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BitTorrent installed without permission, downloads movie files

vitalsecurity.org — A group in the middle east who previously infected PCs with a rootkit via IM, apparently installed BitTorrent without user permission on infected machines, then started piping movies to the end users. As a new technique used by the bad guys, thats pretty scary stuff. And...they piped Mr Bean?!?

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  • carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3imagine being sued for copyright infringement over your computer downloading movies because it's zombied, if this becomes a big thing, it could get to the point where you can plead ignorance for downloads
  • Durrok, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3That will teach those leachers...
  • sub-seven, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Crazy, aint it? i shudder to think what they could send down the lines in big chunks if they wanted to. well, not BIG chunks, if you see what i mean. little chunks. of nastyness.

    i go now :P
  • Kiltak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hmm, evil but ingenious...
  • schrags, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I would have to agree with kitak.... why didn't i think of this.
  • Mr.Glass, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"if this becomes a big thing, it could get to the point where you can plead ignorance for downloads"
    lets hope so
  • p3on, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1scary? i'm thinking this is what we in the biz [of...pirating?] call "plausible deniability" :D think about it, any movies you get busted for get blamed on some gosh-durned botnet :D
  • carlosreif, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1interesting...
    digg!!
  • anonymoustroll, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0See... nobody really wants to know just how vulnerable they actually are to the RIAA/MPAA/*AA. Truth be told, even the very knowledgeable are open as soon as more than one person starts using a computer.

    IP Address + preponderance = you're fscked.

    Thank you very much, civil court system, for not keeping up with the times.
  • sagedude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is fantastic as it gives us all plausable deniability.
  • saxmanlarry, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Somewhat related, there was some case of BT pirating in school, and with a commotion. Check out


    http://www.highlandmusic.org

  • anonymoustroll, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Plausable deniability != perponderance of the evidence

    If anything perponderance is the exact opposite of deniability.
  • 8ight, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0if i'm ever approached for downloading illegal software, music, movies, whatever... i'm going to use my open wi-fi connection as a defense. dooohhhh, my plan is ruin... that is if george has wire tapped me. that would work though. not that i downloading anything that i shouldn't. really. i'm an honest "folk".
  • nodiggity, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The original Internet source for warez, FTP Sites, were always setup on hacked servers. The only difference today is the software being used. I think there are lots of reasons a person could deny downloading warez. For example if you use P2P often the file is labeled wrong so what if you downloaded a Linux ISO and it was mislabeled. Another thing is someone can spoof the source on their packets or somehow use you as a relay. I've wondered for a while if lawyers try using some of these excuses.
  • Stranger678, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1In the US at least, you can be convicted and have your property taken from you if people use it for Drug Trafficking, with or without your knowledge, this law could conceivably used to continue prosecution for copyright infringement without knowledge. They can take all your stuff, and they never have to prove that you committed the crime.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_forfeiture
  • luke--, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0this makes sense, then they have tons of seeds that are always uploading
  • tobtoh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1heheh - it would be even funnier if your PC started distributing pirate movies/music because it was zombied caused by security vulnerabilities caused by the Sony DRM - cough - rootkit software :)
  • timmarhy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0look at the screen shot of the files, they are py2exe generated python programs.
  • karch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0AWESOME! Why didn't anyone think of this before, flkwejflkewjflkje plausible deniability now
  • dgath, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0> heheh - it would be even funnier if your PC started distributing
    > pirate movies/music because it was zombied caused by security
    > vulnerabilities caused by the Sony DRM - cough - rootkit software :)

    I'll get on this right away!
    $sys$sony_torrent_movie_uploader.exe
  • uber, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0All future Piracy will now be the fault of Microsoft ... not taking the proper measures to prevent people from downloading illegal obtained IP can be a bitch.
  • madeingermany, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I don't care, as long as it speeds up the download
  • madeingermany, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Damn, the comment system ate my satire-tags ;)
  • Derter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I guess many lawyer will take this exemple to protect there client.
  • carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0borged seeder and borked spammer boxen unite!
  • battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1"In the US at least, you can be convicted and have your property taken from you if people use it for Drug Trafficking, with or without your knowledge, this law could conceivably used to continue prosecution for copyright infringement without knowledge. They can take all your stuff, and they never have to prove that you committed the crime.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asset_forfeiture
    posted by stranger678 (0) at 07:14 "

    A completely false statement all the way around on every point.
  • MalDON, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0its not hard to install bittorrent without permission. I did it at my school. They use a program called deepfreeze, but the only problem with their security is they give you all the space you nee don their servers, and i get outside access. So, I just installed to the network drive and walla.
  • riskable, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Aha! This has GOT to be one of my biggest "I told you so" weeks ever... and it's just getting started!

