What is this Command - Possible Security issue with software.

[Anonymous]

A couple of days ago, I have left my  computer for an hour lunch and when I came back I noticed the following on my computer.

1) my UCS was shifted by 15 degrees.

2) a command was executed on my command line just before this shift... ( DesignFeedManageDocSwitch)

I have never heard of this command and nobody in the office would be playing a prank on me.  I need to know what is this Command and what does it entail once executed on my  computer.

I feel that this could be a security issue that may allow someone on my computer. it is similar to a new  prototype set of commands such as DesignFeedopen

Please respond.

once again, the strange command is...

DESIGNFEEDMANAGEDOCSWITCH

[pendean]

Start HELP in ACA and read about Design Feed, it was setup in your program by you or someone else:
http://help.autodesk.com/view/ARCHDESK/2016/ENU/?guid=GUID-145FB8A1-0F5A-442D-ABA1-02BAC42276A1

UCS never moves on it's own: someone or some routine did it for youo.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your quick response...

I have already seen this "To Get Started With Design Feed" article...

However, I still do not see anything in regards to the command in question...

DesignFeedManageDocSwitch except for it is used in AutoCAD but has no description that follows this command.

I understand that the following commands...

DesignFeedOpen

DesignFeedClose

DesignFeedState

... are all part of a "prototype" program for Collaborating your drawings over the internet (with AutoDesk or anyone else in the internet). I am currious if this prototype is actually allowing someone in the outside through loopholes in the system, to get into my computer using this Command (DesignFeedManageDocSwitch) as a breach into our system. Due to the nature of our work here, I am hoping that this is not the case; if it is the case, should RED alerts be brought up after this breech and in using the AutoDesk programs since version 2015 when these commands started to take place will hinder the security of our work.

I am actually questioning the security level of this AutoCAD Program and if by typing DesignFeedClose should in fact rectify the problem in the foreseable future.

I have personally left messages to our reseller and he actually thought that someone here is playing a joke on me and nobody here is willing and capable to play a joke like this on my computer. I need straight answers if possible because it questions the security level of the use of AutoCAD.

Thanks once again!

I hope that this message enlightens AutoCAD more than anything since I was able to track down an issue we are having at the firm shortly after purchasing this software.

[pendean · Accepted solution]

That's an internal file tied to that process. HELP doesn't explain "everything", never has, never will.

if you installed the A360/Cloud component for AutoCAD, and use the Online HELP in AutoCAD, (and if you are renting AutoCAD on a monthly basis) you are by default allowing the program to tap and access all these sites at will all the time.

If all these items concern you, you have to uninstall all these components, install local HELP files, and take you computer off the internet and place it behind a strong hardware+software Firewall. There is no alternative if security is a true commercial/contracts concern, it's how many of us with high-security clients do it. Simply flipping off a component designed to call home all the time is never good enough and should never be a valid method of "security": you'd fail a network security audit with that approach.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much, this was something I have been wanting to know more about for a couple of weeks. You are quite knowledgable on these things and I thank you greatly for your quick response. The local resellers thought this question was based as a part of a prank that was done by my coworkers and never could give a good enough answer to us. As far as I know, there was no harm done to our network, however, this command string which has little information about in the AutoDesk site really scared me. I personally have used AutoCAD since version 6i and never came across a secure problem like this before. I am a proud user of AutoDesk Products and will continue to do so. Once again, I will appreciate your quick response and will be discussing with the team on other ways to beef up our security. As far as I am in concern, I still feel like there was a breach in our system of my account through the use of AutoCAD. I will be uninstalling the A360/Cloud component for AutoCAD per your request and perhaps further enhance the security of our network. In return, I hope that this matter can be something to be discussed inhouse with autodesk and hope they will continue to make this software a wonderful and safe tool for our practice.

Once again, I am very thankful!

[Victoria.Studley · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

Thank you for posting your question here in the community.

The command you're seeing at the command line (DESIGNFEEDMANAGEDOCSWITCH), is an internal command registered and used by Design Feed to manage the document state.

You might see this, for instance, when the Design Feed is open and you switch from one drawing to another, or close an open drawing and the next one becomes active. There's nothing malicious about it, and nobody is playing a prank on you. 

I'll publish a short article on our knowledgebase, so that this information can be found easily in the future. I hope this clarifies what is happening for you.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for addressing with my concern on this subject. As I mentioned before, I just came back from lunch one day and say that my computer has been messed with. No one in the office here had touched my computer or even played a prank on me. I am uncertain on how my computer was touched or played with; but I do know that the following happened while I was gone... the command "DESIGNFEEDMANAGEDOCSWITCH" was deployed following a ucs shift. which may have been done in accident while someone got onto my computer. Nobody at this firm (a firm of 6 people) claims to have been near my computer and I believe that. So this leads me to think that someone online breached my computer and it effects my secure feelings towards the program and current security system in place at the firm. I am hoping that this is just a simple design flaw in the program and by shutting down something will keep this problem from happening. I followed Dean's suggestion and uninstalled A360 from this computer and hope to have remedied the situation at hand. I only reached out to the community because I strongly felt there was a breach in this system and our Local AutoDESK Reseller Rep did not come up with a solution except in thinking that this was a joke done by one of my coworkers. I know this is not a joke. While searching for the command in  question, I came upon a site that made my computer scream out that I had a virus. I then stopped my search for this command and shut the system down,  ran several virus checkers and malaware cleaners and did not find any malaware issues. I have been working well on this computer since then. As you can see, I have had quite a day on this subject and could use some kind of reassurance that this problem could be looked into and a discussion can be made. I am a loyal customer who has worked with AutoCAD for quite some time (since version 6i in high school). I feel that I understand AutoCAD quite well but this widely unknown command of DesignFeedManageDocSwitch was the only command that really scared me since it may be related with the new Design Feed program to help collaborate your drawings over the internet. I hope I was descriptive enough to state my concerns to AutoDesk. I will write to this string further if I do see any further issues like this.

Once again, thanks for reaching out to me! I will be looking forward to reading your upcoming article. let me know somehow once it gets posted... if possible.

Paul