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Microsoft's AntiSpyware Disabled by Spyware
Ruke writes "A trojan has targeted Microsoft's AntiSpyware program, deleting all files within the C:\Program Files\AntiSpyware folder, as well as logging keystrokes at several online banking sites." The good news is that it's a Trojan, so one still has to bother with running an attached file.
The news itself might be interest, but in the realm of well written articles this will not make the list. A choice nugget from TFA:
<<< The password stealing Troj/BankAsh-A Trojan, discovered yesterday, is a spyware. It keeps a track of user activities on the computer. It spies on you. >>>
Er, didn't we cover the spying part two sentences ago? Is A spyware? A spyware what?
<<< The Trojan also removes important entries of the antispyware in the registry and thus literal kills the antispyware. >>>
Literal? Come on - this reads worse than half of the AC posts in YRO. I hate playing the grammar nazi, but this was painful to read...
"As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
Preview here
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
[Nelson] Ha Haa! [/Nelson]
Seriously, they had it coming. Microsoft needs to eat more of its own dog food.
Not that that has ever prevented Slashdot from reporting things like these as "vulnerabilities".
Yes, nobody ever expected a trojan to attack a piece of free MS software. I mean, look at Outlook. And Internet Explorer.
And in other news - "Google" gaining marketshare with "PageRank" technology
The best antispyware is buy a Mac, or install your favourite distro.
Sorry, but there it is.
It gets tiring fighting the broken dam, you can't hold all the water back forever.
Am I the only one who was humming the "Trojan Man" theme song while I read this?
This was reported on a ton of sites yesterday.
There's no "new" in this news, fellas...
lets hope microsoft gets patches out for their spyware/anti-virus software alot faster than their OS
They could have taken a working product, repackage it, only to have it compromised less than a month after their re-release.
Wait, nevermind.
How long till the Slashbots come out in droves proclaiming M$ sucks and their spyware removal sucks and they should all go to hell because a trojan(more like a crappy little batch file) is able to disable their program. Nevermind the fact that with the way this program works it would be just as effective on AdAware or SpyBot...and nevermind the fact that before running this trojan the MS spyware program TELLS YOU NOT TO!!
Please do not let scientific accuracy interfere with the intended humourous/interesting/insightful value of this comment
Viruses shut down norton antivirus.
I mean really, who didn't see this coming?
ItWasFree.com - Take the mystery
I know it's immature but...
Let me be the first to say, PWN3D!!!1one!!1
When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.
That by the end of this week CoolWebSearch "affiliates" will be bundling it with their software to ensure that they remain undetected (except by HijackThis, Ad-Aware, and Spybot).
Striking fear in the authors of godawful fanfiction, I am here, appearing in darkness, Tuxedo Jack!
"Hey kids, looks like you're about ready to infect!"
"YEAH!"
"Better use Trojan, the world's most trusted MSAntiSpywareDisabler!"
"YEAH!"
"...Now with extra lubricant!"
"...."
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
not surprising since their "focus on security" similarly led them to release a firewall that didn't activate until after the internet connection was established and could be remotely disabled anyway.
I thought Trojans were supposed to reduce the risk of viruses.
None of this is a surprise and a series of new malware tools attempt to disable various protective services.
For example, deleting the MSI Installer Service such that when you try to install something like SpySweeper the installer won't work properly.
Alternatively, killing Antivirus or Personal Firewall processes or placing known good-guy websites in the restricted zone of Internet Explorer.
The 'solution' IMHO is to have multiple layers of defence and to some extent, perhaps to use less popular tools (i.e. not McAfee and Norton) which won't be on the malware's 'hitlist'.
I know security through obscurity isn't a solution, but in this case, security through not being one of the masses may be.
I say this having spent nearly a whole day trying to remove Spyware from a friend's laptop.
Indy Media Watch-Proctologist of the Internet
R'ing TFA made me literally weep and gnash my teeth. literally.
http://www.mpaa.org/CurrentReleases/2005_02_10_Bit Torrent_Lokitorrent_FINAL.doc
It's a bit early to point the finger.
