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Chinese Govt Spyware Puts Computers At Risk
Ihmhi writes "China's mandatory 'Green Dam Youth Escort' web filter software apparently has a series of severe flaws. In addition to not working on Linux or MacOS, traffic between the software and its servers is unencrypted."
I'm sure it only gets better after that.
FFS, just run it in Wine!
Do not write any code that could intentionally be used to DDOS your ass.
But seriously, this is great. It's going to be one hell of a show when it gets cracked.
So does that mean that selling computers with Linux or OSX installed is illegal? Or will they get away with "installing" the software on those computers even though it can not function?
after all the slating given to china over censorship, it would be interesting to be able to browse from behind such a filter and see how much it would affect the surfing of a typical westoner
Hey, it's Chinese stuff for god's sake, did you expect some quality out of it?
I hardly consider the lack of Mac or Linux versions a "flaw". In fact, I consider that one of the few positive aspects of the software.
What we need more of is science!
The "mandatory" software these computers will be shipped with is no different than a VChip inside of all modern American TVs; it's a feature people may use, but are allowed to uninstall at their sole discretion. Besides, this stuff runs on Windows, it's just one more straw on the pile of ways to hijack an unprotected computer. We also choose a tool that doesn't run on Linux because we're sick of typing 'sudo apt-get install wine' everytime we install a new Linux distro. This assures minimal typing for all Chinese Linux users.
"Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad." [Ecclesiastes 7:3]
"We found a series of software flaws," explained Isaac Mao, a blogger and social entrepreneur in China
... when contacted later for further comment, it was discovered that Mao had been assigned to 18 years of reeducation through labour in the coal-mining provinces.
If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
No, not a good thing. You see in the authoritarian/communist society which is China, the government owns or has major influence in everything. So even with OSS projects that have a commercial vendor (like Red Hat) the government could convince the company to poison the source repos and the binary repos with modified versions. So in the end you have an authoritarian Linux system that even pirated Windows would be looked at by dissenters as "more free" because it doesn't run into the poisoning of OSS.
Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
"We have buttiduously canvbutted the industry, buttessed what is available and buttembled the finest selection of contractors chosen in a completely open manner for this buttignment. Butterting free speech is one thing, but a triparbreaste committee considers that that does not justify mere pbuttive breastillation at the expense of others. The filters will buttociatively clbuttify all communications and filter then, I can butture you, rebuttemble them with surpbutting exacbreastude in any quanbreasty. Consbreastuents can be rebuttured that a mulbreastude of industry compebreastors will butture quality and keep our clbuttrooms safe. Green Dam will not embarbutt us!"
http://rocknerd.co.uk
From the article: "One blogger posted a screenshot of the software purportedly blocking an attempt to visit a porn site using Microsoft's Internet Explorer. But, he said, there was no problem accessing the site using the Firefox web browser. "
I don't know what you just said except "Olympics", and we all know what we do at the Olympics, right? Support your country to be number one, no matter WHAT the event!
U-S-A! U-S-A!~
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First, it's incompatible with all of those Windows-only worms, now it won't run invasive government-mandated spyware. At this rate, it will never be the year of the Linux desktop.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
After spending a number of years living/working in China, I've come to the conclusion that the government just doesn't care if this new "feature" works or not. The goal isn't to really censor here, but to let people know that "the man" is watching. In China, that is enough to keep the vast majority of people in line. There are still tens (perhaps hundreds) of millions of people that have vivid memories of the Cultural Revolution. They know all too well what happens to the squeaky wheel and tailor their activities accordingly. Sad, but that's the way it is.