Porn diallers and Trojans - the new face of malicious code

I was going through the Register, and I ran into an interesting article about pr0n dialers and trojans spawning from pr0n related programs. I have to agree with the article the malicious code behind pr0n is growing to be a serious problem. Here is the link: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/56/27361.html

Quote:

---

Sex diallers are another growing problem. These change the number used by dial up connections to expensive premium rate lines. Such programs, which are regularly modified by their creators and pose legal problems for AV firms. By adding detection for the programs (which don't load without user interaction) the vendors could be accused of restraining trade.

---

Hmmm, blocking trade? What about the dialers that say "free" (while buried in the terms of use in some distant page that nobody will ever see says '...for the first 30 seconds it's free, after which international rates apply')? AV firms should be able to detect these programs, and the user being alerted can look and see if they want to use the pr0n dialer. If not, have AV detect and remove the program or have clear instructions on how to to remove it manually.

The question I am posing is this: When is free entrprise turn into intusion?

Well numb, I think we are both in agreement that what the porn dialers are doing is immoral but, imo, people who put up these kind of sites have basically shown a lack of morals in the first place.

Second, why would someone use a porn dialer when there must be thousands of porn sites they could access through the web while connected to their ISP? They may have to pay for access but would not need to use a special connection therefore they would be protected from this type of scam.

However, the scam is probably legal. If I say download all the pictures you want from this site for free and bury in the agreement that while the download is free the connection to the site is using a premium line. I am not responsible for the fact that you did not read the agreement (who does). The problem for the ISP here is that they may know there is a legal scam going on but if they filter it they are restricting you. Not just the porn dialer but the client. You have chosen to download this file, you have to choose to execute it, and you have to choose not to read 15 pages of legal mush that hides the scam.

Like most scams the warning signs are probably there very early on. Free pictures! Fastest Access! Free Software! Sounds too good, probably is. However, in this context I would have to say Caveat Emptor, let the buyer beware, because if you allow the ISP to filter that then you are opening up the door for them to filter anything they think is bad like connections to security sites.

While I feel sorry for those tricked by these and other scam artists in some ways I don't. Especially the obvious ones like this and the work from home, make millions for two hours a day, type scams. People allow their greed to get the best of them and then find out it got the best of their wallet too. These scams should be exposed but people need to consider the legitimacy of things before they go chasing rainbows.

This type of Trojans is insidious because you have zero recouse. You're SCREWED because your box made the call, whether you knew it or not, so now you're stuck with the bill. I know somebody that got bit by one of these and that's what I had to tell her.

As another example of this kind of obscure business is dial software to download ringtones for mobil phones, everybody knows that the target is people that aren't aware of the risk, most often they are used by young people and in the end of the month... well you know the rest of the story!


It's essencial to educate people to become aware of these kind of treath specially kids!


Bug_

Quote:

---

Originally posted here by Bug_Master
As another example of this kind of obscure business is dial software to download ringtones for mobil phones, everybody knows that the target is people that aren't aware of the risk, most often they are used by young people and in the end of the month... well you know the rest of the story!


It's essencial to educate people to become aware of these kind of treath specially kids!



Bug_

---

Ouch.....can you get me more info in this one please?

This is a serious problem that, among other issues related to software licensing in general, needs to be addressed from a legal perspective as it is, IMHO, a direct violation of our rights as consumers.

On a lighter note, wouldn't it be funny if a virus were to emerge that attacked only pr0n dialers, and reprogrammed them to dial the 700 Club's prayer line?

The funniest part is people are so ashamed of having surfed these sites that they pay the bill, do not complain and never tell their wife why 200$ suddenly vanished from the savings account... :)

I think a program such as AdAware that removes spywares could be adapted to dialers... The problems seems the same as somewhere is sites that install spywares on your computer they warn about those for sure. So a program that detects dialers and asks you if you want to delete them should be 100% legal in my mind

If memory serves me correctly, trojan hunter does look for these dialers.

I would think it would only be restraining trade if the AV programs didn't offer you the option of deleting them or retaining them. If the option is available (and I don't know of any AV program where it isn't) then the user makes the final decision, and is aware of the dialer being on his/her system. (As for the possible argument of labeling it a virus being the cause of restricting trade, isn't a trojan considered a type of virus? Call it what it is).

Yeah, all very true.

One other thing to remember is that some of these sites have very suspect web pages, which will try to infect your machine by other means as well. I don't know if that is deliberate on their part, or not ...
A few months ago, I followed a link to a site (at home, looking for a cheat for a game), and was rather surprised to be directed to a site which was obviously a p0rn0 site - although it did have the game cheat as well. My AV scanner went ballisitic, complaining about various things it did not like - can't remember the details now I'm afraid.