Indy Media Watch-Proctologist of the Internet
For all its security efforts, Microsoft continues to let users run as administrator by default, which is downright irresponsible. I just spent an evening cleaning an acquaintance's computer of a persistent, multiple spyware infection because of this policy of Microsoft. Needless to say I created separate restricted user accounts for all members in the household, but the Microsoft installer should have done this from the beginning! You cannot expect regular users to do anything except go with the default.
I also installed Firefox, and set all of the Internet Exploder security settings on "High" on all accounts except the administrator one (so that Windows Update can be run).
FYI Outlook isnt free. ( Outlook Express is.. )
"They" dont just attack Free Microsoft Items.....
But i agree.. no big suprise here..
---- Booth was a patriot ----
"you have to consciously or unconsciously run the EXE to install the server side on your computer."
This is opposed to your computer plugging itself in, tapping into the internet, downloading and running itself?
Seriously, every peice of malware one gets is result of human action or inaction. If one were more conciencious of the threat, they would take necessary precautions. ( install Firefox/Linux )
I also think this title tries to make a funny or ironic statement at the expense of accuracy. A Trojan is not what I consider spyware, or, something that sneaks it way in via website, javascript, etc... A trojan targets just teh fools.
None of those links work...
Perhaps that is why your story was rejected?
hmm...
It's a bit early to point the finger.
What? Wait until tomorrow? This isn't a Spyware problem, it's a virus scanning problem for your incoming mail.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
The fact that you have to run as administrator to get any work done is a security hole big enough to drive a truck through. It is ridiculous that you can trash your filesystem just by double-clicking a mail attachment. *All* linux distributions I've used set up a user account for you and encourage you to use it. Mandrake, for instance, gives you a big red warning if you start KDE as root.
Until microsoft fixes this it will be plagued by security holes. And don't give me this bullshit about usability -- Mac OS X got it right, why can't windows?
___
If you think big enough, you'll never have to do it.
You have to be running as Administrator for it to affect your system. It works by writing files to the system directory, deleting the MSAS install directory, and writing keys to HKLM, among other things. All of these are blocked if you are not administrator.
That's a /. issue, it adds spaces to URLs so they'll word wrap, thus breaking the URLs... take out the %20 symbols and they work. AFAIK links in stories don't do that.
you're going to have to cut and paste man, im too drunk to mess about with html. and oddly they seemed to work in the story preview when i submitted it. perhaps plain old text formatting works better for story submissions
STOP LOGGING ON AS ADMINISTRATOR!
Problem solved.
You wouldn't log in and do everything as root on your Unix machine, and run random scripts, would you?
whoever wins, we lose
my last sig was too controversial... now, a new and improved useless sig!
Anyone have a link where I can download this at?
So, someone developer an application that deletes some files and installs a keylogger. Whoop-de-doo... :-S
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
As long as you're not logged in as an Administrator or root.
I did copy and paste them into IE, and they no worky.
;)
Perhaps in the future you should try less drinking while submitting
Isn't ironic that their own software they make to prevent other software from self-installing get disabled?
My opinion is you should just buy software such as Norton internet Security to protect yourself, but most of all, people should be more aware of the "dark side" of the internet and should NOT RUN THE EXE IN THE MAIL...
I think sticking to that rule should prevent lots of viruses and headaches...
are an ass....
You know it....
I like how the guy collected $$ from his fans for legal defense, and then caved immediately.
http://www.lokitorrent.com/
If it was shut down by court order, then why the hell does the MPAA get control of the domain?!? If the courts are enabling the MPAA to propagandize* on sites it deems violate copyright, we are in BIG trouble.
* The page states you cannot download legal material from lokitorrent. I am certain i've seen seeds for ooffice and slack10.1 there.
It isn't spyware it is a Trojan. Spyware are programs either secretly installed by a base program to monitor your habits of browsing and usage or installed but mildly covered. This is a Trojan intent on stealing banking passwords and such. Two completely different things.
if you cant get lokitorrent.com working then i think you NEED a beer lol
You *should* be able to install such a program on your computer. You *should* also be smart enough to know what you decide to put on your machine.
