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+- Crime Wave Thwarted in Second Life on Saturday December 01 2007, @07:20PM Ponca City, We Love You
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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 but 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 movie playback software, which is used to play movies inside the virtual world. 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. The hackers say they can take complete control of any player's avatar and make that avatar surrender any money and other property in its account. 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?"
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