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Quite a few programs I use have an option for implementing itself to my computer's command line. I've currently disabled that feature on most of my programs (except node.js and a few others).

Example from node.js: Node.js - Added to PATH

I want to know if this implementation can be potentially dangerous.

From what I know, the command line is basically the "root" of your system, and can allow the program to associate files with itself. This can be useful, like in coding software, to added in-program consoles. But what are the downsides?

OS: Windows 8.1 Pro

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    This cannot be answered without knowing the operating system. Although it really doesn't matter there is no different between the command line application and running and an application with a gui.
    – Ramhound
    Mar 11, 2015 at 23:08
  • Forgot to mention that. I'm using Windows 8.1 Pro.
    – unbindall
    Mar 11, 2015 at 23:10
  • I don't understand what you are asking. If a program can be run from a GUI shell, such a desktop link or a file manager, then it can be run from a command line shell, although the latter gives access to the complete range of run options, which are not available in a GUI shell. If a user has execution permission for a program, then it can be run by whatever means the user has available.
    – AFH
    Mar 11, 2015 at 23:11
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    (in terms of security, the command line is no more or less secure than the GUI. Either can be root and neither is necessarily root) But give screenshots of the message you are seeing from the programs, and then we can try to figure out what the programs mean.
    – barlop
    Mar 11, 2015 at 23:30
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    @DominatorX absolutely no security risk at all to do that. It's rather like, if you want to run notepad, if it's in the path you just type notepad, if it's not in the path then you type c:\windows\system32\notepad so it is for convenience to have a program in the path If you don't use the fact that its in the path then you may as well not select that feature but no harm either way.
    – barlop
    Mar 12, 2015 at 0:07

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Absolutely no security risk at all to add a program to the path. It's rather like, if you want to run notepad, if it's in the path you just type notepad, if it's not in the path then you type c:\windows\system32\notepad so it is for convenience to have a program in the path If you don't use the fact that its in the path then you may as well not select that feature but no harm either way

and in terms of security, the command line is no more or less secure than the GUI. Either can give root/administrative access and neither is necessarily giving root/administrative access.

and whether a program is in the path or not, a program's command line parameters/options can be accessed from the GUI(with a shortcut / icon), or from a command prompt/shell. Absolutely no difference in security there.

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