So thanks to today's news that Symantec programs may execute programs that should be flagged, one must now only use a solid product like Symantec Anti-Virus to load up software to remove Microsoft's anti-spyware software. Beautiful. Perhaps I should save everyone the time and hassle and just make a website with a malformed jpg or gif that loads an ActiveX script to then download the trojan and thus get it all done in one shot. Vulnerability after vulnerability after vulnerability. Perhaps this guy wasn't so far off.
Of course, I can't help but point out the obvious: rumors keep abounding that M$ will charge for its anti-spyware and anti-virus softwares. So let me see if I'm clear on this... they write shitty code that I'm forced to use (since the apps I need only run on Win32), and then I have to pay again for software to keep people from exploiting the software that was shitty to begin with. Isn't that a bit like selling you a piece of shit car, then charging you to use your warranty when the clutch fails on day #2 of ownership? You know, many of us thought that the day would come that M$ would charge for access to WindowsUpdate. Is there anything they won't charge for? Don't they ever say "we fucked up... here's a freebie on us"? Or "you already paid $300 for our OS... here's a way to secure it for free".
"The good news is that it's a Trojan, so one still has to bother with running an attached file."
:-D
Haha, that's assuming you aren't being safe and also have Symantec Anti-Virus
We've seen viri/trojans that delete antispyware before. All the more reason to install software somewhere other than the default location, and to run more than one antispyware/antivirus solution.
Also, when software starts disappearing from your computer you might want to look into it.
Install elsewhere. I've found very, very few applications will not accept another partition to install to.
The problem is that lots of software REQUIRES Administrator simply to function properly. You can argue that one should simply ditch that software, but unfortunately its not always that easy.
.NET 2003. Debugging managed code in a Web Application/Web Service, or a Windows Service pretty much requires Administrator access.
Case in point: Visual Studio
Don't ask anti-virus people for a straight answer - they're terrified. If one of these apps seems to have a legitimate purpose than no matter how it gets on your computer, no matter what else it does, it seems like it's immune from deletion by AV.
The AV people are tyring to walk an increasingly thin line between malicious spyware and malicious viruses. Pretty soon, they're going to have to make some hard decisions.
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
The good news are that it's Windows, so you are used to that kind of shit :-D
Sorry, couldn't resist...
So my email stating "Click start and then run and then type CMD and then click OK and then in the nifty black box type 'del C:\Program Files\AntiSpyware\*.*' and then hit Y on your keyboard and then forward this to 10 of your friends so Bill Gates will send you $100" is getting around a bit.
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
When Microsoft released their Antispyware, everyone said, "Oh, well, Microsoft didn't do anything, they just bought the software from Giant.". Now that there's a problem, "Whoa, Microsoft's software really sucks. It's sure is all their fault."
Pick a side, people.
... thinking of Tim holding Gareth's stapler out the window when they heard this?
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
Yeah, probably because the few pennies his fans tossed him were not enough to pay for the legal battles he would face.
To think pirates weren't cheap skates..
In another news, the CIA was considering using Micro$oft Antispyware to keep out North Korean spies.
Alas!
I don't know what the hell are you guys complaining about. If MPAA would have time or the nerves to track down anyone sharing their movies they could just might as well download azureus, go to some torrent page, download the torrent and track every ip downloading that movie from azureus. Then I would like to see what you'd be saying. Be happy that they don't get after you. The people who run torrent sites know the risk.
This reminds me about how you all bitch about how Microsoft's software is buggy and has security holes. I think this trojan serves as a nice example that things like this happen only because they produce one of the most used software. They _bought_ this software from GIANT and litteraly only changed the logo - I don't remember anyone attacking the same application when GIANT owned it.
I bet my ass that if they'd release their own version of FreeBSD completely untouched with just a MS logo on it, it would get headlines all over the web and eventually be where Windows is now (regarding virus, spyware,...).
Dude this isn't fark :)
I wasn't sure I knew that song, so I was sitting here asking myself "Do I know the Muffin Man - the Muffin Man, the Muffin man?..."
Turns out I do know that song.
http://shit.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/10/2 325205
"Domination of your PC II: Revenge of the Spyware"
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Ha Ha
_Nielson
it wont help, sine all those morons will use windows no-mather what...what a waste..
Fight Fire with Fir......wait a minute.....
Oh wait. yeah, some virus would figure it out... and totally destroy your machine. Or just really annoy you.
