Friday, June 10, 2005

Anti-gypsy music virus welcomes by victims

From Znet...

Romanian security firm BitDefender has revealed that after releasing signatures to protect its customers from a virus that deleted files from their computers containing gypsy music, it was inundated with letters of complaint from customers who wanted the virus to spread.

The virus, dubbed Antiman.A, was discovered at the end of April and duped users into executing its payload by pretending to contain news about three Romanian journalists that had been kidnapped. When run, the virus searched the victim's computer for files containing the names of Romanian gypsy music singers.

At the time, BitDefender's chief technology officer Bogdan Dumitru said the virus writer was obviously a Romanian citizen that had "deep discontent" with gypsy music in Romania.

A Bitdefender spokesperson told ZDNet Australia that it released signature files to protect customers within hours of discovering the virus but instead of praise, the company started receiving e-mails from users that thought the virus was 'socially useful' and should be allowed to thrive.

One customer, whose details have withheld, said: "I appreciate your rapid reaction when new viruses are released… Nevertheless, when socially useful viruses are released, I think you could wait at least one day… This is not a virus, this is a utilitarian tool". The message concluded: "If you know the author of this virus, please give him my e-mail address; I'm ready to offer him food and drinks for at least 2 weeks".

Another customer was also hoping detection signatures were delayed but he went on to wish for a variant that could attack legacy systems: "Couldn't you guys wait two or three more days, until my whole neighbourhood was infected? Is there a version of this virus that can erase the cassettes played in cars that are stopped in traffic?"

Last word went to a BitDefender customer that offered to keep the antivirus labs staff busy to try give the virus more time to spread: "I would have gotten all of you drunk just to make sure you didn't get the [detection] tool out… god bless the guy who created this virus."

11 Comments:

Blogger Tücike said...

was it gipsy-music or "manele" ?
Cus' if it was "manele" i subscribe...

11:51 a.m., June 10, 2005  
Blogger Karla said...

The article said "gypsy music" but I suspect it *was* manele.

Wonder if they could do the same thing with gangsta rap and country music back home?

12:13 p.m., June 10, 2005  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, it was manele, which is actually Turkish music sang by the Gypsies.

2:05 p.m., June 10, 2005  
Blogger Bogdan said...

Yes, it was manele, which is actually Turkish music sang by the Gypsies.

2:07 p.m., June 10, 2005  
Blogger Karla said...

I was so excited to go to manele night with some friends. I was begging and begging to go for some time and we finally went. My god, that music is horrible! Almost as horrible as the manele boys and girls who dance to it!

I work by some manele music kiosks and I have to pass by them every day on my to the office.

I still like Chowda though!

2:21 p.m., June 10, 2005  
Blogger Tücike said...

what is chowda ?

12:43 p.m., June 11, 2005  
Blogger (S)wine said...

Brilliant!!

11:27 a.m., June 12, 2005  
Blogger Karla said...

Chowda (probably spelling it wrong) is Bulgarian manele. It's awesome!

I heard it last September and was obsessed. I finally managed to get a copy of the CD, and I can scan it if anyone wants to ridicule the horrible graphics of girls' asses in bikinis...

1:26 p.m., June 12, 2005  
Blogger Tücike said...

Please do :D
Where happy to ridicule asses in bikinis.

6:17 a.m., June 13, 2005  
Blogger (S)wine said...

christ, and here i thought 'chowda' was that white/red stuff they make in or around New England.

2:36 p.m., June 14, 2005  
Blogger Karla said...

I made a mean shrimp chowder on Saturday. meant to eat a bowl and ate the whole damn pot of it. I'd make it for my friends (they're always begging me to make "traditional Canadian food") but Romanians don't seemt o like seafood.

Just means more of it for me!

I don't know if it's spelled "chowda" but that's how Sorana pronounced it. Although Nelu insists it's "Serbian Turbo Folk". It's from Bulgaria so it's can't be Serbian.

3:25 p.m., June 14, 2005  

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