Spyware Detail

Summary

XCP.Sony.Rootkit.Patch updates XCP.Sony.Rootkit to XCP.Sony.SP2. This change removes rootkit functionality and addresses the vulnerability associated with the XCP.Sony.Rootkit rootkit. It also reduces hard drive scans on the part of the falsely named "Plug and Play Device Manager" service. Despite these benefits, XCP.Sony.Rootkit.Patch displayes no notice of what it will do, offers no opt-out once invoked, and removes the rootkit in a manner which can cause system crashes. The aries.sys driver file installed by XCP.Sony.Rootkit is called when one of several hooked functions are called by any program. If a program has just initiated such a call when it is removed by this patch, what used to be a pointer to aries.sys is now a pointer to unallocated memory, which can cause a blue screen of death.

See Also

XCP.Sony.Rootkit.Patch Music Player

Category

Trojan:  Any program with a hidden intent. Trojans are one of the leading causes of breaking into machines. If you pull down a program from a chat room, new group, or even from unsolicited e-mail, then the program is likely trojaned with some subversive purpose. The word Trojan can be used as a verb: To trojan a program is to add subversive functionality to an existing program. For example, a trojaned login program might be programmed to accept a certain password for any user's account that the hacker can use to log back into the system at any time. Rootkits often contain a suite of such trojaned programs.



Variants

XCP.Sony.Rootkit ·

Reasons For Retention

Installs without user permission.
Updates programs on the system without user permission or notice at time of update.
Interferes with the regular operation of the operating system without user permission.
Cannot be uninstalled by Windows Add/Remove Programs and no uninstaller is provided with application.

View Full Details