RSSBest Buy deals with uproar over malicious picture frames
By Tim Conneally | Published January 25, 2008, 2:51 PM
It was recently made public that Best Buy's Insignia brand 10.4" digital picture frames were found to be shipped with a virus, the company is now dealing with complaints individually.
The 10.4" Digital Picture frame model NS-DPF10A has been discontinued and recalled as a result of a large number of units being contaminated with a virus.
A customer in Best Buy's product review section posted what his anti-virus software found in the frame's memory. These four malicious files were included with an autorun file to execute them:
RavMon.exe: Trojan.Agent-1914 FOUND
copy.exe: Trojan.Small-4214 FOUND
host.exe: Trojan.Dropper-829 FOUND
tel.xls.exe: Worm.Runouce.b FOUND
Best Buy has said that since these viruses are not new, any computer connected to the frame with up-to-date antivirus software will automatically remove the malware. Only Windows systems are at risk for infection from this product. Furthermore, cameras, USB flash drives, and memory cards reportedly can not be infected by the virus either.
Insignia customer care is currently offering customers one-on-one support to make sure that they can "access the solution that best meets their needs." Support can be reached at 1-877-467-4289.
Uproar? So, maybe 7 people bought one of these...hardly an uproar...but sure makes great print.
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Coming Soon: Best Buy Anti-Virus
Ships with four, free viruses, that you can blame on someone else.
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I can't believe they just turned a 'blind', arrogant eye on this.
"any computer connected to the frame with up-to-date antivirus software will automatically remove the malware"
What a s#!& attitude! I mean they deserve to have their systems crashed due to some 'virus' and have customers yell down their ears "but if you had the latest up-to-date antivirus protection..."
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I agree as well.
What if the viruses were implanted by design and not by foreign adversaries?
Something to always keep in mind is that the Art of the American Business is for them to always push the envelope and test the waters with how much they can get away with.
"Never under estimate the American Corporation and Government"
It may very well be that those virus's were planted deliberately to see it they could escape detection. If so, then the next step would be to integrate spyware. Sony and others have tried and failed. But how many have tried and are still getting away with it.
A footnote: many people do not know that any picture converted into a digital format can be layered/embedded with malicious coding.
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I love to hate Best Buy. I've beaten this company like a rented mule for years, exploiting every loophole and sales guarantee, along with "exclusive" triple points vouchers and fistfulls of Reward Zone certificates.
I can usually get an item for below dealer cost with some crafty price matching printouts, then I hit them with the RZ dollars, additional 15% off coupons, and triple points rewards. I get credit for a $4500 purchase when I spend $1500, etc...
These people are so easy to take advantage of.
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After reading best buys 'excuse', all I can say is go ahead, rip 'em off!
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The last time I shopped at best buy was six years ago and my absolute last. I can recall only seeing white employees through out the store.
Then at the checkout a white couple in front of me used their cc to pay for their 5 palms. They seemed cunning and used a British accent that sounded phony to me. The man was even wearing a safari looking hat and was chatting seemingly to subdue the cashier. "Ooh, we just luv Americans, blah blah blah", he chatted needlessly.
While the cheerful cashier was watching the man sign the receipt, the woman was carefully eyeing the clerk. The clerk didn't even ask for their id.
Then when it was my turn to use my cc to pay for the one music cd, the cashier had the audacity of asking me for my id.
Screw best buy for all I care.
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So this is like the harmless Sony rootkit, but a million times worse right...
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The virus is just as bad as the Sony rootkit, Steve.
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Tell is how a non-malicous rootkit can be the same as a malicious virus..
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Well the Sony root kit by itself may have been harmless but the following viruses that used the sony root kits file hiding abilities were not. Also, the sony root kit was calling home with information it had collected. We haven't seen what this set of viruses/trojans do but for all we know it's the same crap.
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hmm?,
sure looks like we need "virus free" labeling now a days.
perhaps its just sensiable to buy products from countries who don't hate us.
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We wouldn't be buying much - the list of countries that don't hate the US is very short.
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They will sell digital frames WITH antivirus software preloaded ...
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...and that of course leaves us with: 0 countries.
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What I'd really like to hear is that they found out or are looking for the individuals responsible and then press charges against them.
What we'll probably only ever hear is that this was sent to them by the company in China that makes the darn things and they're "investigating".
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I fully agree with you.
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