'Art project' video game attacks Apple Mac machines
A 1980s-style video game attacks the Mac platform, deleting users' files as they progress through the level and shoot enemies. While its creator clearly warns of the consequences, the software has been labeled a Trojan horse.
The software created by Zach Gage is described as an "art project." The "game" generates aliens based on the number of files on a user's computer, and killing them deletes a file. Upon the player's death the game is supposed to delete itself. It includes an online raking of players' scores.
"By way of exploring what it means to kill in a video-game, Lose/Lose broaches bigger questions," the project's creator said. "As technology grows, our understanding of it diminishes, yet, at the same time, it becomes increasingly important in our lives. At what point does our virtual data become as important to us as physical possessions? If we have reached that point already, what real objects do we value less than our data? What implications does trusting something so important to something we understand so poorly have?"
While Gage sees his project as art, Symantec views it as a Trojan, though "Lose/Lose" is not seen as a great threat at the moment. The malware's creator even warns on his Web site what the application does, and upon starting the game, players are also cautioned that it will result in the deletion of files from their computer.
But the security firm cautioned that the threat, called OSX.Loosemaque, could be modified by someone with "more malicious intentions" and passed on to unsuspecting users without the current warnings.
In a video demonstrating the Trojan, Symantec showed how the game begins to delete files on the system as aliens are killed, in a top-down shooter designed in the style of classics like Galaga. After a number of aliens were killed, the program attempted to delete a critical system file, which caused the malware to crash.
"You'll notice that while I'm blowing up the ships, the files in my Documents folder are disappearing," the video states. "It looks like the game chooses users' documents first, and then it moves on to preference files contained within the very subfolders of the user's home directory."
Cult of Mac noted that the game has also been defined as a threat by Sophos Anti-Virus and Intego VirusBarrier X5. The software was first released in September.
Viruses on the Mac platform remain scarce, but with the recent release of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Apple included enhanced malware protection.
The software created by Zach Gage is described as an "art project." The "game" generates aliens based on the number of files on a user's computer, and killing them deletes a file. Upon the player's death the game is supposed to delete itself. It includes an online raking of players' scores.
"By way of exploring what it means to kill in a video-game, Lose/Lose broaches bigger questions," the project's creator said. "As technology grows, our understanding of it diminishes, yet, at the same time, it becomes increasingly important in our lives. At what point does our virtual data become as important to us as physical possessions? If we have reached that point already, what real objects do we value less than our data? What implications does trusting something so important to something we understand so poorly have?"
While Gage sees his project as art, Symantec views it as a Trojan, though "Lose/Lose" is not seen as a great threat at the moment. The malware's creator even warns on his Web site what the application does, and upon starting the game, players are also cautioned that it will result in the deletion of files from their computer.
But the security firm cautioned that the threat, called OSX.Loosemaque, could be modified by someone with "more malicious intentions" and passed on to unsuspecting users without the current warnings.
In a video demonstrating the Trojan, Symantec showed how the game begins to delete files on the system as aliens are killed, in a top-down shooter designed in the style of classics like Galaga. After a number of aliens were killed, the program attempted to delete a critical system file, which caused the malware to crash.
"You'll notice that while I'm blowing up the ships, the files in my Documents folder are disappearing," the video states. "It looks like the game chooses users' documents first, and then it moves on to preference files contained within the very subfolders of the user's home directory."
Cult of Mac noted that the game has also been defined as a threat by Sophos Anti-Virus and Intego VirusBarrier X5. The software was first released in September.
Viruses on the Mac platform remain scarce, but with the recent release of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Apple included enhanced malware protection.
Comments
(Although, I do not believe video games lead all their players to be killers... although they do help those who were on the way and can't disconnect virtual from reality)
Soap box aside: I would not label this as a Trojan. You are in full knowledge that your files will disappear! That, and you have to download it.
Now please, no MS comments, okay? This has nothing to do with that company. Focus on the art project, as I think its a really interesting concept!
I wish we lived in times when artists felt they had to actually do something meaningful to earn their title as an artist like sculpt a statute or paint a chapel somewhere. Nowadays, they just defecate on things (literally sometimes) shove it in a gallery and wait for the outrage and then go 'see, it's art because you're pissed off. Wow, I'm so talented'.
