Viral Videos That Really Are Viral

davidwr writes to mention a BBC article looking at booby-trapped Windows codecs. While some codecs required for online videos actually let you watch your content, others are just excuses to infect your system with spyware or adware. As davidwr says: "Now virtual sex can make your computer sick." From the article: "Mr Robinson said many security firms were now logging instances in which spyware and adware firms are turning out software bundles that claim to roll together many popular codecs or just have the one needed to play a particular clip. Some of the codecs do help to play clips, but others are disguised as a variety of nuisance or malicious programs. Some rogue codecs plague users with pop-up adverts, while others invisibly install keyloggers that try to grab confidential data. "

STDs

[guybert]

Now your computer can get STDs as well!

Re:One way to know if code is safe to run

[Anonymous Coward]

Not everyone can read source code you elitist asshole. Not to mention, I don't feel like stopping in mid wank to read the source of a codec I need to watch a pr0n clip.

Moo

[Chacham]

Videos infected with viruses, video at 11.

Re:How is this any different?

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

Why do people expect that codecs downloaded from arbitrary untrusted sources would be any less free of viruses, adware, etc... than any other random executables obtained off the net?

The average person assumes data they download will not be able to infect their computer. What kind of an idiot would design a computer such that it lets a random codec someone downloads run as an executable and have access to read their e-mail addresses, capture keystrokes, etc., especially in this day of malware. MS should have fixed this long ago. It looks like Apple has ported MAC from TrustedBSD and will be solving this in OS X 10.5. Maybe t is time you stopped blaming the user for making reasonable assumptions and started looking at just how badly designed most OS's are these days.

This is 2006 - get with the times

[Anonymous Coward]

With translucent windows, you can write or audit source code while jacking off to hentai.

And no, it's not a productivity boost. This is actually one of the reasons Vista took so long, tho it can be a source of inspiration. Obviously Vista's protected mode was inspired by a posh wank.

Booby-trapped sex-video codecs

[ettlz]

Boobs... uh-huh-uhh-huh-uhh...

Um... sorry, just had a bit of Beavis and Butthead moment there.

Re:Some of us have a life

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm a compotent programmer

Too bad you're not a competent speller.

Re:STDs

[spun]

Now your computer can get STDs as well!

Stupidity Transmitted Diseases?