[climber]

I saw this on the CNN financial page. It headlined the article as such "Hackers target iTunes, antivirus ware"

CNN Link

Is this BS or what! I never heard of a successful exploit to any mac program, let alone iTunes. Is windows version somehow vulnerable?

[Mithras]

I think they're talking about PyMusique.

[E's Lil Theorem]

Not a whole lot of details...

Hackers target iTunes, antivirus ware
Survey shows that online criminals are also attacking antivirus software, media players like iTunes.
May 2, 2005: 11:13 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Online criminals turned their attention to antivirus software and media players like Apple Computer's iTunes in the first three months of 2005 as they sought new ways to take control of users' computers, according to a survey released Monday.

While hackers continued to poke new holes in Microsoft's (down $0.20 to $25.10, Research) popular Windows operating system, they increasingly exploited flaws in software made by other companies as well, the nonprofit SANS Institute found.

As more Windows users agreed to receive security upgrades automatically, hackers looked to take advantage of other software programs that might not be patched as frequently, the head of the cybersecurity training and research organization said.

"Operating systems have gotten better at finding and fixing things and auto-updating, so it's less fertile territory for the hackers," SANS Chief Executive Alan Paller said.

Malicious hackers exploit security holes to lift credit-card numbers and other sensitive personal information from a user's computer, or commandeer it to send out spam and pornography.

More than 600 new Internet security holes have so far surfaced in 2005, SANS found.

Of those, 20 were deemed most dangerous because they remain unfixed on a large number of Internet-connected computers even though software manufacturers quickly made patches available.

As always, Microsoft products were a popular target.

Hackers found ways to take control of a user's computer by tunneling through Microsoft's Web browser, media player and instant-messaging software, as well as Windows software for servers and personal computers.

But software by Oracle Corp. (up $0.06 to $11.62, Research) and Computer Associates International Inc. (up $0.32 to $27.22, Research) also made the list, along with media players like Apple's (up $0.52 to $36.58, Research) iTunes, RealNetworks Inc.'s (up $0.04 to $6.20, Research) RealPlayer, and Nullsoft's Winamp.

Antivirus products from Symantec Corp. (up $0.11 to $18.87, Research) F-Secure, TrendMicro and McAfee Inc. (up $0.45 to $21.36, Research) proved vulnerable as well, a prospect Paller found particularly discouraging.

"We ought to do better in our industry -- we should be a model for others," he said.

Linkage

[climber]

Originally Posted by Mithras

I think they're talking about PyMusique.

So what does this program actually do? is it simply a Trojan horse?

[E's Lil Theorem]

Originally Posted by climber

So what does this program actually do? is it simply a Trojan horse?

Features:

• Preview songs
• Signup for an account
• Buy songs
• Redownload songs that were bought with PyMusique

It lets Linux users buy music at iTMS without iTunes (since they don't have it) and I believe without any DRM as well.

[Busemann]

Redownload songs that were bought

This is something iTunes should allow as well. When you buy a song digitally for 99¢, it should be yours forever

[climber]

The point of the article though suggests that because windows is getting more secure, that hackers are looking for holes in other companies software, including iTunes. But they fail to specify how iTunes is vulnerable to attack.

My guess is that it is not. And the article is just more FUD.

[ManOfSteal]

"zerostar" seems to have hacked iTunes...

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by climber

The point of the article though suggests that because windows is getting more secure, that hackers are looking for holes in other companies software, including iTunes. But they fail to specify how iTunes is vulnerable to attack.

My guess is that it is not. And the article is just more FUD.

DING DING DING!!! I have been saying this for a while. Since the iTunes interface has been in the public eye for a while, particularly on Windows platforms, the bad guys have been playing with it. iPods are probably the biggest thing Apple ever did in the eyes of most people, so it's attractive to mess with iTunes.

Keep your eyes on the market share Macs take up. When they become more than a fraction of the market, watch the hackers and crackers take a whack at us.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by ManOfSteal

"zerostar" seems to have hacked iTunes...

I hacked iTunes