Flight Sim Labs Fights Piracy by Installing Malware
When is information technology acceptable to install a piece of malware on someone else's PC? The answer to that question has always been and e'er will exist "never." Simply Flight Sim Labs (FSL) decided that malware was a good solution to piracy, and then shipped some with its products and classed it equally DRM.
FSL is a company specializing in offer add-on products and services for flight simulators including Microsoft Flight Simulator and Enterprise Simulator Platform, which is used for training purposes in government and commercial settings. The company now has a bit of a trust problem, though.
Yesterday, Reddit user crankyrecursion discovered that 1 of FSL'southward add together-ons for the A320 airliner included a file called test.exe. Further investigation revealed the executable to exist a "Chrome password dump tool" and therefore malware.
As TorrentFreak explains, the dump tool extracts usernames and passwords from Google Chrome on an infected automobile. Worse than that, though, is the fact FSL'southward founder and owner, Lefteris Kalamaras confirmed this was done on purpose in a bid to catch pirates.
Kalamaras explains in a forum mail service that the tool is included with its software, only that "there are no tools used to reveal any sensitive data of any customer who has legitimately purchased our products." Instead, the malware is only activated when "specific serial numbers that take been identified as pirate copies" are detected. At that signal, the malware is used to extract login details, assemble data, and potentially use it for legal activeness.
Kalamaras finishes his post by proverb, "Nosotros will be happy to provide farther information to ensure that no customer feels threatened by our security measures - nosotros clinch you that there is nothing in our products that would ever damage the trust you have placed in our company by being our customer." A more detailed post has likewise appeared on the FSL forums by Kalamaras explaining exactly how and when the dumping tool is used. Software developer Luke Gorman also produced a detailed breakdown of what the malware is and does.
I think we are well across customer's feeling threatened. FSL is purposefully shipping a class of malware with their products people are paying for. The dump tool may be inactive, but at the outset sign of piracy, a user's security tin be compromised, their personal details collected, and the information sent to a 3rd-political party without permission. Legal action may then follow.
Information technology seems likely now that FSL could face some legal activity of its own. Fighting piracy is all well and adept, but using malware to exercise so is not. Equally a "sign of practiced faith" the company is offering to consider refunds for those who desire them. A new installer has also been released without the malware attached.
Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/news/19659/flight-sim-labs-fights-piracy-by-installing-malware
Posted by: mosbybress1948.blogspot.com
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