Crime Wave Thwarted in Second Life

Ponca City, We Love You writes "The Mercury News reports that a vulnerability in the way Second Life protects a user's money has been identified. Risks for users are reportedly limited because the researchers say the flaw can be quickly patched. The flaw exploits a known problem with Apple's QuickTime - when a virtual character passes by an infected object planted by hackers, the Second Life software activates QuickTime so it can play the video or picture. Hackers can direct the Second Life software to a malicious Web site that then allows them to 'take over the user's avatar and force it to hand over its Linden cash. Second Life is recommending that users disable streaming video playback in the Second Life viewer except when you are attending a known and trusted venue.' The hack raises tough questions for operators of virtual worlds. Should they be as secure as banks and guarantee the safety of money and property that characters in the world possess?"

an alternate, and more entertaining solution

[User 956]

Risks for users are reportedly limited because the researchers say the flaw can be quickly patched.

Yes, well, the other solution to this flaw is to simply spend all your money on entrance to the tentacle hentai simulator.

Re:Facts about Negroes and Chinks

[iminplaya]

Chinese bosses pay Africans $5 a day...

But they're Linden dollars. They can buy you a nice juicy Linden T-bone. That'll put some meat on their bones.

In a Related News Story

[poena.dare]

In a Related News Story... Police are still trying to explain how one million iPhones with infected copies of QuickTime have managed to induce their owners to foolishly hand large sums of cash to complete strangers. "What's especially troubling," confided one investigator, "is that we can't get 10 feet into an Apple Store before our team members are compromised!"

Opportunity

[raftpeople]

If the goal is simulating real life, the solution is: An Insurance Company!

Possibly, Lloyds of Linden?