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Viral Videos That Really Are Viral
davidwr writes to mention a BBC article looking at booby-trapped Windows codecs. While some codecs required for online videos actually let you watch your content, others are just excuses to infect your system with spyware or adware. As davidwr says: "Now virtual sex can make your computer sick." From the article: "Mr Robinson said many security firms were now logging instances in which spyware and adware firms are turning out software bundles that claim to roll together many popular codecs or just have the one needed to play a particular clip. Some of the codecs do help to play clips, but others are disguised as a variety of nuisance or malicious programs. Some rogue codecs plague users with pop-up adverts, while others invisibly install keyloggers that try to grab confidential data. "
Running Linux does not make you invincable. It would be an easy thing to include some "if (OS == LINUX)" code. A captive Linux box is a worthier target than an XP box, and there are no "automatic" tools to sweep it clean. Many Linux users don't know all the things running on their box, nor pay much attention to it. Do YOU know what all the processes from "ps -ef" do? Are you sure that the process named is really that process?
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
I'm going to personally recommend a codec pack called CCCP, or the Combined Community Codec Pack. It's primarily meant for viewing anime, but I've never come across any video it couldn't play (aside from MOV and RM). It claims to be free of any sort of malware, and there are a lot of good people vouching for it.
:-)
If anyone has any information about malware being present in this codec pack, please respond to this post; since I have this installed on my system I'd be very interested in hearing it.