My idea for a game is to have these people hurled over a shooting range and the shooter must decide between killing them and the possibility of losing the benefits they've made to society from their work. I think this whole situation would be resolved pretty quickly.
Still, that was an interesting video. Odd idea, and sure to generate some publicity.
When does art become crime, by the way?
I wish we lived in times when artists felt they had to actually do something meaningful to earn their title as an artist like sculpt a statute or paint a chapel somewhere. Nowadays, they just defecate on things (literally sometimes) shove it in a gallery and wait for the outrage and then go 'see, it's art because you're pissed off. Wow, I'm so talented'.
My idea for a game is to have these people hurled over a shooting range and the shooter must decide between killing them and the possibility of losing the benefits they've made to society from their work. I think this whole situation would be resolved pretty quickly.
Prompt One: Post a piece of artistic work you have created. (It must have meaning to you, and invigorate emotion in others)
(Me personally, I'm no artist, far from, but I can still appreciate it, even if it is just a single dot on a large canvas. Doesn't mean I like it though.)
Second: I suggest you ban yourself for delivering such hateful words that imply death to people for no other reason than for a creative works that does not conform to your own sense of style. Comments like these are exactly what my post was about. Detachment. I do not tolerate comments like this.
A 1980s-style video game attacks the Mac platform, deleting users' files as they progress through the level and shoot enemies. While its creator clearly warns of the consequences, the software has been labeled a Trojan horse. ...
I think it's hilarious, and yes ... Art.
No need for quotes.
Second: I suggest you ban yourself for delivering such hateful words that imply death to people for no other reason than for a creative works that does not conform to your own sense of style. Comments like these are exactly what my post was about. Detachment. I do not tolerate comments like this.
I believe you took him a little too seriously.
... I wish we lived in times when artists felt they had to actually do something meaningful to earn their title as an artist like sculpt a statute or paint a chapel somewhere. Nowadays, they just defecate on things (literally sometimes) shove it in a gallery and wait for the outrage and then go 'see, it's art because you're pissed off. Wow, I'm so talented'. ...
IMO you are mixing up your definitions here. Art is about meaning.
You say you wish they did something more meaningful, but then you kind of imply that it's the "talent" they show (or don't show), that's the core of it all, which is really code for "craft." Craftsmanship /= "Art".
Prompt One: Post a piece of artistic work you have created. (It must have meaning to you, and invigorate emotion in others)
My previous post satisfies those requirements.
Second: I suggest you ban yourself for delivering such hateful words that imply death to people for no other reason than for a creative works that does not conform to your own sense of style. Comments like these are exactly what my post was about. Detachment. I do not tolerate comments like this.
I take it you are someone who thinks that art has no definition other than the definition you impose on it. By that standard everything is art and I suggest that by that definition, nothing is.
I don't care for an opinion that degrades the standards and quality of the creative industry. I find it an insult to know very hard working and talented artists who have studied and learned their craft for years and someone makes programs that deletes files and that they are even discussed for a second in any capacity other than ridicule.
I take it you are someone who thinks that art has no definition other than the definition you impose on it. By that standard everything is art and I suggest that by that definition, nothing is.
I am someone who thinks that art is defined by the creator or by the viewer.
I don't care for an opinion that degrades the standards and quality of the creative industry. I find it an insult to know very hard working and talented artists who have studied and learned their craft for years and someone makes programs that deletes files and that they are even discussed for a second in any capacity other than ridicule.
That is no excuse for wanting to shoot them! That was my main problem, your wishes of death of another person purely for having different views. I disagree with you, but I don't want you dead, and I think your differing opinion adds value to a discussion.
There are hard working artists out there, (my mother being one, who went to school and has an art degree, and uses it daily to put food on her table. I technically have an art degree too, though I don't use it.) and I think they don't get enough credit, that I'll agree on. But the person who made this program (and programming can be an art, ask a dev!) has files delete when you kill as a representation of something, in their words, to show our dependence on the virtual world. To me this is most definitely art. Now, if it was intended as such, I don't know for sure, but I do know that I view it as art, and though I don't think I'll see it in any museum ever, I can appreciate the message.
My idea for a game is to have these people hurled over a shooting range and the shooter must decide between killing them and the possibility of losing the benefits they've made to society from their work. I think this whole situation would be resolved pretty quickly.
