FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
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FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
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Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#2I thought I’d share this here to spread more attention to the practices of FlightSimLabs, a flight simulator software shop.
The short version is that they included an executable in their installer that when run would extract passwords saved in Chrome and presumably phone them home. Their reasoning was that this was purely for DRM reasons. They claim that this password stealing tool would not run for legit/valid serial keys.
This was only discovered by someone on reddit recently, and since this has been public the developers have claimed they’ve removed the password stealing malware from their installer. They have again made statements saying that this tool was only used against pirated copies of their software. Not once have they apologized and their users for the most part don’t seem to care.
Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#3I thought I’d share this here to spread more attention to the practices of FlightSimLabs, a flight simulator software shop. The short version is that they included an executable in their installer that when run would extract passwords saved in Chrome and presumably phone them home. Their reasoning was that this was purely for DRM reasons. They claim that this password stealing tool would not run for legit/valid seria…
So basically "you broke the law, so we'll break the law"?
Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#4I thought I’d share this here to spread more attention to the practices of FlightSimLabs, a flight simulator software shop. The short version is that they included an executable in their installer that when run would extract passwords saved in Chrome and presumably phone them home. Their reasoning was that this was purely for DRM reasons. They claim that this password stealing tool would not run for legit/valid seria…
So basically "you broke the law, so we'll break the law"?
Unfortunately, this sort of attitude is not unheard of among proprietary software vendors - see for example FTDI bricking your hardware if they think it's counterfeit:
Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#5I wonder what their legal department told them about this idea. I can't imagine any well briefed copyright lawyer concurring with this.
Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#6Oh shit, I literally just bought one of their products for P3D...
Edit: FSLabs_A320X_P3D_v2.0.1.215.exe also has it present
Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#7Someone sue them please
Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
So basically "you broke the law, so we'll break the law"?
Unfortunately, this sort of attitude is not unheard of among proprietary software vendors - see for example FTDI bricking your hardware if they think it's counterfeit: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8493849
Wouldn’t that be downright illegal? Moreover, someone bricking my hardware would inspire me to forcefully return said “brick” to them, through their nearest window.
Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#9Oh shit, I literally just bought one of their products for P3D... Edit: FSLabs_A320X_P3D_v2.0.1.215.exe also has it present
Hey, thanks for the info. I was just thinking about buying the A320 for FSX the other day. I will refrain from installing any software from "Flight Sim Labs" in the future, its kind of troubling to see this development. I mean it is clear that you do not run just any old software you found on some shady corners on the internet, but this is a big vendor, with a lots of sales, a certain name and a community. How the hell can this happen?
Re: FlightSimLabs Alleged Malware Analysis
#10I never understood the point of DRM.
"10 extremely determined people want to steal my intellectual property! I'll go miles out of my way to design this in such a way that 1,000 people have a crappy experience to slow down the 10 people who want to be pirates!"
Vendor makes a shitty product
Pirates find a workaround, pirate shitty product anyway
Vendor makes shitty product even shittier for all 1,000 people to agin try to stop the same 10 determined pirates