Apple-Mac Fake AV

In the Windows world I see fake AV programs as a common part of everyday life on a Windows machine. I’m putting this up for those of you that are Apple/Mac based. Check out: Hit by MacDefender, Apple Web Security (name your Mac FakeAV here)…

New Trojan: MS Removal Tool

I’ve been busy the last couple of days fixing client’s computers that have been infected with the latest Trojan. It is the newest in a line of extortion Trojans to infect computers. Yes, this is another Windows Trojan. Read on to learn what it is, how to recognize it, protect your computer and how to remove the MS Removal Tool Trojan.

Extortion Trojans are the ones that tell you how horribly infected your computer is, usually reporting dozens of virus. They then promise to remove them, if you pay some money to buy their software. If you don’t pay, you basically can’t use your computer. The problem is you computer is infected with their Trojan. Paying them is like paying a blackmailer, never ending and ineffective.

MS Removal Tool's Fake Report
MS Removal Tool's Fake Report

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Warning Will Roger!!!

WARNING!!!

In Second Life we have a minor crisis today. There is an exploit that someone figured out. They are griefing the grid with it now. It is unclear how long this exploit has been around. You need to take action now.

The Problem

Red Hat Security Advisory is out. See: https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-1561.html This is an old issue as it was first found 2009. I suppose it just recently came to the Linden’s attention when someone figured out how to implement the exploit in SL.

If you are not a Linux user, you may not know that Red Hat is a flavor of Linux. They broke the news on the exploit.

The problem is in a part of the viewer code library libvorbis. It has runtime libraries for programs that support Ogg Vorbis. A type of sound file compression that SL uses. Presumably Windows users are the primary risk. But, the exploit door is in a library that Windows, Mac, and Linux use.

Multiple flaws were found in the libvorbis library. A specially-crafted Ogg Vorbis media format file (Ogg) could cause an application using libvorbis to crash or, possibly, execute arbitrary code when opened. (CVE-2009-3379)

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RedZone Privacy Issues Develop – Review

RedZone Spyware
Spyware in SL - Image by: Anonymous9000

Update: 2011-3-2RedZone removed from market place. Quickware detector disappears. CDS remains but the product description is gone.

Update: See JIRA SVC-6793 vote and watch.

More people are becoming aware of what RedZone (RZ) is and what it means for their privacy. From June 2010 to February 2011 people have changed from ‘wus zat?’ to ‘WTF is being done about RedZone?’ Alphaville Herald has been reporting the state of RedZone and resident reaction along with the Labs actions. I am getting more curious about RedZone (L$3,999 in Market Place) and decided I needed to review the product and state of drama around it.

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SL Inventory Problems – Alert

Alert! In Second Life we have recently had a round of problems with our inventories not loading correctly. You’ll see a number of articles here about solving those problems and restoring lost items. Much of the blame for lost items has been laid at the feet of various Third Party Viewers (TPV). But, tomorrow Linden … Read more