[ISN] Hackers download pirate movies onto compromised PCs

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/12/21/bittorrent_botnet_attack/

By John Leyden 
21 Dec 2005 

Mr. Bean features in bizarre botnet attack

Hackers have developed a sneaky technique for installing pirated movie 
files on Windows PCs infected with the lockx.exe rootkit. Doctored 
copies of BitTorrent are loaded on infected machines and used to 
download Disney movies or the film version of Mr. Bean.

The motive for the bizarre (and short-lived) attack, linked to a 
Middle East-based group in control of the network of infected machines 
- remains unclear. FaceTime Communications, the firm which uncovered 
the attack, reckons the assault is an experiment which might be 
applied to far more malign purposes in future. The trick creates a 
scenario where an infected users might be accused of sharing 
copyright-protected contact without ever using file sharing software.

The lockx.exe rootkit file was bundled with a variant of the notorious 
SDBot worm that spread across AOL's IM network in late October. ®



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