Slashdot Mirror
Spyware Floods in Through BitTorrent
solareagle writes "Public peer-to-peer networks have always been associated with adware program distributions, but BitTorrent, the program created by Bram Cohen to offer a new approach to sharing digital files, has managed to avoid the stigma. Not any more, anti-spyware advocates warn. According to Chris Boyd, a renowned security researcher who runs the VitalSecurity.org nonprofit resource center, the warm and fuzzy world of BitTorrent has been invaded by a massive software distribution campaign linked to New York-based adware purveyor Direct Revenue LLC."
The MPAA cartel have been more than public about their conspiracy to poison p2p networks.
Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10
All that does is block bad IPs. That won't do squat if you're downloading and running an application with malware inside. The real solution is to use something like bitzi which lets you check if a given file/app you are downoading is known to have "issues."
You bring up a real issue, not from an end-user standpoint, but from major corporations. Shouldn't these companies get into serious legal trouble? I can think of two ways right off the top of my head.
First, if they're sticking adware on an illegal file and uploading it, don't the same laws apply to them uploading the illegal file? Is the **AA suing these companies along with 12-year-old kids? After all, it's adware-infested, but it's still an illegal file, right?
Second, if they are modifying warez software, not only does the previous apply, but doesn't it fall under the protection of software that outlaws modifying binary code and distributing it without the publisher's consent? I mean think about it, this kind of thing not only supposedly denies companies revenue, but it can give them a serious black eye. What if people get the incorrect impression that an adware-infested version of a respectable piece of software is the real thing? All of a sudden, you have a really bad--and undeserved--reputation for distributing spyware on everyone's computers.
Excuse me, but porn sites mostly don't need spyware - they know what you're there to get - they don't need marketing of any kind - the marketing is between your legs.
Most of my clients are picking up spyware from going to SPORTS sites. I got a client whose kids keep checking out Nike shoes at sleazy commercial sites and going to sports sites. It's sleazy commercial sites that are using spyware and spam software to hawk their products and sell marketing info.
And why would a warez site install spyware? What's in it for them (unless they're big enough to make deals with sleazy marketing operations)? They're distributing FREE illegal stuff to begin with! Again, they KNOW what you're there for. Sure, some of them are probably crackers who are looking to spread viruses and the like, but a lot of people using warez will spot that in a hurry and spread the word and then they're out of business (on that site at least.)
Even this BitTorrent thing - it's not the "legitimate" sharers doing this - it's COMPANIES seeding the torrents with crap. It's the companies that need to be targeted and shut down, regardless of their legal excuses.
Ultimately I think that since the law can't work - because it's mostly unenforceable - it will have to be hackers who start finding and (illegally) targeting these companies for DoS attacks and the like that will have to solve this.
And of course, better tools and better user education is needed to stop people from clicking on spam and installing crap.
Even so, a certain level of crime is a given and security is an issue that won't go away (until humans do, which fortunately is a given as well.)
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
WTF!!!!! Invisible Registry Value?????????
Who designed this crap that allows such rubbish to exist in the first place?
Why would there ever be a need for invisible values in the registry?
Is this a joke?
Rick B.
AVI/WMV/MPEG/MP3
Can we please stop including WMV in the list of difficult to exploit media files. It has already been pointed out that a WMV file is completely unsafe. Once I foolishly downloaded one and it opened a website in my browser when I tried to open it. After that I deleted every single WMV file on my computer and will never download one again. They are quite scary.
Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.