PlayStation.com hacked, security firm reports
by Randy Nelson 
{ Jul 2nd 2008 at 11:13PM }
Phobos says that the bogus pop-ups prompted those who saw them to purchase what turned out to be equally bogus anti-virus software. The "scareware" has since been exterminated by Sony's IT jockeys, but we can only wonder how many hapless gamers were drawn into the hacker's insidious ... web of lies before it was too late.
[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mr.ESC @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:17PM
Hey it's true Sony is now more like MS :P
Wait I have an account on playsation.com OH SHI-
Mr.ESC @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:18PM
*PlayStation.com
Dudeman @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:24PM
OH SHI- is right D:
colin @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:23PM
you should have to have a license to use a computer ... if you don't know enough to NOT buy bogus software, you deserve to be weasel'd out of enough money as it takes for you to learn your lesson. it's like those hot babes commercials where you pay like 5 bucks per text message you recieve from a computer that's pretending to be a hot nympho down the street. if you are dumb enough to do it ... they deserve your money.
Mr.ESC @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:28PM
No they don’t. No one should take advantage of the human stupidity; it generates way too much profit. I mean is okay when 1 guy does it but when everyone does it is effing annoying. Half the internet is dedicated to make spam and fraudulent sites and every time they are more aggressive. Okay we are not stupid to click those stupid sites but they are each time more annoying and then we need stuff like Firefox , pop-up blockers and stuff that uses precious memory.
colin @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:32PM
some of the oldest, richest institutions in the world are scams when you get down to the nitty.
Insurance
Religion
Government Lotteries
colin @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:35PM
Oh, and interest for lending/credit
The banks and insurance companies are the real ones in the money-printing industry.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:00AM
amen. i watch those commercials and look at those ads and think "i know there is actually somebody out there right now paying for this bullshit." and those folks deserve exactly what they get. i have no sympathy for stupidity.
Mr.ESC @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:07AM
Exactly, there are a lot of scammers out there because there are lots of idiots. No one should get money from suckers that how bad stuff happens.
Foetoid @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:45AM
For gods sake there is a difference between stupidity and ignorance. I work in a computer store builing and repairing PCs and i see heaps of infected computers come in with WinAntiVirus Pro 2008 and shit which are bogus virus protector programs. You have 50-60 yr old people trying to learn how to use computers because they didnt grow up with them accidentally looking at the wrong site, they'll easily belive that an online scan is legit and download the bogus software. Then i've gotta spend an hour or 2 cleaning it up. It's not stupidity, but people who aren't nerds like us simply don't know any better, and it's not there fault. The people behind this BS should be shot.
colin @ Jul 3rd 2008 4:10AM
they are helping keep you in business tho
FOXHOUND @ Jul 3rd 2008 7:26AM
Insurance companies are the worst crooks of them all, IMO. >:\ I mean, it's nearly a win-win scenario either way for the larger(usually automobile)ones... their customers pay an exorbitant amount of money with the hopes they *won't* get in an accident nor a ticket(or worse)for not legally having insurance.
Then, should an accident occur - whether it's your fault or not; usually a hassle to either get a claim adjusted, blame found, or even repairs/rental car usage without a twist of the arm occurs. After that and despite them claiming otherwise, there's the worry of your monthly/yearly premium going up as a result. Of course, they won't outwardly tell you the price went up because of your newly created bad auto history, but enjoy the fun as you hear lame lies to cover up their reasoning for raising cost.
My favorites thus far:
» "You live in a tropical storm-possible region, coverage is tougher to administer" (Perhaps I do, but so do 1/3 of most Americans)
» "Due to rise in gas costs, motorists are more prone to road rage than usual" (So... basically, I'm Mad Max and I should watch out for Master Blaster?)
» "New Management" (I literally hung up after hearing that one)
xGeneral DEATHx @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:22AM
Would you also lump mortgage companies in with the greatest scams of all time?
I only ask because I have a mor--oh SHI--**
xGeneral DEATHx @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:24AM
@ Foxhound:
"New Management"?!?! Jesus, I have yet to hear that one, but if [when] I do, I'll be more than happy to slam the phone down on the receiver, wishing the whole time that it was that person's head.
Lord Thisiwig von Trundlebottom @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:32PM
This really isn't being 'Hacked'. It's just that someone slips malicious code into banner ads that run on Flash. Hey, guess what that means? ANYONE using flash banner ads on their website can now spread a virus!
This has happened to National Geographic, the Economist, and the Wall Street Journal websites. No one needs to breach your security if you're letting shitty flash ads onto your page without realizing where they come from.
Graham Cluley, Sophos @ Jul 3rd 2008 6:06AM
To: "Lord Thisiwig von Trundlebottom"
Hi - this has nothing to do with banner ads. Sony's SQL database got injected with some malicious script, that ran code on a third party website.
Thousands of websites get hit in a similar way all the time. :(
More information at http://www.sophos.com/news/2008/07/playstation.html
Cheers
Graham Cluley, Sophos
juju187 @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:55PM
confirmed: sony website is running on firmware 2.40
Winman2000 @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:03AM
Hot damn!
Gun Barrier (Gamer Tag) @ Jul 2nd 2008 11:56PM
woa! imagine if this is wut caused the bad firmware.
eNrique @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:15AM
And what if not?
Gun Barrier (Gamer Tag) @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:17AM
then imagine something else.
randomshagz @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:40AM
Its called a "fools tax". Like the Lottery and most Madden Games.
GearSecond!! (a.k.a AwesomeStuff) @ Jul 5th 2008 4:08PM
Gimme back my flag!
tweak @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:37AM
Too bad the internet does not do productive things. I'm thinking along the lines of teaching proper grammar and spelling...
TWiNKiE @ Jul 3rd 2008 4:38AM
I think people will be too busy doing other things on the internet, rather than learning proper grammar. (ie: pr0n)
michas_pi @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:37AM
Looks like it's just not Sony's day today.
Gamerschoice @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:58AM
...And these people are being trusted with a video format. This is going REAL well.
t_m @ Jul 3rd 2008 2:04AM
NoScript for the win.
Though these days its getting tricky with every site using cross-site scripts and ads from a dozen oddly-named sites. Its hard to know what is needed and negit to enable, and what might be dodgy...
Ves @ Jul 3rd 2008 4:23AM
This must be one frustrated user who's PS3 got problems after the firmware update.
Findeh @ Jul 3rd 2008 7:37AM
Sophos reports that the hackers attacked playstation.com's weak point for massive damage.
Icarus @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:36AM
WHEN I WAS !!!
Haha funny screenshot
Vcize @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:04AM
Maybe this is why Sony doesn't have an equivalent to live.xbox.com, heh.
Batzarro @ Jul 3rd 2008 2:09PM
Funny. The other day as I booted my computer and, to my surprised, came face to face with this antispyware software I hadn't seen last time I used the computer. Wich is funny, because I had been the last to use it. I inmediately inquired with my brother, who had no knoweledge of said antispyware. A good old web search revealed what I suspected: The Antispyware was a malicious program posing as an Antispyware. Clever, huh?
Thing was called "Antispywaremaster". Be on the lookout.
fallenangel72792 @ Jul 7th 2008 1:07PM
I really, really can't believe "When I Was" is in the screenshot. *Facepalm.*