Amen.
*Loads his gun.
Lemon Bon Bon.
I hate smart asses and clearly this "artist" is just a smart ass. He knows nothing anyone with any reasonable level of intelligence isn't already aware of. Move on and preach to another choir. Funny ha ha until some idiot gets their hands on the game and sends it to another idiot who actually installs it.
Amen.
*Loads his gun.
Lemon Bon Bon.
As someone who works with death every day... I really don't find this funny.
What's equally stupid of Apple is giving application installers sudo root authority. That's why trojans are so successful on Macs.
Only system level altering programs should have sudo access and OS X should warn users a program is accessing a file outside it's own file types/association.
Here's a nice sample list of rootkits for OS X just itching to get in.
55808Trojan-VariantA
ADMWorm
AjaKitRootkit
aPaKit
ApacheWorm
Ambient(ark)Rootkit
BalaurRootkit
BeastKitRootkit
beX2Rootkit
BOBKitRootkit
CiNIKWorm(Slapper.Bvariant)
Danny-Boy'sAbuseKit
DevilRootKit
Dica-KitRootkit
DreamsRootkit
DuarawkzRootkit
EnyeLKM
FleaLinuxRootkit
FreeBSDRootkit
Fuck`itRootkit
GasKitRootkit
HeroinLKM
HjCKit
ignoKitRootkit
ImperalsS-FBRKRootkit
IrixRootkit
KitkoRootkit
KnarkRootkit
Li0nWorm
Lockit/LJK2Rootkit
Mood-NTRootkit
MRKRootkit
Ni0Rootkit
OhharaRootkit
OpticKit(Tux)Worm
OzRootkit
PhalanxRootkit
PortaceloRootkit
R3dstormToolkit
RH-Sharpe'sRootkit
RSHA'sRootkit
ScalperWorm
SebekLKM
ShutdownRootkit
SHV4Rootkit
SHV5Rootkit
SinRootkit
SlapperWorm
SneakinRootkit
SuckitRootkit
SunOSRootkit
SunOS/NSDAPRootkit
SuperkitRootkit
TBD(TelnetBackDoor)
TeLeKiTRootkit
T0rnRootkit
TrojanitKit
TuxtendoRootkit
URKRootkit
VcKitRootkit
VolcRootkit
X-OrgSunOSRootkit
zaRwT.KiTRootkit
I think the same goes for Linux too... though I don't know if their installers are sandboxed or not.
What's equally stupid of Apple is giving application installers sudo root authority. That's why trojans are so successful on Macs.
Here's a nice sample list of rootkits for OS X just itching to get in.
55808Trojan-VariantA
ADMWorm
AjaKitRootkit
aPaKit
ApacheWorm
Ambient(ark)Rootkit
BalaurRootkit
BeastKitRootkit
beX2Rootkit
BOBKitRootkit
CiNIKWorm(Slapper.Bvariant)
Danny-Boy'sAbuseKit
DevilRootKit
Dica-KitRootkit
DreamsRootkit
DuarawkzRootkit
EnyeLKM
FleaLinuxRootkit
FreeBSDRootkit
Fuck`itRootkit
GasKitRootkit
HeroinLKM
HjCKit
ignoKitRootkit
ImperalsS-FBRKRootkit
IrixRootkit
KitkoRootkit
KnarkRootkit
Li0nWorm
Lockit/LJK2Rootkit
Mood-NTRootkit
MRKRootkit
Ni0Rootkit
OhharaRootkit
OpticKit(Tux)Worm
OzRootkit
PhalanxRootkit
PortaceloRootkit
R3dstormToolkit
RH-Sharpe'sRootkit
RSHA'sRootkit
ScalperWorm
SebekLKM
ShutdownRootkit
SHV4Rootkit
SHV5Rootkit
SinRootkit
SlapperWorm
SneakinRootkit
SuckitRootkit
SunOSRootkit
SunOS/NSDAPRootkit
SuperkitRootkit
TBD(TelnetBackDoor)
TeLeKiTRootkit
T0rnRootkit
TrojanitKit
TuxtendoRootkit
URKRootkit
VcKitRootkit
VolcRootkit
X-OrgSunOSRootkit
zaRwT.KiTRootkit