Print

[Hopeful]

I have had this same question for quite a while actually, wondering why with all these talented scene programmers, someone hasn't made a heuristics enabled antivirus program for the xbox.  I mean it sounds like that might be a brilliant idea if one of those talented people ever come up with it.  It is obvious that it is possible to exploit the xbox kernel and programs with viruses that would not be on pc antivirus program lists.  It was cool to stumble upon that someone else had made this post.

[bluedeath]

I wrote about the potential for an m$ ECM directed at a modded xbox as my first post in the forums.  Essentially I was laughed out of the thread.  I couldn't understand why m$ would not want to take out every modded xbox in the form of an ECM similar to DirecTV’s until now.  The modded xbox has served as an excellent proving ground for xbox media center.  Why is this important?  M$ is getting ready to launch their entire line of windows media center products in the coming months.  Basically the focus of this line is to take your computer and turn it into the ultimate entertainment center (sounds like a modded xbox) with all of the capabilities of xbox media center, mythtv, windows media player etc. .  The modded xbox has served as a quasi-free means of testing the future of home entertainment.  They will make many more millions (if not billions) thanks to a modded xbox.  I would expect any form of "virus" directed at the xbox to come from an eccentric modder.  
For any HDD that you suspect of being severely infected:  Backup and format.

[anti-hu]

QUOTE (eXess @ Sep 5 2004, 10:06 PM)

So here I am, not connected to anything but my XBOX via Ethernet Crossover Cable.  Using nothing but FTP when I get a Norton Antivirus warning for BD_BugBear.  Says that the IP Address of my XBOX is attempting an exploit of this virus, and it is blocked on a specific port. Thinking that the virus must actually exist on my laptop, I do a full scan in safe mode.  Finding nothing, I download the Bugbear removal tool from Symantec.  Still, nothing is found. Could it be that the virus exists on my XBOX?  I have loaded numerous applications on the modded XBOX.  Perhaps one contained a virus?  Why else would it look like the attack was coming from my XBOX IP Address?  If it originated on the PC, wouldn't it say it was coming from 127.0.0.1, or the IP address of my laptop ... ?  Why would it mention the IP of the XBOX?   I must have a virus on the XBOX!?  And there is no removal tool............... Any ideas??

first try and guess the number of viruses/trojans norton does not pick up and then goto http://www.free-av.com/  and install their virus scanner which is free and start counting.  i've looked at dozens of computers that had their norton updated and it would not detect a thing.  i would throw freeav on there to discover a stable full of trojans.  you've got nothing to use considering it's free to home users so you can always go back to norton if it does not cut your mustard.

[Puskas]

about the questions about virus, I am not sure, but isnt the xbox just running ONE xbe at the time ?? you can call other XBE's to run but not at the same time right ??

so if anyone says their xbox has a virus it can only be the current program/game that is running that is the virus, and if there IS viruses for xbox they must be standalone programs that the USER himself chooses to run..

[noselessmonk]

If the virus is on your xbox but it is a PC virus, it won't affect your xbox. It shouldn't even be trying to send itself over to your computer because, as I said, if it is a PC virus it wouldn't be able to send itself over to the PC on it's own because it's commands would be for a PC. The only way you could get it off the Xbox would be to download the infected file off of your Xbox on to your PC. Unless someone has written a virus that can detect what system it is running on and has 2 forms of itself in one package and will run the virus on both systems(not likely). I probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Just rambling.

[DeadManWalking]

[gasclown]

QUOTE (Puskas @ Sep 8 2004, 02:25 PM)

but isnt the xbox just running ONE xbe at the time

yes, an xbox can only run one prog at at time - so. what was running at the time, anything with ftp serving?.  I seriously doubt eXess' xbox has a virus - but - there's all manor of reasonable (pc side) reasons that norton is throwing up that warning.

[Hopeful]

QUOTE (noselessmonk @ Sep 8 2004, 06:31 PM)

If the virus is on your xbox but it is a PC virus, it won't affect your xbox. It shouldn't even be trying to send itself over to your computer because, as I said, if it is a PC virus it wouldn't be able to send itself over to the PC on it's own because it's commands would be for a PC. The only way you could get it off the Xbox would be to download the infected file off of your Xbox on to your PC. Unless someone has written a virus that can detect what system it is running on and has 2 forms of itself in one package and will run the virus on both systems(not likely). I probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Just rambling.

Uh, what I'm saying is that, the virus could infect your xbox files when it spreads. They now contain the virus. When you ftp your xbox files over to your xbox, BOOM, virus is not on the xbox. Sure, it can't move itself onto it, but you can move it there without knowing.

DeadManWalking...   How desireable is it to rebuild over 100 GB's consisting of HUNDREDS of programs, media files,  and utilities, because you reformatted your hard drive, some of them requiring strenuous setup, when a simple virus removal solution would save you weeks of work?

[MaTiAz]

Q: Can my Xbox be infected with a virus?

A: No. The Xbox environment and the PC environment are so much different. Most malware code will run in a PC, but it will not run on Xbox. If you have installed Linux on your Xbox, your Linux files will only be infected if you got a Linux virus. I dont know if there are any Win2k kernel-level viruses, but if there are and they use some right kernel calls, they can make your Xbox malfunction, since Xbox is based on much stripped-down kernel of Win2k. If i got something wrong, please notify me about it.