Atlus.com hacked, trojan may have spread to visitors' computers

by Ben Gilbert { Apr 25th 2009 at 11:30AM }

The folks behind our favorite high school lifestyle sim/dungeon crawler series, Persona, are apparently having some internet woes. It seems that yesterday, a "third-party entity" hacked Atlus' website (currently still down) and managed to embed a trojan that, "may have made its way" onto the system. The publisher is guessing that those who may have been affected by the trojan would have visited its website between 9AM PST and 2:30 PST, give or take.

While we're used to whacky press releases from Atlus, this is most certainly not one of those. If you believe you may have been affected by this trojan, the company implores you to "run malware removal software," though, more than likely, you probably aren't reading this if that's the case, eh? All jokes aside, Atlus does seem to sincerely apologize, stating, "The faith and trust of our fans is of the utmost importance to us, a responsibility we don't take lightly." Here's hoping the dirty, dirty haxxorz didn't get to you!

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Tags: apology, atlus, hacker, persona, website

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

BlaqueBeird @ Apr 25th 2009 11:37AM

That picture made me lol coffee all over my desk.

Avatar @ Apr 25th 2009 11:38AM

It was like a tall glass of lmaonade, which is generally served with rofl falafels.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Apr 25th 2009 11:46AM

Avatar, your avatar is an avatar of an avatar.

Just thought you should know.

Avatar @ Apr 25th 2009 11:59AM

I've been found out! Zounds!

BlackDove @ Apr 25th 2009 12:21PM

WHY NOTHING HAPPEN WHEN I CLICK TEH BUTTON TO SAEV MY MEGAHURTZ?

rTwelve @ Apr 25th 2009 12:22PM

"Sup dawg, we heard how much you like avatars..."

Jtenma @ Apr 25th 2009 1:01PM

"so we put a avatar in yo car"

PR0F3TA @ Apr 25th 2009 3:28PM

Jtenma you did it all wrong...

... So we put a avatar in your avatar so you can show your avatar while you show your avatar"

lrn2interwebz

Manly Mcbeefigan (Mr. ESC) @ Apr 25th 2009 11:41PM

Accidentaly my wh0le megahurtz,is this bad?

Bowser Rogozhin @ Apr 25th 2009 11:47AM

Well, that's the downside of aiming your product at the most anti-social hikkimori types. A lack of genuine real world contact causes them to 'act out' at anything that even approaches feeling, and you can imagine that some of these people have grown rather attached to the characters of, say, Persona.

Though, I wouldn't be too surprised if this was merely a forum dispute that went off the rails.

HighFiveJesus @ Apr 25th 2009 12:50PM

the devil are you talking aboot?

THE Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Apr 25th 2009 1:53PM

it's bowser, don't pay attention to him. just hit the [-] and move on.

sony boy @ Apr 25th 2009 2:51PM

don't make me pull the trigger and put you in the lava.

rowd149 @ Apr 25th 2009 3:35PM

I don't usually feed the trolls, but I finally get to put my knowledge of Japanese cultural trivia to use:

It's hikikomori, dumbass.

Nox @ Apr 26th 2009 2:10PM

Pff he's just jealous because Youske and Chie wants to hang out with me.

Fernando Rocker @ Apr 25th 2009 11:55AM

But why Atlus? They bring so many good Japanese games to the US...

They should have hacked Activision instead...

Bowser Rogozhin @ Apr 25th 2009 12:00PM

Nah, it probably should have been one the big three. Scratch that: it should have been the big three.

Dave @ Apr 25th 2009 12:03PM

I like to scratch MY big 3.

BlaqueBeird @ Apr 25th 2009 12:07PM

You have 3? You should get that looked at by a doctor.

michael @ Apr 25th 2009 12:20PM

I can think of 2 person who would want to hack and destroy Atlus's website:

a really serious anime haters (it's well known that any company that do anime-style video game would make anime haters want to take them down)

or

Jack Thompson (Jack did attack Japan about their violent video game. I remember on Gamepolitics that he insulted anime.)

or

Both (anime haters are losing faith in video game because of many reason. the sales or rent anime on Xbox Live marketplace and PSN store. Also, Square-Enix takeover Eido interactives make anime haters assume they'll make Tomb Raider all anime style. Also, anime haters probably knew about JT attacking Japan and anime. They're willing to betray video game and join the "dark side" as in siding with video game haters).

