Full Featured DVDs Now Including Virii?

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

Forwarded from: Aj Effin Reznor <aj () reznor com>

http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-7735109.html?tag=mn_hd

Powerpuff DVD packs viral punch 

By Robert Lemos
Special to CNET News.com 
October 31, 2001, 10:30 a.m. PT 

The latest DVD featuring cartoon sensation "The Powerpuff Girls" may
boast fun games for young PC users, but three computer programs on the
disc have also been infected by the "FunLove" virus, CNET News.com has
learned.

Warner Bros. confirmed Wednesday that the "Meet the Beat Alls" disc,
released a week ago by Warner Home Video, has been recalled because
the DVD spreads the "FunLove" computer virus to any PC that installs
the supplemental software.

Several customers who bought the disc reported the problem in an
online forum, after their antivirus software identified the stowaway
program as FunLove. Three programs on the disc are apparently
infected, including the installer. The virus only affects PCs that
load the disc, not DVD players.

The virus was first discovered in November 1999 and is known for its
ability to infect Windows NT servers--in addition to computers running
Windows 95, Window 98 and Windows Me--by posing as a system program.

The virus also spreads automatically throughout a network via any hard
drives shared with the infected system. The program modifies system
and applications files and can cause instability. Major antivirus
software has detected FunLove since November 1999.

Warner isn't the only company for which the virus has spoiled the fun.

Last April, Microsoft may have infected several of its Premiere and
Gold customers when FunLove spread to a key server for the support
service.

Despite being almost 2 years old, the FunLove virus still seems to be
alive and well. Antivirus company Trend Micro lists the computer virus
at No. 7 in its latest top-10 list of infectious code.

A Warner representative said the virus had somehow infected the DVD's
master at the company that duplicates the discs, but Warner did not
know how many discs had been affected and whether other DVDs might
carry the virus as well.

All copies of the disc have been destroyed, said the Warner Home Video
representative, and copies sent out to press and retailers have been
recalled.

The "Powerpuff Girls" disc includes several games, an exclusive
cartoon, and various links that all can be used if the DVD is played
on a PC.



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