    First, the President admits he's been illegally spying on Americans, then teaching Intelligent Design in public schools is ruled unconstitutional, now it is discovered that people's PCs really *WERE* being remotely controlled when laws were broken (though, not necessarily in the country of origin!). So now we have plausible deniability for *EVERY* court case that comes up from the MPAA/RIAA crowd (not that we didn't before, but at least now we have more proof that these things can and do happen on a regular basis).

    For reference, I made a lengthy comment in this regard here:

    http://digg.com/links/MPAA_Sues_Man_Over_Movies_It_Can_t_Find_2
  • jayf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I never would have thought of this ingenous way to maximize the efficiency of a torrent distribution.
  • bash, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0where does this lead up to? its a proof of concept, but what for? sending massive ID data across the internet with little trace? infect them with big spyware files silently?
  • speel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"don't care, as long as it speeds up the download"

    Hell yea
  • EyeDye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"some other hacking groups have picked this technique up, and will be running with it shortly."

    How long before they have the MPAA & the RIAA unknowingly distributing pirated movies, music, & more?! :)
  • dynamx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0this is a great story + funny slashdotesque comments.
  • technstuff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0No doubt, install it on **AA comps and let them sue themselves.
  • subscribtion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is great. Keep digging guys, I want to hear about this on diggnation!
  • Broncho24, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0pffft this isnt anything new.... I had more then one friend have this happen to them. In fact I new a guy taht did it to someone jsut to get his ratio back up. People like taht should be in jail though :-p
  • battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1There is not one single person, besides yourself, who could possibly infer such nonsense as you have proposed - THAT IS, IF they bothered to READ the Wikipedia def!

    Basically, the boildown of the Wikipedia def is that IF it is PROVED that your property (car, computer, some other thing or device owned by you) was used SUBSTANTIALLY in a commission of a crime - that is covered by Forfeiture - that the COURT (not the "governemnt") can order THAT property siezed LONGER, DURING SUCH TIME OF THE PROCEEDINGS UNTIL it is PROVED or DISPROVED whether or not your property siezed was indeed involved in the comission of that crime, should a CRIMINAL proceeding occurr.

    THEN, IF it was not, then YOU get YOUR property RETURNED to YOU - probably without its harddrive. IF it was found that your property WAS involved, THEN and only then MIGHT or MAY the COURT pull YOU in - in a CRIMINAL case, which is RARE, even as the Wikipedai artcle so far states! - to determine whehter or not you WERE not involved in that crime OR wther you were or were not AWARE that your equipment was involved. IF it is found that you knew that your equipment was involved, you still may "get off" charges if YOU can prove DIRESS - in other words, that you were threatened directly or indirectly by those PROVED to have committed the crime - with your now 'PROVEN" property "in-use" - wherth or not those that were more directly involved chose to admit threatening you or not, does not matter. If the court finds ANY evidence (this is a CRIMINAL case now) of diress against you, then the criminal case against you will almost always be dropped, however, after such instance, it would be rare indeed if you were to recieve a small device back, or even a car that may have been gutted in order to search for evidence. A computer (nost likely LESS the harddrive) could be returned to you, but without the hardrive, why would you - unless it was an Alienware box!
  • Philbert, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I agree, it sounds like it could actually be helpful for anyone downloading movies. I didn't do it" is sounding more and more like a viable option.
  • amitrix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2DIGG+ for piping Mr.Bean...lol
  • battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=106_cong_bills&docid=f:h1658enr.text.pdf
  • battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'll step off the soapbox now - I don't own the box anyway!
  • kindrobot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0What about "mission accomplished"? Not wartime after the war is officially over, is it... umm.. "stupid *****".

