Of course we bought CDs that had the Sony rootkit on them. Luckily I don't have a microvault which has the newest rootkit on it! :
From Reuters here:
Software included with high-end memory sticks sold by Sony Corp can make personal computers vulnerable to attack by computer hackers, according to researchers with two Internet security firms.
Sony’s MicroVault USB memory stick and fingerprint reader includes software that creates a hidden directory on the computer’s hard drive, researchers with Finnish security software maker F-Secure Corp reported on the company’s blog on Monday.
Such software that hides itself, which is known as a root kit, leaves room for hackers to secretly infect personal computers, they said.
F-Secure’s blog posting said it attempted to contact Sony before alerting the public about the software, but the company had not replied.
On Tuesday, researchers with McAfee Inc. said they had confirmed the vulnerability described by F-Secure.
“The apparent intent was to cloak sensitive files related to the fingerprint verification feature included on the USB drives,” said McAfee spokesman Dave Marcus. “However, software creators apparently did not keep the security implications in mind. The application could be used to hide arbitrary software, including malicious software.”
This is not the first time F-Secure has found Sony software installing hidden directories on the drives of its customers. In 2005 there was a similar situation involving the electronics maker’s digital rights management software, security experts say.
On F-Secure’s blog today, the security group confirms that the rootkit can be used by malware authors to hide any file folder.
This new rootkit (which can still be downloaded from sony.net) can be used by any malware author to hide any folder. We didn’t want to go into the details about this in our public postings, but we suppose the cat’s out of the bag now that our friends at McAfee blogged about this yesterday. If you simply extract one executable from the package and include it with malware, it will hide that malware’s folder, no questions asked.
Nested quoted quotes! :)
Thanks to Pat who passes me some tasty geekery.
Apparently in Florida the state representatives don't know what penises in mouths mean.
As completely ripped off from John Oliver of The Daily Show:
1. I have tonsillitis and I thought that man's penis was a flashlight.
2. I'm bulimic but I hate shoving my finger down my throat.
I sound like a muppet, I'm laughing so hard.
...when I say, "the Federal Drug Administration has approved a new birth control pill called Lybrel that may put an end to a woman's monthly period all together. Side effects of this pill include unexpected spotting for up to 5 days at a time. When asked what they thought of this new pill an entire nation of women yelled in unison, 'THAT'S A PERIOD, YOU FUCKING MORON.'"
Okay, and I simplify the article of course, but I'm not taking this pill. I'd rather have symptoms that my body is about to replenish my uterine lining than have unexpected spotting and bleed all over my favorite panties. Is anyone not in agreement about this?
I don't have a clever story this morning.
I have a stupid story this morning: Disney champagne. Let us encourage the youth of America to begin drinking as soon as they can hold their own sippy cups! Gooooood idea!
(Does that girl with the braids not look like she's staring at the other girl's undeveloped chest? Next CNN headline: Disney champagne leads to acquaintance assault)
Oh, and one more smaht story: Man steals 1500 pairs of women's underwear. Could you come over and steal mine? I need to clean out my collection before the new ones arrive, but I'm kinda lazy...
Why is this a news story?!?!?!
If you poll the entire world on pop culture, world events, general trivia, or any-piece-of- information-there-possibly-is-to-know items you'll find that most don't have any clue what you're talking about. DUR.
(I am not on break, I'm just annoyed. And, apparently by telling you I won't be posting it guarantees that I'll post even more than usual, so expect 10 posts by the end of today.)
