Energizer USB Battery Charger Software Infects PCs

swandives writes "Researchers at US-CERT have warned that software accompanying the Energizer DUO USB battery charger contains a Trojan that gives hackers total access to a Windows PC. The product was sold in the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia starting in 2007. Upon installation, the software creates the file 'Arucer.dll,' a Trojan that listens for commands on TCP port 7777. Upon receiving instructions, the Trojan can download and execute files, transmit files stolen from the PC, or tweak the Windows registry. Uninstalling the software disables the automatic execution of the Trojan. Users can also remove Arucer.dll from Windows' system32 directory and reboot the machine to disable the backdoor component."

Comments

Near Anagram for Duracell

[eldavojohn]

Interesting that Arucer.dll is (aside from an extra 'r') an anagram for Energizer's competitor Duracell. Perhaps the authors of the software thought Duracell was spelled 'Durracell'? And perhaps they decided to pick an anagram of the competitor to make it look as though Duracell is behind this?

Re:Near Anagram for Duracell

[CaptnMArk]

Duracell(r)

Re:Near Anagram for Duracell

[nigelo]

I'd say that determining your fuel utilization is basic competency for driving a car

So, how can I tell how many Joules my computer has used? Huh - and I thought computers were my forte...

Re:Near Anagram for Duracell

[Anne_Nonymous]

The should all be charged with assaulting battery!

-rimshot-

Re:Near Anagram for Duracell

[Khyber]

What, you don't own a kill-a-watt so you can determine that? So much for being a geek!

Re:Near Anagram for Duracell

[Runaway1956]

Somewhere, above, in this conversation, someone already stated something to the effect "incompetent != stupid". People who can't find task manager may or may not be stupid, but they are definitely IN-FUCKING-COMPETENT!

Further, it has already been stated that you do the incompetent no service, and no justice, by making excuses for them. You'll do them a greater service by pointing out that they are incompetent, then help them to become competent.

Here, you are just running at the mouth, looking for a fight, when you don't even appear to understand what the fight is about.

Re:Near Anagram for Duracell

[Runaway1956]

Questioning other people's sense of security is usually a sign of an overinflated sense of superiority.

Kindly point out where I said that I'm "smarter" than people who can't find task manager. Can't find it? I'll thank you not to put words in my mouth, Mr. A.C.

I am incompetent in many areas. I probably couldn't get a Cessna started up, let alone take off with it. I CAN fire up a D-9 Caterpillar, and make a decent attempt at grading your property. Does my incompetence with aircraft make me stupid? Does my competence with a D-9 make me smart? Of course not, stupid, but it allows me to make an intelligent statement about competence.

And, no, you don't hear me making apologies for my incompetence. It's a fact. If and when I ever find the need to learn to fly, THEN I will become competent. Til then, I won't go near an aircraft.

The above advice would serve a lot of people well when it comes to computers.

Re:Near Anagram for Duracell

[networkBoy]

biggest ripoff ever.
I use a modified multi outlet strip with banana plugs and an amp meter. more accurate, just as easy, and you can say "here hold these wires" and shock the living hell outa someone. Oh and you can measure neutral-ground leakage as well.

This Trojan

[retardpicnic]

just keeps going....and going...and going....

Sometimes

[xav_jones]

No version for linux is a good thing.

Re:A clean uninstaller? wow!

[kurt555gs]

I tried $sudo apt-get install arucer in Kubuntu, but the Trojan is not yet in the repository. Perhaps is should use $sudo dpkg and install it from the USB key it's self.

I wonder if Wine will run this?

Purchasers should have known something was wrong

[jlowery]

if only because of the giant wooden Energizer Bunny on the packaging.

Re:Software?!

[clone53421]

Just in time for Easter, too.

USB? Software? On a BATTERY CHARGER?

[Hurricane78]

What the... WHYY?

My battery charger takes four batteries and goes into the power socket. That’s it.
I don’t see why in the world a charged would need more than this.

It’s like having a supercomputer to control a toaster. It makes no sense at all.
In my eyes, those who bought that thing, deserve what they got.

Re:A clean uninstaller? wow!

[kseise]

Ubuntu does not equal Linux. Come on man! You probably have to wait for it to be packaged upstream. Besides, a DLL is a LIBRARY file. You should be looking for lib-arucer or something similar like waffles, or whatever the developer felt like naming it. If that doesn't work, try x-arucer, or switch to Gentoo. I am sure they can get it.

PS- Wine might run it, but you will probably need a patch. Try Cedega or Play-On-Linux, or qemu or dosbox.

Let me at him

[flahwho]

That fucking bunny! He's gonna have to GO~!

Re:Purchasers should have known something was wron

[dkleinsc]

Not true. If it had been a giant wooden bunny, they'd have known that Lancelot, Galahad, and Bedevere had forgotten to get inside in the first place.

Just wait until...

[mhajicek]

Just wait until you plug it into your Toyota.

Re:Just wait until...

[ascari]

Toyota: Just keeps going, and going, and going?

Re:An AutoStart Fix for Windows XP and W2K

[Sir_Lewk]

It's things like this that just go to show why windows will never be ready for the desktop.

Fucking communist!

[BitHive]

Look damnit, if the free market thought there was an advantage to doing things your way then we'd all be growing our own battery chargers on government plantations. You presume to tell American businesses how to optimize their production lines? Nonsense and tosh! If you want something done a particular way, do it yourself! Your elitist attitude makes me sick.