First PSP virus hits the web; Symantec analyzing threat

by Dan Choi { Oct 6th 2005 at 5:30PM }

A Roman brick According to 1UP: "Today Symantec Security Response experts identified the first Trojan that targets Sony Playstation Portable systems, Trojan.PSPBrick, as a Category 1 threat (Category 5 being the worst). As of today, there are no confirmed infections."

Thankfully, this type of virus (or, more specifically, a Trojan) can only infect your PSP if you go out and download it, as it masquerades as hack for homebrew games, so the danger is minimal (Category 1), at least for now.

But how we avoid these malicious attempts by hackers to delete system files and effectively brick our Sony portables (without even downgrading firmware!)? As Symantec "is working on analyzing the threat now," one can only hope they release (or don't release) Norton Antivirus: The PSP Edition.

[Thanks, bandersnatch]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

LaughingTarget @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Way to go and ruin a good story by posting a pic from National Treasure.

Anyway, this is rough. Consoles are supposed to be stable units that can avoid such atrocities. Well, that is the price that must be paid to customize.

Meathead @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

ROFL @ SONY.

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Saw this one coming. Don't be dumb and download new files or from shady sites. Stick with the big named ones.

Even still, have this powerful fear of my PSP getting bricked by homebrew. Not even a malicious file, just something where someone wrote some bad code that in some instances can brick a PSP. /sigh, dangerous times we live in.

Oshi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Haha. Hts off to Sony!

Cyberclaws @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

I want to see a Nintendo DS virus! How come Sony gets to have all the hacker problems and publicity? Damn! I should have shoveled out the 250.00 plus bucks instead of being cheap and spending only 150.00....

Fuzz @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

ya, great. Norton Antivirus: The PSP Edition.

If it works anythinging like the PC versions, I'll take my chances with the viruses.

Picture this: "Norton Internet Security has detected that Madden 2006 is trying to access the internet. Some malicious programs communicate through the internet, and may damage your PSP. Do you want to allow Madden 2006 to download possibly damaging roster updates?"

Justin McElroy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Oh, and by the way. If you think Sony DIDN'T make this virus, you're kidding yourself.

Think about it.

Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Heh, interesting theory, Justin. Maybe they've taken a page from the RIAA's anti-piracy book and struck back at homebrewers directly? Intriguing...

Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

ROFL @ SONY

wafer7 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

sony keeps telling us that homebrew apps for emulators and such would void the psp warranty, maybe the 2.0 patch is not a bad idea after all since it works w/ a wireless router

John @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Id die if my PSP was bricked. I downgraded it without knowing of any risk, now I feel wozzy.

But Im running a genesis and snes emulator.

Anychance that virus can attach itself to roms?

Osiris @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Why not make a virus that automatically updates your PSP to 2.01?

This must have been made by some anti-sony fanboy, i wonder if its the last we'll see?

Andrew Hsieh @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

I don't think so, #12. =/

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

You know, there's a really small chance that Sony would sabotage their own systems to eradicate the homebrew scene. If that got tracked back to Sony they'd be in some serious legal issues. Virii are illegal, not to mention the huge hit in your company's fanbase.

jimbo @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Are you sure that's a pic from National Treasure? It looks like the episode of Star Trek TNG where the Enterprise computer was building a 'new' lifeform.

Eh. I bought a DS.

Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Ah, yes... the old TNG episode "Emergence":
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/episode/68656.html

I don't believe this pic comes from that episode (there was a golden brick that was important in that episode), as it's supposed to represent the comparison between a "common" brick and a Roman one (see the alt text for the image for more):
http://ah.bfn.org/a/DCTNRY/mat/brk/

At any rate, it's hard to believe "Emergence" was one of the last episodes of TNG from season 7 (Emmy nomination for best drama that year!):
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/episodes/index.html?season=7

sparxy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

chances are semantec will add it to their virus libraries for the PC, so when you transfer the data via USB cable it would pick it up..

YoYo-Pete @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

1. It's technically not a virus because it doesnt run itself or replicate. It's basically just a mean program someone wrote.

2. You wont see one for the DS because it's firmware cant be updated. It's locked down because there wont be any new funtionality. So there's no way to access the same system components.

Basically the program, when run, acts like it's updating your system but only partially puts files in locations, so when the PSP tries to run it cant access needed files and presto...

It's a brick!

JJ @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

I agree, there's nothing illegal about this. I think it's a great move to strike back against piracy. I wish it wasn't necessary, but hey.

zazzawazza @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Running homebrew on your psp isn't piracy.

Anyone who doesn't think Sony went underground with this virus think about the fact that it if you upgrade to version 2.01 firmware you're safe.