It just seems wrong that MS programs are able to be bitchslapped by malacious code...
"you have to consciously or unconsciously run the EXE to install the server side on your computer"
Damnit. I always knew my sleepwalking would get me in trouble some day...
SIERRA TANGO FOXTROT UNIFORM
Give me a break! If you can type the runas command manually, you can write that batch file yourself.
I would like to see an operating system feature that offers what amounts to "Undo" for disk drives. VirtualPC has had this for years, and there are (or were) a handful of third party programs available to do the same thing. Basically, it keeps a running log of changes to the disk. At any time, you can go "oops" and back up a configurable number of steps. Some backup programs offer a similar feature, but they're again third party, and the interface is confusing to new users.
This should be completely integrated into the operating system, and the data log should have root permissions. The OS itself could even watch for suspicious activity, and ask the user if he/she would like to roll back. Of course, this would require some architectural changes, and - in the case of Windows - a proper implementation of a multiple user environment. Still, I think it's the only final solution to the problems offered by viruses and their ilk.
Formerly GNU/Anonymous Coward. This message has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals.
I have to ask - isn't a big part of window's security problem the fact that general users need to have write permission to the program files and the windows folder?
Well maybe it isn't absolutely necessary; but I've found that lots of things don't work right if they don't. MS office is an example. Our version of office, admittadly a little dated office 97, will not allow a user of configure their toolbars unless they have write access to the winnt folder.
The advice of several different mcse's that I've spoken with is to make each user a local administrator on their own machine. I'm sure lots of other people, especially home users do this as well. Now wonder viruses have a field day.
I still find programs designed to write their data files to the progam files folder where they are installed as a default. This in nuts in a multi-user system.
If the users only have write access to their own profile, won't that make the systems more secure. The whole window's architecture and the way apps are written seems insane to me.
In Windows XP you can not do a runas in a batch file as the runas command does not let you specify the password. The third party su implementation lets you specify the password on the command line which makes batch files much easier to do. That is assuming the app is compatible with runas in the first place.
as if we expected anything less of a microsoft product..
The good news is that it's a Trojan, so one still has to bother with running an attached file.
C'mon! With all the vulnerabilities in Windows and IE that allow any executable to be run on the machine? How long before we browse to a web-site, open a malformed picture or even just connect to the Internet to allow another "buffer overflow" to give up our banking information?
you know,,if your microshaft peecee winblows machine was a digital camera or a tv or a car and had problems like winblows does with spyware adware viruses trojans and every other hack under the sun, the american people would revolt and sue and burn and kill.....whats up with you winblows users taking this sort of crap from some 2 bit software company....i know i know,,,iam on a mac and yadda yadda yadda,,,but its pretty simple.......my mac works...period!...and dont give me any crap about macs being 1% of the market and all the other mumbo jumbo you people spew...that has no bearing on anything,,,,its just allot easier to exploit the 1000 or so security holes on winblows......time to get it together people....imagine,,,a trojan to delete the application thats suppoesed to protect you from trojans,,,,thats sweet....lololololololol.....
...for that tip!
This is what you get with those stupid
.exe too.
hiring processes that only hire SO CALLED
genius morons. ALl managers hire YES people, not
smart "i dont listen to orders or rules" people.
Heres my added spec which wont need 9 layers of Master grad + managers to approve.
1. Install the damn software in a folder that is semi random with some numbers or different layouts, that are still human readable but not predictable by a trojan. And a different named
2. Use NTFS to the max to LOCK IT IN so you cannot remove it. or make it hidden "cat file.exe file2.exe:hidden" try that.
3. supply free german beer, not useless Mdew or coke crap corporate products.
that I think about how bad Trojan is for a name of a condom.
Webroot spy sweeper is still the best all around.
Giant had promise, but I'm sure MS will #$% it up.
Actually, something keeps disabling my Security Agents in Microsoft Antispyware. Could this be the cause? Or something else?
Three days from now?? Thats tomorrow!! ~Peter Griffin
Honestly, did anyone NOT see this coming?
