Remember That Cool Digital Picture Frame You Gave Grandma?

From Security Focus


She's gonna be upset when she can't get her email

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Better watch out for virused iPods, too.

In the past month, at least three consumers have reported that photo frames -- small flat-panel displays for displaying digital images -- received over the holidays attempted to install malicious code on their computer systems, according to the Internet Storm Center, a network-threat monitoring group.

The incidents underscore that the proliferation of electronic devices with onboard memory means that consumers have to increasingly be aware of the danger of unwanted code hitching a ride.

In the latest incidents, three photo frames made by Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based Advanced Design Systems, and bought from different Sam's Club stores, each contained a Trojan horse.

"It hides all systems files and itself while completely eliminating the user admin ability to show hidden files. It creates processes that negate any attempt to go to anti virus and anti spam web sites. It prevents the remote installation of any antivirus components."

Other devices that reportedly came with viral hitchhikers included hard drives, MP3 players and music-playing sunglasses.

Next thing you know, flash "thumb" drives will come with pre-installed malware.

"It hides all systems files and itself while completely eliminating the user admin ability to show hidden files. It creates processes that negate any attempt to go to anti virus and anti spam web sites. It prevents the remote installation of any antivirus components."

Thorough, weren't they?  Now I'm freaked out when I put a new SD card in my camera, or a new thumb drive in my notebook.  Cripes, I'll have to dedicate an old "clunker" notebook just to try and disinfect any kind of portable memory before use.

Let's go buy some new AV software just for portable memory.  Norton and McAfee must be rubbing their greedy little hands together mumbling, "Gotcha!"

I don't install the software on the flash cards I buy. Now I'm glad. I just stick 'em in the camera and format them as soon as I get them. Now I wonder if I can do the same with a digital picture frame I literally just bought as a going away present for a coworker leaving the firm (not this brand, but does have 256MB memory inside and I added a 2GB SD card. Format format format.

Scott -- don't forget, turn off autoplay on the physical drive letters for your portable memory drives.  Just sticking a flash drive into a USB port might start some malware junk automatically.

Scott -- don't forget, turn off autoplay on the physical drive letters for your portable memory drives.  Just sticking a flash drive into a USB port might start some malware junk automatically.

Good point since it'll likely be initialized on a windoze box. I was typing on my Mac when I missed that point.