Hope we'll find out who hacked into Atlus website.

markg90 @ Apr 25th 2009 12:21PM

I just spilt coffee all over my desk thanks to Dave.

Spike @ Apr 25th 2009 12:44PM

but the steady stream of guitar hero discs, bundles, and condoms will cease, and then where will all the non-rockband players be?

ssuk @ Apr 25th 2009 3:15PM

Well, considering that the Atlus site was modified to try and distribute, what sounds like spyware, I'd say it was distributing the same spyware which phished passwords off a computer at random, this was then used to add the malicious code to distribute the malware.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing

Protips: Don't download "hotchick.jpg.exe" (and for the love of god, if you do, don't open it) and use ANY web browser under the sun than Internet Explorer. Google Chrome is your safest bet against malware, Firefox, Safari and Opera are good all-round browsers. If you *have* to run Internet Explorer for whatever reason, schedule a malware check every week, without fail. Everyone should do this, even Firefox and Chrome users, you're never 100% safe from any threat but IE users are most at risk.

Donald @ Apr 25th 2009 5:24PM

Wow, someone grabbed Bowser's axe this morning. What do you have against the greatest segment on the Joystiq Podcast?

dante243 @ Apr 25th 2009 12:03PM

Honestly, i couldn't care less about Atlus website, but that picture made me laugh out loud for 5 minutes straight

Linkario @ Apr 25th 2009 12:03PM

This story flat lines my CARE-O-METER.

Biomech @ Apr 25th 2009 3:02PM

That's not the only thing flat about you...

Linkario @ Apr 25th 2009 4:29PM

oh snap.

knor @ Apr 25th 2009 12:06PM

I dont think I haven't seen that picture since around 2002-2003. But such is the awesomeness of the picture that as soon as I saw that lady on the left, I didn't even have to read it to know what it said.

It brightened up my Saturday immensely.

rTwelve @ Apr 25th 2009 12:23PM

It was probably the same people who refer to Atlus as Fatlus.

Yes, you know who.

DaveMcRae the Haiku Artist @ Apr 25th 2009 12:34PM

My parents told me to always use trojans.

ottoman673 @ Apr 25th 2009 12:46PM

Around here they started selling Monster condoms... 25 cents a shot.

Needless to say, fuck trojans.

Anticrawl @ Apr 25th 2009 1:15PM

Trojan has too high of a break rate for me. I like Durex, never had a problem with them.

THE Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ Apr 25th 2009 1:55PM

i agree with anticrawl

Robot Overlord @ Apr 25th 2009 2:01PM

you know none of us have sex. stop lying.

Rhamsey @ Apr 25th 2009 2:11PM

anticrawl, thats why i double bag it.

Popfrogs @ Apr 25th 2009 3:06PM

Break rate, lol. Try sex with humans instead of inflatables.

But yeah, Trojans are constrictive and uncomfortable for most average guys. Durex or Lifestyle FTW.

Anticrawl @ Apr 25th 2009 3:15PM

Hah, but seriously, I've had two trojans break on me, and that was enough to make me never use them again, never haid a problem with durex, and they are a bit less constrictive as you say but still very safe.

Drew @ Apr 25th 2009 4:16PM

I modified the GTA 4 CE lockbox to snugly fit my penis. Unfortunately, I can now only have sex with pixelated women.

fantastic dan @ Apr 25th 2009 1:06PM

you would think the neckbeard types that visit fatlus would have decent virus protection

j/k bros

xenon @ Apr 25th 2009 1:21PM

Why Atlus of all publishers? Attack Activision next time, please!

Slaziman @ Apr 25th 2009 1:30PM

LOL @ the picture

JohnMazz @ Apr 25th 2009 2:29PM

H4x0r5? 0n MY pC?

More likely than you'd think!

deanb @ Apr 25th 2009 2:59PM

http://www.halolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/spy-check.jpg - surely this would be a better image?

golobulus @ Apr 25th 2009 3:16PM

this is BS! why mess with Atlus? hit GT if you wanna do that shit.

LegendaryRedass @ Apr 25th 2009 5:25PM

I'm so freaking lucky, I go that site all the time. For some reason, they constantly send me beta invites. Now I can tell my wife, when the pc gets infected, that's why lol.