarter I'll become." This interaction shows the charm that inspired today’s virtual assistants, despite its controversial reputation as malware.

Bonzi Buddy on Windows 11

Now, let's see how Bonzi Buddy performs on Windows 11. Surprisingly, it still works! Bonsai Buddy's animations are charming, especially when compared to modern virtual assistants developed with billions of dollars. However, Bonsai Buddy was often perceived as spyware. It would change your search engine and homepage without consent, similar to some modern adware.

Is Bonsai Buddy Malware?

Technically, yes. Bonsai Buddy does exhibit behaviors typical of spyware. For instance, it reads data from its own binary image and shows executable code extraction behavior, which is standard unpacking behavior. According to VirusTotal, the executable is detected by six engines, while the original installer is flagged by 35, showing some inconsistency in malware detection.

Analyzing Bonsai Buddy

Using Intezer's platform, we found that Bonsai Buddy's executable has a 65% match with generic malware. However, many of the servers it communicated with are down now, so its malicious purposes are likely defunct. Kaspersky identifies it as AdWare.Win32.Bonsai, indicating it was more of an adware program than a virus. Modern software, including free antivirus programs, often exhibit similar behaviors, suggesting Bonsai Buddy was ahead of its time in some respects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Bonsai Buddy was a groundbreaking virtual assistant that paved the way for modern AI assistants, despite its adware characteristics. Would you prefer Bonsai Buddy or Cortana? Let us know in the comments below!

Sponsored by Intezer

This video is sponsored by Intezer. Thank you to them for their support. Intezer offers an incredible tool for analyzing files, giving you an in-depth view of code, genetic similarities, and matches with other files. You can even scan endpoints or perform memory dumps with their enterprise version. Their customer support is top-notch, so feel free to reach out if you need assistance.

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