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Creative shipped almost 4000 MP3 players with a Windows virus!

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  • Creative shipped almost 4000 MP3 players with a Windows virus!

    Creative has reported it has accidentally shipped almost 4000 MP3 players with a Windows virus. This happened in Japan with the 5GB Zen Neeons players that have been shipping for two months now.

    The filesystem on the players contains one file that is infected with the Wullik.B aka Rays email worm. The worm won't infect PCs unless user browses the player files and clicks on the infected file.

    The worm in case is over two years old and spreads by emailing copies of itself and dropping itself to shared folders.

    Creative is reporting (in Japanese) that the virus affects players with serial numbers between 1230528000001 and 1230533001680.


  • #2
    The potential for this is exactly why I will always choose an iPod or other non-Windows-based MP3 player over one of these.

    So much for quality control.
    “And, remember: there's no 'I' in 'irony'” ~ Merlin Mann

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Jesterzwild
      The potential for this is exactly why I will always choose an iPod or other non-Windows-based MP3 player over one of these.

      So much for quality control.
      It doesn't matter what OS the device is running if your computer is going to browse the folders.
      Gigabyte P35-DS3L with a Q6600, 2GB Kingston HyperX (after *3* bad pairs of Crucial Ballistix 1066), Galaxy 8800GT 512MB, SB X-Fi, some drives, and a Dell 2005fpw. Running WinXP.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Wombat
        It doesn't matter what OS the device is running if your computer is going to browse the folders.
        Exactly.. they could have been shipping a memory stick, which contains no OS, with a virus on it.. it is accessing it from windows and clicking on the file which will do the damage
        We have enough youth - What we need is a fountain of smart!


        i7-920, 6GB DDR3-1600, HD4870X2, Dell 27" LCD

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        • #5
          I guess they missed bitching at their drivers?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Wombat
            It doesn't matter what OS the device is running if your computer is going to browse the folders.
            I'll concede that point; however, it still shows a complete lack of QC. My point was more that iPod's and various other MP3 players don't ship with their file system browsable by default or at all, with the addition that any player that is tied to Windows in such a way is going to inherently be at risk for such an incident.
            “And, remember: there's no 'I' in 'irony'” ~ Merlin Mann

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            • #7
              Yes this was VERY bad QC but being able to access my MP3 player as a drive by default on any computer is one of the selling points for me when I bought it (iriver H340). If I can avoid iTunes or Windows Media Player and organize my music MY way I want to.

              Anyways, this is something that could have just as easily happened on a thumbdrive or a portable hard drive. Companies LOVE to stick little progs on these devices that sells them more even after you've given them your money. Anyone remember the little exe on zip drives that showed you the 50 ways to you a zip disk? I sure did and I hated it every time I saw it, but I bet you a lot of people clicked on it.
              Wikipedia and Google.... the needles to my tangent habit.
              ________________________________________________

              That special feeling we get in the cockles of our hearts, Or maybe below the cockles, Maybe in the sub-cockle area, Maybe in the liver, Maybe in the kidneys, Maybe even in the colon, We don't know.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Jesterzwild
                I'll concede that point; however, it still shows a complete lack of QC. My point was more that iPod's and various other MP3 players don't ship with their file system browsable by default or at all, with the addition that any player that is tied to Windows in such a way is going to inherently be at risk for such an incident.
                Having browsable directories is a plus in my book. I wouldn't buy an MP3 player that didn't support it.
                Gigabyte P35-DS3L with a Q6600, 2GB Kingston HyperX (after *3* bad pairs of Crucial Ballistix 1066), Galaxy 8800GT 512MB, SB X-Fi, some drives, and a Dell 2005fpw. Running WinXP.

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                • #9
                  But don't forget to pay your license fee to Creative for their MP3 navigation patent.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Wombat
                    Having browsable directories is a plus in my book. I wouldn't buy an MP3 player that didn't support it.
                    Still, not my point. iPod has browsable directories as well.
                    “And, remember: there's no 'I' in 'irony'” ~ Merlin Mann

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Jesterzwild
                      I'll concede that point; however, it still shows a complete lack of QC. My point was more that iPod's and various other MP3 players don't ship with their file system browsable by default or at all, with the addition that any player that is tied to Windows in such a way is going to inherently be at risk for such an incident.
                      Originally posted by Jesterzwild
                      Still, not my point. iPod has browsable directories as well.
                      Make up your mind

                      Anything that can carry files wich are in anyway reachable from a computer is going to inherently be at risk for such an incident.

                      This incident is a reason to bash Creative, not to once againg bring up the old PC vs. MAC argument
                      If there's artificial intelligence, there's bound to be some artificial stupidity.

                      Jeremy Clarkson "806 brake horsepower..and that on that limp wrist faerie liquid the Americans call petrol, if you run it on the more explosive jungle juice we have in Europe you'd be getting 850 brake horsepower..."

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                      • #12
                        There's nothing conflicting in my statements.

                        I'm also not arguing Mac vs. PC (MAC is something entirely different ), I am arguing reliance upon Windows in conjunction with poor QC measures that should have prevented such an incident.
                        “And, remember: there's no 'I' in 'irony'” ~ Merlin Mann

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