South Korean ISP KT Caught Infecting Torrent Users With Malware
from the very-dumb-ideas dept
You might recall that “way back” in 2007 Comcast here in the U.S. was caught throttling BitTorrent uploads and subsequently lying about it. Since BitTorrent was popular, hoovering up network resources, and posed a threat to traditional cable TV, Comcast execs thought their best approach would be to make an entire file transfer system less efficient. And then lie repeatedly about it.
17 years later and things are notably different. BitTorrent piracy isn’t as popular thanks to the rise of affordable streaming options. Networks are significantly more robust, and network congestion management is far more intelligent and way less intrusive. The network neutrality debate (and inconsistent rules) have also required ISPs be a bit more transparent about network management.
Which is why it’s all the more weird to see South Korean ISP KT engaging in some historically ignorant behavior. The ISP was recently caught infecting more than half a million of its subscribers with a malware specifically designed to interfere with Torrent traffic and spy on users:
“The Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency, which carried out the raid and investigation, believes this was an organized hacking attempt. A dedicated KT team allegedly planted malware to eavesdrop on subscribers and interfere with their private file transfers…police have already identified more than a dozen persons of interest, who have been referred to the prosecutor.”
The attack took place in May of 2020, and while the investigation is ongoing, it’s presumed that KT was trying to cut down on costs. The source reporting suggests that KT executives viewed BitTorrent (which again can be used for things other than piracy) as malware itself and decided, foolishly, to respond in kind.
While the network usage by piracy is still very manageable on any well-run network, there has been a steady uptick in piracy lately as streaming companies charge more and more money for worse service (humans, if you hadn’t noticed, aren’t great at learning from history or experience). Still, modern network management gear should more than handle the congestion, making the use of malware extreme.
Keep in mind that KT operates in an environment of regulatory capture in South Korea. A few years ago, Korean telecoms convinced gullible regulators to pass a new “sender pays” regulatory framework wherein edge providers and content companies like Google and Netflix are forced to pay telecoms additional fees just to have their traffic successfully reach its destination (consumers).
It’s driven up costs for everyone, and driven some such services, like Twitch, completely out of Korea. It also resulted in KT suing Netflix back in 2021, claiming that the streaming company owed it money simply because the “Squid Game” TV show was so popular. The Internet Society has explained in detail why this approach is terrible for markets and consumers, but that hasn’t stopped ever-greedy telecoms from pushing corrupt lawmakers to implement the same approach in both the U.S. and EU.
When you’re already operating in an environment of limited regulatory accountability, I’d wager you’re not as likely to think that infecting your own subscribers with malware will result in any meaningful repercussions. South Korean law enforcement, apparently, had other ideas.
Filed Under: net neutrality, netflix, security, sender pays, telecom
Companies: kt
Comments on “South Korean ISP KT Caught Infecting Torrent Users With Malware”
“Regulatory capture” is an understatement when it comes to South Korea.
And sadly, it’s unsurprising.
So much fun.
Back to the old days.
Bit torrent can be FAST if the corps leave it alone.
But it sounds like the SAME as the USA corps bitching and complaining, awhile back.
The big thing about the net, is being able to View video’s and if you Cutback/restrict it. Then whats left? Just games.
wow
that comment disappeared.
This is actually … a huge misrepresentation. It’s not Google and Netflix traffic so much as… their responses to customer requests. AKA they aren’t initiating the data send, they are giving people data the people asked for.
So it is much more appropriate to call it Google and Netflix customer’s traffic that they are paying for (doubly or more so, since they ALREADY pay for internet uplinks, and the customers also pay for internet connection).
Re:
It’s Google (mainly YouTube) and Netflix that are sending most of the data traffic, users send a title text request for a video, and receive MB or even GB of data, “for free”.
It’s enough for ISP to draw the line, and accusing Google and Netflix of destroying there cables by sending too much electrons, or optical fibers with too much photons.
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So… you are arguing that because a podunk town refuses maintain their roads, or do anything that might make traffic better, UPS is on the hooks daring to drive on roads because people in the town order stuff?
Talk about twisting yourself into a pretzel to prove…. your point is actually incoherent.
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And if people didn’t send those requests, Alphabet Inc. and Netflix wouldn’t be sending anything. Your point?
It’s wholly down to me being a cynic, but I’m just surprised it’s being held under a criminal investigation. Far too much legal precedent just involves shrugging when it comes to vastly overstepping copyright enforcement.
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This is South Korea.
For all the horrifying things that come out of that place, the police being on the case is the lesser of two evils.
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True. When there is something big enough to catch attention, the government, the people, and the cops, come down with all the hammers. Fake research, shoddy building design and construction, and modding and operating ships like dumbasses is not tolerated, at least after the fact. Sometime you have to kick out the current government or cops to get that done, but they do.
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The latter point? Not usually likely.
You have a few moments of genuinely significant penance, sometimes figures of authority willingly step down, but the extent that leaders or cops get “kicked out” does not usually happen.
Consider some of the truly horrific disasters and events in recent memory – the sinking of the MW Sewol, the fatal human crushing at Itaewon, the fact that a mass wedding church drove a Japanese man to murder a prime minister and is still somehow allowed to operate.
The OP is quite right to be cynical. Even the biggest events that captivate public attention, outrage and grief do not typically result in heads rolling. The recent How Money Works video on how corporations, despite personhood, are unlikely to ever be punished with the equivalent of incarceration as you and I would. South Korea, as a corporatocracy, is not going to end up punishing anyone high up on the food chain from this.