Scare tactics or just praying on the ignorant, I'm sure Sony would far rather you brick your PSP than leave you with even the slightest possibility of playing games you didn't pay them for. I mean you already paid Sony for the hardware didn't you (somewhere along the line - unless you stole it from someobody else). So if you brick your console I don't think Sony would mind putting you in the position of having to buy a replacement thereby pushing up their sales figures.

zazzawazza @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Norton Antivirus = POS Bloatware - should be bluddy classified as a virus itself for all the good it does my PC, imagine paying to buy a virus that slows down your pc to a snails pace, then imagine paying to patch it every year.

JJ @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

True homebrew and indie dev is NOT piracy, that's true. Any psycho EULA that makes that stuff illegal is wrong.

However, we ALL know that 99.9% of all the people interested in PSP exploits are not interested in indie dev or homebrew, they're interested in emulating illegal roms and playing illegal games. If console piracy wasn't such a scourge, then the console companies could be more friendly towards indie dev. However, they can't.....they learned their lesson from the Dreamcast.

Christopher7xii @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Eitherway, it's illegal. You're running software on your PSP that isn't approved by Sony.

And again, Sony would be in horribly deep shit if a virus was traced back to them where they bricked something people spent money on just to get them to buy another. That's like an auto-dealer putting a tiny unicorn trigger bomb in your car whenever you tried to open the hood so you HAD to come back to them to fix it. They could easily get sued for all the damages they caused. Hell, I'd brick my PSP if it meant I could sue them. I'd buy another afterwards, but still... If they were that dumb to do something like that, why not benefit from it?

bob @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

Keep in mind that theres not really a whole lot of illegal roming going on for PSP games. Everybody is just emulating Nintendo games, effectively ripping off Nintendo not Sony.

But if you like FF6 so much that you dont want to buy some fancy PSP game then thats bad for them

Byron Bowerman @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

"Eitherway, it's illegal. You're running software on your PSP that isn't approved by Sony."

Since when do hardware manufacturers get to control what software we can run.

Isn't it legal to use ROMs of cartridge games that you own? I mean, I have a fairly large collection of NES & SNES games. So, if I wanted to use a ROM for a game I already bought & own, then where's the issue with that.

Assuming I didn't steal the emulating software...

Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

I believe they've refined the technical legality of what types of backups you have the rights to use down to those backups you've physically made yourself (meaning, you homebrewed the files yourself from the original cartridges and so forth). This would actually exclude downloaded ROMs of games you do own, but didn't personally extract data from to your personal computer/home emulator. Crazy, I know, but I believe that's what's been set down. (Can't wait for Revolution...=)

LX @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

personally, dont really care if my PSP dies...im just worried that if i try to downgrade, i might do something stupid and screw my compy up...can the psp brick trojan affect your computer??

Callum @ Dec 18th 2005 9:36PM

ok... idiots! you cant get a virus onto your psp, unless you download it, by going onto the psp's internet browser... why you may ask?
because if it were true that you could transfer a virus to your psp, then it would be possible to transfer a virus to a diff computer, to get rid of it on your computer!
HELLO!?!?!?!?!?!?!
plus, do you know anyone who got the virus!?!?!?! btw, i have many games from diff sites on my psp, such as smashGP, Mario Cart ETC.
i dont got no virus!
you COULD get a virus, if you were to take ur psp, go on the net with it, and then download somthing str8 to the psps game section. (idk if u can do that, but id bet its possible... why woodnt it be?)
so keep that in mind, about the fact that if u beleive there is a psp virus...ur an idiot...
l8er!

Ron @ Dec 30th 2005 9:23AM

I really agree with Justin especially on statement 7. It is probably Sony that made the virus but it was probably just one or two people that really worked on it. They just probably posted it on some websites and as soon as you type in downgrader or homebrew games in WWW.GOOGLE.COM it just pops up those websites they put it on. You then download it and become a fool and dont know what to say to the person who bought you the console or just feel miserable if you bought it. THE MAIN REASON WHY SONY( OR JUST TWO OR THREE PEOPLE) WOULD MAKE THE BAD CODE WOULD BE MAINLY BECAUSE THE SALES YOU IDIOTS! YOU MESS UP, YOU CALL SONY TO FIX IT, SONY MAKES MONEY OFF YOUR ASSES TO FIX IT. GET IT? I dont think downgrading is such a good idea. Maybe if you havent upgraded to 2.0, you can still run homebrew games if you can get them off of your friends psp. Try not to download it off some shady website(as said before). ONE MORE THING, IF YOU SEE SOMEONE WITH A PSP, ASK THEM ALL ABOUT IT. LIKE IF THE PERSON HAS UPGRADED IT, DOES HE RUN HOMEBREW GAMES AND STUFF LIEK THAT. Well I really never wanted the psp, but i got it for a gift. Its pretty good, but extended play might kill your eyes and brain. I really want the ARCHOS GMINI 402 CAMCORDER. THAT IS THE SHIT. 20GB HD, PHOTO VIDEO, CELL PHONE LIKE GAMES(OR BETTER), AND A CAMCORDER, CAPTURES PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ALL FOR $330. Well I've definetly said enough.