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First PSP Trojan Reported

Posted by Zonk on from the watch-what-you-click dept.

Evangelion writes "PSP hackers beware! According to 1up.com today, Symantec has identified the first PSP Trojan in the wild. Known as Trojan.PSPBrick, it turns the PSP into, well, a brick. With buttons. Users have to download and install it themselves, and as a result it effectively breaks the PSP."

3 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. Well then... by PapaBoojum · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...I would recommend users NOT download it.

    1. Re:Well then... by Joe+Random · · Score: 4, Insightful
      If the hack takes out user buttons,
      It doesn't just take out the buttons; it flashes the firmware with junk, preventing the PSP from even booting.
      What if someone accidentally downloads this virus, then isn't able to use their PSP anymore because they can't wipe the memory clean? Who is responsible then?
      The user is, of course. The trojan is disguised as a firmware downgrader, and there's no way in hell that Sony is going to reimburse a person who was trying to "hack" their PSP. I'm pretty sure that there's something in the PSP boilerplate that covers that, but I'm too lazy to look.
      Do they have to physically open the device and set a jumper to clear the memory?
      There is no jumper. The memory has to be rewritten by an EEPROM programmer, which I doubt that any normal user is going to have access to. Sony won't send you a new PSP, and I don't doubt that, if anyone out there were able to reflash the PSP's firmware, Sony would be suing them under the DMCA or something.

      In other words, this trojan turns your PSP into a $250 paperweight/brick, hence the name.
  2. Re:Simple solution to this one by snuf23 · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's not a virus. It is a Trojan horse. A program which claims to be something beneficial but in reality just messes your computer up.

    "Don't download and install it."

    I'm sure if it's listed as "PSP Trojan Horse - turn your PSP into a useless brick" - nobody would download it.

    --
    Sometimes my arms bend back.