    But seriously, over here right now I have 4 zombied machines with several gigs less space than before. I should check fo.. well whaddaya know. It's that new peter jackson movie. Well, at least I THINK it's that new peter jackson movie. Better check to make sure.
  • jamiejamez, on 10/12/2007, -0/+01. create Rootkit and install it on purchased cds
    2. create trojan downloader that exploits your rootkit
    3. Scream piracy at everyone who bought you rootkitted cds and are now . infected with trojan
    4. Profit... twice

    wouldn't doubt it
  • nonokiaboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Just give everyone EVERYTHING and a computer with FAST internet access.
    Maybe that's the idea?

    Or to spread Mr. Bean (TV Show - not the crappy movie) buzz again?
  • kandresen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I am not so sure how great this is for those really downloading illegal content, however I see terrorists finding an easy attack against US in particular due to the legal system. Terrorists can this way get two things accomplished at one time - They can get huge corporation to sue other Americans to waste money and resources for nothing, and two they can spread fear of getting sued for something not committed...

    Terrorist objective would simply be to make RIAA++ to fire off law suits.

    It could also of course be used to download content that would trigger FBI investigations such as downloading information on bomb making, revolutions, communist material, or whatever else seem to trigger fear in the government enough to cause massive economic harm and cause officials to waste valuable time on nothing causing less chance for detecting the real threats...
  • riskable, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9jkfan87 said, "And, um, no riskable you stupid *****. The president did not admit to illegally spying. As commander in chief during wartime, he is doing it legally."

    As much as I hate to reply to childish comments such as yours, I have a few things I'd like to point out to you...

    1. Only Congress has the power to declare war.
    2. Congress has declared war exactly 11 times.
    3. Congress never declared war on Iraq (they did, however, authorize the President to use force in H.J. Res. 114--which was a compromise to prevent him gaining additional power as a result of a full war declaration).

    I will not deny that we had "war-like" relations with Iraq over the past decade. However there is no denying the fact that, technically speaking, this is not a wartime president and thus, he was never granted the powers you speak of (which were added during WWI). Also, I challenge you to point out the "extra" powers that are granted to a President during wartime. You'll be searching a while before you come up with anything remotely resembling, "During wartime, the President is given the authority to spy on whoever he chooses without any judicial oversight or due process."

    Besides all this, I'm a firm believer in that old document called, "The Constitution" (the pages of which many forget about). Remember now, laws made in violation of it's rules can be found null and void by the Judicial branch.

    "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

    Pay attention to that "Oath" part, then think about the oath the President takes when being sworn into office...

    "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

    Since the courts have ruled numerous times that searches (monitoring is a search) without warrants are illegal, we have here a pretty solid case that what the President has done is illegal.

    Also, since Congress issued articles of impeachment that declared Nixon's wiretapping without a warrant illegal, we have yet more precedent...

    Nixon: Wiretapping without a warrant
    Bush: Wiretapping without a warrant

    It is all moot anyway. You're never going to change your mind on this subject. It was clear from your language (and the length of your post) that you have no intention of real debate. When you declared me a "stupid *****" and followed up with nothing more than baseless hearsay (with not so much as a link supporting your argument), you gave us all a clear representation of the merit of your argument.

    -Riskable
    http://riskable.com
    "I have a license to kill -9"
  • rtcreg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The game is extortion. You turn on your PC one morning and find 6 copies of "Plan 9 from Outer Space" cluttering up your hard drive. And... if you don't pay off, they start sending you the uncut version of "Heaven's Gate".
  • dharm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i cant believe that people JUSR realised this ***** was happening...

    its not like all warez distros have legit hosts..LOL
    same ***** as being rooted on IRC and your comp is a silent XDCC bot
    or you get rooted and now your comp is a ftp dump site...
    or your comp is http server...

    get the point? anything used to share files will be installed on your comp without your permission, if you get rooted...

    also, why is it pointed out "As a new technique used by the bad guys", this ***** aint new... if you arent a nub online and you hit up torrent dev places, you obviously known this ***** has been happening since the dawn of the torrent...

    aardvark... just cause you use linux, you can still get rooted... and all they gotta do is screen in and out your comp =p
  • dharm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0JUST*
  • linkvx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0torrent users arnt terrorists, its the morons that have monopoly over everything, and the idiots that support them
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