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View Full Version : Hackers Download Pirate Movies Onto Compromised PCs


Suhit Gupta
12-27-2005, 04:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/12/21/bittorrent_botnet_attack/' target='_blank'>http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/12/21/bittorrent_botnet_attack/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Hackers have developed a sneaky technique for installing pirated movie files on Windows PCs infected with the lockx.exe rootkit. Doctored copies of BitTorrent are loaded on infected machines and used to download Disney movies or the film version of Mr. Bean. The motive for the bizarre (and short-lived) attack, linked to a Middle East-based group in control of the network of infected machines - remains unclear. FaceTime Communications, the firm which uncovered the attack, reckons the assault is an experiment which might be applied to far more malign purposes in future. The trick creates a scenario where an infected users might be accused of sharing copyright-protected contact without ever using file sharing software. The lockx.exe rootkit file was bundled with a variant of the notorious SDBot worm that spread across AOL's IM network in late October."</i><br /><br />Heh, you would think they would pick more interesting movies to put on compromised machines. :) Honestly though, this news just reminds me of the fact that tragedy + time does equal comedy. About two years ago, a server that I used to administer was compromised and withing hours there were several of the latest movies on the server shares. Anyways, I guess this is classified as a PSA so check your computers for it.