I jokingly predicted this exact situation in a post when they first released the beta of the app (though admittedly I thought it'd take a little bit longer before it was actually in the wild). Rest assured that it is only a matter of time before you see this in a non-trojan form that is automatically installed via an IE exploit delivered by some ad-serving company.
Microsoft's move of buying up and releasing an anti-malware application of their own is IMO nothing more than an attempt to improve public perception of their so-called efforts towards improving Windows security.
Amusingly enough, I believe it to also be an example of how much they simply don't get it and/or don't care -- the insecurity of the underlying OS is the direct cause of the probem, not the spyware.
No amount of anti-malware software targeting the effects (automatically installed spyware) of the problem (insecure OS/Web Browser) will have any positive impact because it's the problem itself that allows the effects to continue... and have enough power to take the anti-malware software and just turn it off.
Blocker blocker blocker blocker blocker blocker blocker blocker blocker blocker blocker blocker FUBAR FUBAR
Fake! Fake! Oh, it's a fake!
Blocker blocker blocker (etc. ad nauseam)
A few people have pointed out that you can set up limited user accounts in XP, and the default user account is admin. Everyone screams and moans 'but how many normal users will set up a limited account?'. Their argument is that 'normal' users don't have the wherewithal or desire to set up a limited account and that Microsoft should do this for them. The problem with that argument is that 'normal' users like that are also the same exact type of users who would simply type in the root password to install the trojan or spyware anyway. If you think someone is too dumb to set up a limited account (which is one of the easiest tasks to do in XP), then why would you give them the benefit of the doubt to not type in their password whenever the window pops up????
Well, here's MY catchy thing of the day.
I've run Adaware with latest defs and voila... those system hooks didn't help... a client's computer was CRAWLING with spyware and adaware is what removed them... strange since Giant... *cough cough* MICROSOFT antispyware was running with all settings enabled... strange indeed... oh well, guess some things get past it...
goes to play that since Microsoft put all the dummies, morons and assholes on the 'net... they now have to deal with irate, moronic assholes and idiots who think they're "compewtah gawds" (read, idiotic asinine MORONS!)
Besides, has anyone besides me found that Antispyware simply flags legitimate apps half the time (VNC, NetopHost, etc, PC Anywhere, you name it all get tagged as spyware)
" What luck for rulers that men do not think" - Adolf Hitler
You know. I honestly believe that if Microsoft released it's own MS branded virus that some enterprising coder from the eastern area of Europe would write an anti-virus virus that exploited some unbelievably obscure buffer overflow vulnerability and Slashdot would pick up the story.
It wouldn't end there because the anti-virus virus writer would complain to his ISP which happens to be hosting his website where he geefully took responsibility for the anti-virus virus and chastised Microsoft for their inability to code a secure, virus. The anti-virus virus writer would also praise the extreme security of Linux by hypothesizing that if it had been a Linux virus he couldn't have destroyed it the way he had the MS one.
As the webserver that hosted the site of the anti-virus virus begins it's thermal meltdown, the ISP calls Cowboy Neal to ask him to PLEASE cache the site for their customer. Cowboy Neal (being the astute person he is) notes the anti-virus virus writers name and writes it down. Cowboy Neal then realizes that Microsoft has posted a $134 Gazillion dollar reward for the capture and mutilation of the anti-virus virus writer and quickly shoots off an email to Bill.
Bill calls the BSA Death Squad and they march on St. Petersburg, finding the anti-virus virus writer sitting at a local Burger King with a laptop. They drag him outside and mercilessly beat him with rubber hoses until, lying in a pool of his own blood the anti-virus writer dies.
Bill, in his infinite gratitude sends Cowboy Neal a check for $134 Gazillion dollars which Cowboy Neal uses to flee the country with his mistress.
Despite all of the drama here a couple of lessons will be learned.
1. Slashdot STILL doesn't cache sites.
2. Microsoft isn't the target because it's big. It's the target because it's EASY!
3. Cowboy Neal can not be trusted with large amounts of cash.
4. I haven't seen my wife since he got paid.....
A trojan has targeted Microsoft's AntiSpyware program, deleting all files within the C:\Program Files\AntiSpyware folder...
Good thing I installed it in C:\Program Files\Microsoft\AntiSpyware.
