Digital Picture Frames Infected by Trojan Viruses
CR0WTR0B0T writes "The San Francisco Chronicle is running a story on viruses loaded into digital picture frames, similar to the ones we discussed at the end of last year. The difference is in the virus used: 'The authors of the new Trojan Horse are well-funded professionals whose malware has 'specific designs to capture something and not leave traces ... This would be a nuclear bomb of malware.' Apparently, a number of regular folks have hooked them up to their home computer and loaded the virus. And if you think you're too smart to be fooled, apparently the Anti-Virus software makers have not caught up to the threat quite yet."
The parent post links to GNAA's admirable "Last Measure" shock site.
Do you want to be on the safe side and have some fun, too? Just make your custom DPF and install Linux on it. Here are some DIY instructions to make a digital picture frame from an old laptop or notebook. And here is a survey of Linux used on selfmade digital photo frames
The picture itself in not a virus, rather it becomes one when the malformed image causes some type of overflow /exploit to the program that renders that picture
, so not having something run auomatioally doesn't really matter, when you do open the picture it Runs by exploiting a flaw in the program that renders it. whether it starts automatically or not is of less relevance.
This fact isn't being made very clear in this forum or the document.
Pictures are not viruses they ar caused to become one on very specific software that render them .
EX: The same image when viewed or if even viewable on different rendering software will have no effect .
There were 1.7 million sold in the United States in 2006. These are bought by people that just want to show some pictures they took with their digital camera without having to dedicate a computer to the job. Black Friday was loaded with ads for picture frames for around $70. Given the price point, it was an attractive Christmas gift to give to anyone who may not be computer savvy. PC Magazine is predicting that these digital frames will become smarter to give non-computer users more capability like Video streams and tablet PC functionality. The virus problem could become much larger as we get more and more devices that are preloaded with "easy to use" software.
"Nothing to see here. Move along."