Trojan turns PSP into an expensive brick

[Spike]

X-Posted from News and interesting links, (RBS suggested I should post here too...

PSP users are being urged to beware of a Trojan which, once executed, turns their games gizmo into little more than an expensive book weight. The (PlayStation Portable) PSP Brick Trojan poses as a utility that allows gamers to run homebrew apps or pirated games.

Read:http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/10/07/psp_trojan/

The question to be asked here is why. I mean, there's cyber vandalism which is pretty mindless, but this is even more mindless than that. I did'nt think it was possible to be a bigger {insert expletive} before this. Obviously I was wrong.

 

[Darth_Terra1]

Well if you dont use the PSP the way it should be used and you go the way of pirated stuff then what do you expect, Buy the games you wont get the problem, simple.

 

[Spike]

It isn't about just pirated stuff (not at all for some). It's mainly about being able to load your own software onto the machine (or software the community has written for you to load onto it).

 

[Darth_Terra1]

Yeah i understand that but it's not official software Sony hasn't said go on and install this stuff they have released updates to stop being able to install them, if you make the choice to ignore Sony and go ahead with the Software then you take the risk, it's the same with PC stuff, i'm not saying it's right to F'up some ones stuff but if you walk the crooked path your bound to fall off it at some time.

 

[Spike]

It's not crooked to install firmware that allows you to do this.

It's a bit like saying that is wrong to install linux on an intel system. It's about freedom. Once you've bought the hardware you own it, and you are free to do what you like with it within the law. Uploading your own software to it so that you can use it as an MP3 player is well within the law.

Just remember that it's people who do ths sort of thing that got M$ to realise that people wanted/needed bigger hdd's in ther Xboxes, and the same with Sky and Sky+ boxes.

You are right though, it's a risk you take. But that risk shouldn't involve mindless vandalism like this trojan.

 

[Darth_Terra1]

The difference with installing linux etc is it's not illegal you can install that if you want Microsoft hasn't said it's not our software therefore you cant install it, It is however not legal in Sony's eyes to install any Firmware that is not theirs, i'm not against freedom of choice if it's legal, the fact was the firmware with the trojan wasn't a Sony release, If Sony had said it's ok to install any software you see fit then it would be a different matter, any court would back Sony in this matter even if you feel it isn't right, and there will always be some D**k heads that think trojans etc are cool, it really comes down to how much your willing to risk.

 

[toffeapple]

how can it be illegal to install software on a machine you own? so long as your not pirating music software etc...it could affect your warranty granted but not your legal rights..

F**k sony and the horse they rode in on...the psp and the hype surronding it will blow over much like other portables that preceded it , game gear, n-gage etc etc etc..the list goes on..... developers will stop making good games and people will be stuck with an epensive media center with c**p memory

 

[Darth_Terra1]

how can it be illegal to install software on a machine you own? so long as your not pirating music software etc...it could affect your warranty granted but not your legal rights..

F**k sony and the horse they rode in on...the psp and the hype surronding it will blow over much like other portables that preceded it , game gear, n-gage etc etc etc..the list goes on..... developers will stop making good games and people will be stuck with an epensive media center with c**p memory

Because the software isn't authorised to be used therefore is Illegal any court will find it so, just because you think it's ok to do it doesn't make it so.

 

[TylerDuelist84]

All the illegal downloads aside, it sucks (for lack of a better word at the moment) that there are people who just want to screw up other people's computers, and now they are going after our handheld games. I'd like to find one of these pricks, beat them into a coma and be there when they wake up in 6-12 months, and when they ask what happend I'll tell them what I did, and when they ask why, I'll say "Because you messed up my PSP in the middle of my Twisted Metal Demo game"

 

[Spike]

I think you'll find that the Australian courts recently ruled otherwise

The only thing that installing non-approved firmware on a device does in legal terms is void the warranty. Besides which, this trojan poses as firmware version 1.50 for the PSP, which was written by sony and approved. They've simply updated it. As such, it IS sony apporved firmware.

and to reiterate, MS CAN'T decree that nobody can use Linux. Niether can Intel decree it. Nor Dell for that matter. The Sony PSP is just another piece of computer hardware. If people want to void their warranties by installing software not approved by Sony, they are more than welcome to do so.

 

[Darth_Terra1]

The Australian ruling was for modding to allow import gaming not the modifying or installation of unathorised Software, and yeah if people want to install the firmware then so be it, i'm just amazed that they then start to moan and whine that there PSP is screwed when they themselves installed the software.

 

[JerseyDevil13]

Microsoft themselves said we have every right to protect ourselves from pirating and we all know if you p1rate there software you will definatly have more bugs than if it was a legitamate copy they havent come out and admit yet but its pretty obvious, so all I am trying to say is if you want your pc to run perfect dont p1rate software or use p2p programs at least in your gaming or work pc I have a limewire pc as well for music and its my old pc they could blow it up for all I care lol.

JerseyDevil

 

[Spike]

The Australian ruling was for modding to allow import gaming not the modifying or installation of unathorised Software, and yeah if people want to install the firmware then so be it, i'm just amazed that they then start to moan and whine that there PSP is screwed when they themselves installed the software.

AH. now that I agree with. I think they have every right to moan about the people who released the trojan, but if they installed it, it would be pretty silly to moan about it. It's their own fault.

However, the trojan is known about now, so hopefully people will be careful.