ASUS Certificate Maintenance Advisory – Motherboards, Graphics Cards, Mini PCs, Workstations, Servers and Gaming Gear
ASUS is releasing this advisory to provide information related to the new implementation of a tiered certificate structure that upgrades the security infrastructure of our expanding software ecosystem.
The upgrade requires the current code-signing certificate of several ASUS products to be revoked. This revocation can cause some existing software utilities to trigger a Windows Security dialog box, and may prevent legitimate ASUS programs, such as Aura, AI Suite III, GPU Tweak II, Armoury II and others, from running normally when users attempt to execute the associated ‘Setup.exe’ or ‘AsusSetup.exe’ file.
The new versions of each ASUS software update, code-signed with a new digital certificate are now available for download at the link provided below. Once the latest version of the respective software is downloaded, the relevant program can be installed and run normally.
Further information can be found in the Advisory FAQ section below. Users who have any inquiries or concerns are welcome to contact ASUS Customer Service. ASUS apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this update.
Updated Software List
Download links for each software program can be found here: Related Product Categories and Updated Software List
Advisory FAQ
What is a code-signing certificate?
Many companies, including ASUS, use electronic certificates to digitally ‘sign’ software code. These unique signatures provide users with an assurance that the code is legitimate, and has not been modified since being signed by the developer.
For more information, please follow the link below:
https://www.digicert.com/blog/ms-smartscreen-application-reputation/
Yes. All previously released ASUS software obtained from official sources, such as the official ASUS support website, ASUS Q-Installer, ASUS Armoury Crate, or an ASUS support CD, is safe and does not contain any malicious code. However, to account for the growth of our software ecosystem, we have implemented a new certificate infrastructure that requires a software update. Please use the links above to download the latest software for your system.
How does this affect me as a user?
You may encounter one of the following scenarios:
Scenario 1: ASUS software (such as Aura, AI Suite III, GPU Tweak II, etc.)
Because the aforementioned software operates at the driver and service level, Windows may perform regular checks regarding the validity of the certificate when the program is run. Once the certificate has been revoked, Windows may prevent you from running the program altogether. In this case, you will need to download the newest code-signed version from the support page link listed above, and refer to the SOP to update your existing version of ASUS software.
Scenario 2: Running an ASUS support CD
If the CD that shipped with your product was compiled before this update, you will be able to autorun the ISO file or execute the Setup.exe file in the root directory as normal. With the exception of AI Suite III, Aura, and LiveDash, all software and drivers will be able to run normally. However, if you choose to manually select drivers from the Support CD directory, Windows may prevent you from installing them. If you encounter this issue, please use the links provided in this advisory notice to download the latest versions of the appropriate program files for your ASUS product.