Chinese-made laptops’ latest feature: Pre-installed viruses

[Hillbilly Jim]

By the time you switch on your fresh-out-of-the-box laptop for the first time, it may already be infected with dangerous malware that can either harm you or turn your computer into a pawn in a criminal cyberwar.

This accidental discovery was made by Microsoft’s digital crimes unit during an investigation into Chinese computer manufacturers, many of whom are illegally installing its Windows operating system onto their hardware.

"The cybercriminals are really changing the ways they try to attack you," Richard Boscovich, a former federal prosecutor and a senior attorney in Microsoft's digital crimes unit wrote in the company’s blog.

After Microsoft engineers purchased and tested local laptops, they discovered that 20 percent of them had become infected with viruses or malware at some point between leaving the assembly line and the date of purchase.

"We found malware capable of remotely turning on an infected computer's microphone and video camera, potentially giving a cybercriminal eyes and ears into a victim's home or business," Boscovich said. "Additionally, we found malware that records a person's every keystroke, allowing cybercriminals to steal a victim's personal information.”

Microsoft security officers found that most of the infected computers contained a powerful and malicious software program called Nitol. The malware apparently originated from a notorious server called 3322.org, which in 2009 was reported to be responsible for nearly a fifth of the world’s illegal transactions.

The US software giant filed a lawsuit with a Virginia District Court to block the server. The judge ruled in Microsoft’s favor earlier this week.

Server owner Peng Yong, the defendant in the trial, claimed that he had no knowledge of Microsoft’s findings and denied any responsibility.

"Our policy unequivocally opposes the use of any of our domain names for malicious purposes," Peng told the AP news agency.

In the first few days after the legal rulings, Microsoft says that it has already blocked some 37 million malware connections to 3322.org.

But as one source of malware is snuffed out, another is likely to grow in its place.

Microsoft said that no computer can be guaranteed to be virus-free as long as “unsecure supply chains” continue to exist in China. The country teems with lightly regulated electronics manufacturers, offering plenty of opportunities for fraud. And for the ordinary customer, finding out whether a hacker laid hands on your laptop after leaving the factory can be a tricky task.

"So how can someone know if they're buying from an unsecure supply chain? One sign is a deal that appears too good to be true. However, sometimes people just can't tell, making the exploitation of a broken supply chain an especially dangerous vehicle for infecting people with malware,” Boscovich said.

[SkyNigger]

lol.

INTEL is the Pontius Pilate of the globe.

Their hands are 'tied'.

[anatine]

no reason.

[Suicide King]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonatine

no reason.

that's so cup

[anatine]

cup please comment on the prospective truth of this

[anatine]

honestly its what you do

[SkyNigger]

I think cup's silence says more than words ever could.

[SkyNigger]

Every computer system sold in Bangkok and I'm pretty sure but don't have the certainty to state it for a fact, the same goes for Hong Kong and Singapore, is corrupted by the time it reaches the retail floor.

There is not a computer market or major IT shopping hub in Bangkok that I haven't been to, and every machine is corrupted. This is like, not something that can be disputed. It's really kind of easy to prove?

There are three (3) default Windows 7 root certificates. In 100% of the Windows-imaged machines, if you open the Trusted Root Certificate store you will see dozens of shady non-default "Trusted" certificates installed by the various corrupt OEMs. All settings are default locked during installation to OMG! exploitable and it doesn't matter whether you're buying a Windows system, a DOS system, a Linux or a Mac...or installing another operating system onto a cleanly wiped drive or a brand new HDD or SSD. The operating system you install _will_ be provably corrupted.

I post evidence and ask questions and I just run into horror, unspeakably demented unfathomably stupid robotic morons. It's unpossible, and yet it's Reality.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/...ws-in-se-asia/

Microsoft knows about all this. I've got screenshots where I tell them what they already know. But in the article above, of course they're helpless! Uh huh.