Good day to be a Mac user, indeed. Well, aside from not being to play games on a overpriced computer. Macs are not targeted because they are pieces of shit.
I haven't seen anyone here post about something this trojan did that hasn't been reported in a while. It deleted a bunch of files. This episode wasn't it, but once a virus comes along that doesn't care about being a spam zombie and propagates itself out to wherever it can get via whatever the means and starts writing splotches of zeroes across the victim's hard drive, then we'll see some real suffering and screaming going on. It'd be all to easy.
Now some people say that Microsoft software is has more trojans, etc. because it is more popular. But - MS antispyware is a lot less popular than other spyware products, yet it is the only one that is really easily disabled by a trojan, so that makes the "Microsoft is more popular" argument invalid! Well... this wasn't surprising considering Micrsoft's security track record.
Public download, but can't provide feedback without becoming a MVP. Sigh.
I have my taskbar on the left edge of the screen, and any "toast" windows that popup in the bottom right corner just quickly scroll up and off the screen.
But, I guess someone else will have to report it.
M$ when you want software really bad, we have really bad software.
So Long and Thanks for all the Fish.
A virus or malware, which cripples, but does not actually disable any security tools which may be on the system so that the user is still compelled to believe that their antivirus and antispyware tools are functioning normally, but in fact the tools have been altered slightly to simply behave as though the one particular piece of malware in question wasn't actually present, and meanwhile the malware performs exactly as normal.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
It is a bit late to point the finger.
Today I bought 550 shares of Mandrake. The total trading for today is 550 shares.
It is a small world(?).
Surprise to me.
I bought ALL of the Mandrake trading today !
I do not know if I should be elated or jump off a bridge.
There is no reason why this could not be possible anymore. The only reason it has not yet taken over the PC market is legacy operating systems like Microsoft's.
Perhaps the flash memory cartel people have been squeezed by Redmond not to alow this to happen. To install the OS one could just use a boot cdrom, if given a protected and fixed bios section in the flash, or even a simple fixed bios that boots the OS flash chip Heck that way you could treat MS windows for what it is just another piece of software!
In my way of thinking nothing has held up the advancement of computing more than Microsoft.
Yes, IE has plenty of holes that allow exploits to ravage a system. That definately falls on the maker.
But, if you're a jackass who's making software to spy on people, claim it's something else, and then put in measures to ensure that the programs run "no matter what..." Well, I'm willing to put plenty of responsibility on you.
It doesn't matter what platform the author is targeting, nor what company makes that platform. You're still trying to find unethical (an in many cases illegal) ways to get your stuff to run on an unsuspecting target, and you plan on stealing with it (be it bank account numbers, passwords, or something as little as bandwidth to push ads).
Spyware targets whatever will attempt to remove it. I've seen trojans that prevent some scanners (Ad-Aware and Spybot especially) from detecting that the spy process even exists. I've seen processes that create backups to make sure that both keep each other running if one ends or gets cleaned out. It's something new all the time with these people. It was only a matter of time before something like this targeted Giant's product regardless of whether MS got involved or not.
Don't trust your PC to this Microsoft micro-trash. My crack team of security experts (my pet cat and a 5-year-old nephew who mentioned something about bug squashing at a Christmas gettogether) and I have developed malware detection and removal software that will kick any other anti-crap's hindquarters. Spending unheard of manhours (many of which were used to make late-night caffeine runs and failed attempts to get laid) over a span of nearly a week, my team and I developed a program that will secure your information technology from those evil evil hackers out on the big bad Internet. Now if your current ad removal system or firewall says my program is keylogging to send your credit card information to me, this is only because it's jealous. I suggest you remove other spyware removal tools and anti-virus programs as soon as possible!
I'd like to proffer the URL for my program now, but it would seem my host has mistakenly taken the site down for the moment. I intend to call them soon and have this terribly injust mistake rectified immediately.
On vit, on code et puis on meurt.
But until they are, it is NOT possible for many users to run as admin.
1) If Windows had protected the antispyware program in some special way, we were now all complaining about antispyware being considered "special" by the OS and thus being in unfair competition with other spyware programs.
..Go and flame me now.
