Spyware infection prompts McDonalds MP3 recall

[<rms () bsf-llc com>]

http://www.theregister.com/2006/10/16/mcd_spyware_mp3_recall/

Spyware infection prompts McDonalds MP3 recall


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By John
<http://forms.theregister.co.uk/mail_author/?story_url=/2006/10/16/mcd_spywa
re_mp3_recall/> Leyden → More by this
<http://search.theregister.com/?author=John%20Leyden> author
Published Monday 16th October 2006 10:40 GMT
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McDonalds Japan has launched a recall after discovering that MP3 players it
offered as a prize were loaded with a particularly nasty strain of malware.
Up to 10,000 people might have been exposed to the problem after claiming a
Flash MP3 player pre-loaded with ten tunes and a variant of the QQpass
spyware Trojan
<http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2003-031213-164
1-99> .

Punters received the contaminated gift after purchasing a large drink form
the fast-food chain in Japan and submitting a serial number contained on the
beverage holder as part of a competition, sponsored by McDonalds and
Coca-cola. Users who connected the McDonalds-branded MP3 player to their
Windows PC were exposed to spyware code programmed to transmit their web
passwords and other sensitive information to hackers. The cause of the
accidental infection is unclear but past experience suggests a contaminated
machine involved in loading content onto the players is the likely culprit.

 
McDonalds Japan has apologized for the cock-up and established a helpline
designed to handle the recall of the infected MP3 players and send out
uncontaminated music gizmos. A Japanese-language statement
<http://www.mcd-holdings.co.jp/news/2006/release-061013.html> 

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