Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Malware threat in Zero-K installer

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psycros
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Joined: 28 Jul 2011, 05:52

Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Post by psycros »

Whenever I try to install Zero-K, it crashes right as it seems to complete. Then it tries to load about 20 sites in my browser, some of which are flagged as known malware loaders. My system is totally clean, as are the install files I downloaded. The only possibilities left are (a) the files included this nasty trick from the beginning or (b) have been modified since their were uploaded. The fact that it crashes suggests the latter but I've *never* seen that happen except on really bad sites like Softpedia. Plus this is the third or fourth freeware game file I've gotten this year that tries this bulls&@t, so I'm betting it was in there from the start. A damn shame because the mod sounded really interesting.
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oksnoop2
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Joined: 29 Aug 2009, 20:12

Re: Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Post by oksnoop2 »

Download Link Please.
psycros
Posts: 2
Joined: 28 Jul 2011, 05:52

Re: Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Post by psycros »

OK this is freaking weird....I got in my browser history and found the site, but its definately NOT the same one. It looks totally different, its a Google code site. This is the one the browser SAYS it came from:
http://code.google.com/p/zero-k/downloa ... e&can=2&q=

Well I did a Google search and found the site I got it from originally: http://zero-k.info/lobby/setup.exe

PS: Just noticed I can edit here. I wanna say that I have NO IDEA if the people who made that Spring mod were trying to upload any malware or even if they made all those sites load. Ill assume not unless I hear differently. I've just seen a lot of this lately and now I sort of expect it..I hope this time its not the case.
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oksnoop2
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Re: Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Post by oksnoop2 »

I don't make Zero-K, but I can assure you that the developers of ZK would never do such a thing. I chat it up with a few of them on a semi-regular basis and trust me, they pour their heart and soul into their work, everyone here does. What could possibly be the culprit is A. a previous malware infestation manifesting. Or B. a false positive by your antivirus program. Though may as well wait for an actual ZK dev to weigh in on it. Here is a link to their forums.

http://zero-k.info/Forum
Google_Frog
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Re: Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Post by Google_Frog »

oksnoop2 has it right.
A. a previous malware infestation manifesting. Or B. a false positive by your antivirus program.
Check your system.

What were these malware sites?
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Forboding Angel
Evolution RTS Developer
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Joined: 17 Nov 2005, 02:43

Re: Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Post by Forboding Angel »

Satirik
Lobby Developer
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Joined: 16 Mar 2007, 18:27

Re: Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Post by Satirik »

My system is totally clean
either you're not the only one having this issue either your system isn't totally clean
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knorke
Posts: 7971
Joined: 22 Feb 2006, 01:02

Re: Malware threat in Zero-K installer

Post by knorke »

psycros wrote:OK this is freaking weird....I got in my browser history and found the site, but its definately NOT the same one. It looks totally different, its a Google code site. This is the one the browser SAYS it came from:
http://code.google.com/p/zero-k/downloa ... e&can=2&q=

Well I did a Google search and found the site I got it from originally: http://zero-k.info/lobby/setup.exe
Not sure what you mean but both those sites are official zero-k websites.
zero-k.info is kind of the player portal while the google code site is for developers, bug reporting and the like.
The zero-k lobby has a build-in web browser (based on IE?) but I think it is limited to zero-k content.
So if the lobby is causing traffic to zero-k.info or the google code site, that is normal. Actually I think they are on the same webspace?
Lobby is just downloading data so you can do stuff like viewing player profiles, browse statistics of played games etc.
Whenever I try to install Zero-K, it crashes right as it seems to complete.
That is not normal though ;)
Maybe you are missing some required files like .net?
Then it tries to load about 20 sites in my browser, some of which are flagged as known malware loaders.
again, google code = not malware.
What are the other sites?

moved thread to zeroK subforum -knorke
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