2) On any Unix machine you have to be root to install most of the software (you usually have to be root before rpm or make install) : a simple trojan relying on *stupid* user behaviour can be written for any platform and this is not a security problem of the platform, is a security problem of the user's brain.
3) From 2, even if the default user was not administrator, most people would simply try to install this new porn-lemmings game they received and they would "run as" it (just like you su - make install on linux).
4) It's not even only a problem in the user brain. I wonder how much would it take to discover 5 malicious lines inserted in some big open source project. This *is* a possible evet, it could be an angry sourceforge employer, a security hole somewhere, a
5) It seems to me whatever the choice of MS is in any particular matter, there is always someone who takes it to bash it down. When the fact is ridiculous like in this example, this kind of behaviour is detrimental to the whole community. Do you live to make Linux great ? Than use your time to make it the perfect OS, not to make Windows appear the worst OS ever - 90% of users have chosen it as the best product for them and they will not change their mind because you are bashing it down, they will change their mind when they'll see something better *for them*.
In Outlook Express 6... Tools:Options Security Tab Tick "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus" OK This looks like it should do the job for most people - those who don't need to receive executable attachments by email.
Apparently, Microsoft now has offical plans to begin charging for Antispyware (like they didn't before). This morning I noticed this new message: This version expires in 170 day(s). This version of Microsoft Antispyware expires on July 31, 2005. Please contact Microsoft for an updated version.
It's not just software (pun intended). If you think of the original meaning of a Trojan horse, it's still not a very inspiring name for a condom. Good thing we don't have those here in Finland. A typical Finnish condom is called Sultan, btw, which I think makes a lot more sense. Of course being a true Slashdotter I can only speak from a theoretical viewpoint.
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
Talked to my father-in-law on the phone yesterday... Wachovia was targeted too. The support guy had no ideas about it other than "it's your computer". Of course but this just shows the big companies are in no way prepared for what is starting to happen: an all-out crippling of computer systems by hackers.
Our profession will not take off with commodity computing due to hackers! We have to fix them.
BTW, anyone know what can fix the Wachovia keylogger?
Expect Freedom.
Next thing you know, they will start coming out with viruses which disable virus scanners
Most said 'boo' when they found out MS was releasing antispyware software, but said 'ok that's fine' when they found out MS didn't write it. Microsoft bought the rights to engineer and 'have' a specific piece of software and is therefore responsible for the contents.
Personally I've found MS Antispyware to be completely unnecessary, and in fact may lead to more problems than it can fixed. Anyone remember reading in a previous article how it produces a lot of false positives, even going so far as to detect Spybot S&D protection as spyware? (And yes, I believe I tested this).
We lived fine without MS Antispyware before, and we can live fine without it now.
I guess this just goes to show exactly how well they know their own product!
-- Game Developers: Stop porting badly-textured games from crappy console systems!
Hell, the whole process of tuning permissions is so obfuscated in Windows that no Joe Average can do it even if he wanted to.
Whereas on Unix it's very easy to elevate user privileges when necessary. Windows simply was not designed that way - its rotten roots are all too obvious still.
'Once scientists, even the dim-witted social scientists, get muzzled, the Western Civilization is finished.' - oldhack
VMware also now offers possibility to create easy-to-install complete virtual environments.. for clients etc.. in installer form. Check it out.
I run Windows at work exclusively under VMware. It's faster to run sandboxed Windows in virtual machine than it is to run it natively with all the resource-hodging kludgework (anti-virus, anti-spyware etc) on top.
Other plusses of VMware include, but are not limited to:
-Easier backups (just copy the VM partition files somewhere)
-Easier deployment and testing (keep a 'clean' Win2K / WinXP image, clone it).
The server version is kinda expensive, and requires blessed hardware, but the workstation version is a bargain.
'Once scientists, even the dim-witted social scientists, get muzzled, the Western Civilization is finished.' - oldhack
THIS THING KILLS MS ANTI-SPYWARE (oh, btw, it logs key presses too.. kthxbye)
Thank you! Thank you! Best help I've got on this! It would seem that for the price of support you pay for with QuickBooks (one of my clients pays for it for their company) They would know this and happily give you this information. But wouldn't life be simplier if everyone followed the basic security rule of "Do nothing under root or Administrator except setup".