RSS
You Say Rootkit, I Say Tomato
from the double-double-speak-speak dept
Symantec is denying the assertion made earlier in the week that its Norton SystemWorks product installs a rootkit. Although the company acknowledged its existence, it denies it's a rootkit, calling it instead a "hidden folder". F-Secure, whose software picked up the rootkit hidden folder, says that the difference between what Symantec is doing and the Sony BMG rootkit is "ideological", and isn't anywhere as malicious since it can be turned off or uninstalled by the user. Symantec now says it's working with some trade bodies to try to develop a definition of rootkit, and that the changing nature of malware makes hiding files no longer a viable option. All this talk still clouds the fact that the hidden folder could be used to cloak malicious files on someone's PC -- the exact sort of thing security software is supposed to prevent.
29 Comments | Leave a Comment..
- EU Official Who Resigned Over ACTA Details Why ACTA Is Dangerous; While His Replacement Seems Unlikely To Care
- Debunking The EU Commission's 'Myths About ACTA'
- European Parliament President Criticizes ACTA
- Lithuanian Minister Of Justice Says ACTA Is Unnecessary, Doesn't Actually Help Creators And It's Time To Reevaluate IP
- Ex-FTC Officials Remind Current FTC Officials That They're Supposed To Protect Consumers, Not Competitors
Reader Comments (rss)
(Flattened / Threaded)
Ummm...
I'm probably wrong.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Big Deal
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
hidden files
Is this to much to ask ?
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Whats the problem here
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
Symantec only installs if you choose to have the active features installed.
Sony's software installs itself even if you tell it NOT to install anything at all -- no matter if you do or do not agree with the EULA.
Symantec's directory does not "Call Home" without you first asking it to -- and in that case, it is doing what you have instructed it to do -- it's "LiveUpdate" checks for newer version of the symantec software you choose to install.
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/security/Content/2006.01.10.html
Sony's software calls home and reports information about what is on your hard-drive -- no matter who's IP that data on your hard-drive belongs to.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Addressing the issues.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
Please, people... for the love of god, PLEASE learn how to use to, too, and two correctly. While you're at it, learn lose and loose. No, they're not interchangable.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
1 point for you!
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Big Deal
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Ummm...
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
You don't even know what the folder was doing
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Spyware/ Virus/ Malware
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
you do, MS hides files all the time, hence the "show hidden files" selection.
If they didn't show the files after that selection was checked,then there would be an issue.
Maybe you should have the frame of mine to actually FIND your answers instead of asking someone to searve it up on a silver platter for you.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Spyware/ Virus/ Malware
http://sarc.com/avcenter/enterprise/vinfodb.html
in that search field in the middle, type the word Linux and see how much malware shows up.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Spyware/ Virus/ Malware
Malware/adware/viruses/whatever can be written just as easily for Linux as for Windows (yes Macs too). If it's a string of 1s and 0s, it can be manipulated; I don't care if it's harder, easier, or just not as common, the security holes of any OS be exploited.
Granted, Linux isn't as targeted as Windows, but the guys out there are targeting Windows because it's Windows. If Linux was a pay-to-license, non-open-source OS and had as much market share as Windows, you better be damn sure people would target it just as much.
.02
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Too all the grammar loosers
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Spyware/ Virus/ Malware
I was replying to Mecc, sorry for any confusion.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Too all the grammar loosers
So screw up your sentence structures all you want, just use the right friggin WORD. If I needed a heart transplant, but the doctor told me I needed a Hartz Trains Plant, even if it was in an email, i would find a new doctor.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
Do NOT click the above link from "Dogstar", it takes you to "http://fuckmicrosoft.com/" and will attempt to install several cookies and a virus onto your computer.
obviously "Dogstar" knew that and this is why he hid the URL by using a free forwarding service in his phishing-style attempt to get you to visit his anti-productive website.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
I wonder why Symantec/Norton Systemworks calls home every time I defrag or use the other functions of the software. They might say they just want to be sure I have the latest version of the component before I use it.
I say baloney. I can use Live Update or manually update it IF I want to. Calling home caused the software to boot very slowly while it phoned home.
I stopped it with my free Zone Alarm firewall, and everything Norton works just fine, and boots much faster.
It's really not that big a deal. It's the principle of the thing. It's none of their damn business!!
Consumers are treated like prey.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
I see a pig.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: hidden files
Customers are prey. Didn't you get the memo?
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
No Subject Given
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Add Your Comment