5 ms·
What's the background exactly? As I read it, they had a function to grab various bits of data from a specific machine that was linked to a specific cracker. Di
by eps 9y ago
What's the background exactly?
As I read it, they had a function to grab various bits of data from a specific machine that was linked to a specific cracker. Did it misfire and started to pilfer data from other unrelated machines?
Edit - for the record, the original post title was somehing like "Flightsimlabs attempts to explain their password-stealing DRM malware".
- Twirrim 9y agohttps://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/19/flight-sim-group-put-malware-in-a-jet-and-called-it-drm/ https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/19/flight-sim-group...
- gervase 9y agoAs I understand it, it decompressed the offending code onto legitimate users' systems, where it was detected by antivirus software. The presence of this software at all, rather than whether or not it was executed, is the core of the issue, I believe.
- christoph 9y agoCan anyone chime in on the legality of this? I understand the thought process behind doing this, however, I'm struggling to see how what they've done can possibly be legal?
- IntronExon 9y agoI don’t know about the US, but in Germany it would be very illegal.
- coldacid 9y agoIt'd be very illegal in the US as well.
- ineedasername 9y agoThey infected all of their users with malware. Users they believed were pirates had usernames and passwords stolen, while legitimate users have been exposed to the risk of the malware. For the pirates, while they broke the law, this company has broken the law by unlawfully obtaining their credentials and using those credentials to impersonate them in various services. Many steps in this process are illegal in the countries in which this dev operates.
- Macha 9y agoVarious bits of data = Chrome password database.
- marklyon 9y agoHere's a Reddit thread discussing the malware: https://www.reddit.com/r/flightsim/comments/7yh4zu/fslabs_a320_installer_seems_to_include_a_chrome/ https://www.reddit.com/r/flightsim/comments/7yh4zu/fslabs_a3... I'm shocked that the company admitted to doing this.
- originalsimba 9y agoAdmitting to the crime is a form of damage control. Someone with a clue figured out what was going on, spoke to the lawyers, and determined that the penalties, if any, would be harsher if they wait for a trial before admitting guilt. That's all it was. They are in a lot of trouble, potentially, and it will be interesting to see how this plays out. I am hoping that charges will be pressed, because this is not the first time developers have "booby trapped" pirated software, but it could be the last if justice is served.
- SlowRobotAhead 9y agoAll for their DRM scheme. I still find it interesting how many people don’t realize that generosity could be a valuable part of your product. That growing the industry as a whole may be more important than getting back at people who weren’t going to buy your product anyhow.
- cm2187 9y agoI can see generosity working for a single developer but you are not going to build Electronic Arts with donations alone.
- originalsimba 9y agoWhats wrong with that? Electronic Arts is a cancer on the gaming industry.
- cm2187 9y agoWouldn’t it require one of the users of the pirated version to fill a complaint? If the software wasn’t doing anything nefarious to regular users, just had potentially dangerous code sitting in a dll in a directory, it is hard to justify any damage. Kind of like if I had a function to format the C drive in one of my binaries. It never gets executed but would I be liable for having that function in a binary I distributed.
- mastazi 9y agoThe Chrome password database is a bit more than "various bits of data", more like "important personal data"