TSR: IN UR COMPUTER, VIRUSIN' UR FILES!

[Pescado]

We bring you the shocking news of the latest TSR atrocity!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so have at it.

[dstar]

Delphy, WesH, and Petes tools may initially be harder to learn to use - but hmm let me see 3 or four months learning to create patterns, hair and objects for TS3 (when objects become possible) as compared to the few weeks it took some people to learn the TS3 workshop  vs my computer being hit by a BFBVFS AGAIN thanks to TSR- they can take their tool and use it for toilet paper  or place it in a non-sunny rear end bodily cavity containing a brown smelly substance - since that is what it is good for

[Qing]

A thousand words? More like a few simple facts.

What more can you really expect from T$R? Save lies, of course.

[Pooki]

I agree Dstar.  I would much rather take the time to learn the harder program than trust something from a site that has proven its deceitful nature time and time again.  The picture says it all.

[CatOfWar]

What triggered this alert?  Did it happen when the T$R tool just opened?  When using it to create something?  When uploading?  I ask because others have scanned T$R's crapware with antivirus and malware scanners and found nothing, but they said they did not attempt to upload.  Also, if I recall, they were using programs other than Trend Micro Internet Security Pro.  Is it worthwhile to have several scanners?  Can multiple scanners conflict with each other?

edit: Coconut did warn us of this.  While I'm quite ready to believe the worst of T$R, I would like to know for sure if it's at all possible that this is a false alert?  Could the crapware be doing something harmless in a stupid, suspicion arousing way?

[SimARR]

Quote from ShanOw @ MATY where this was also posted:

Well, this is my first post. I'm Shane - the taker of the aforementioned screencaps.

To answer questions asked here & pmbd, the alerts came up both while installing, launching and running the program.

-On installation the program adds itself to the startup registry without asking permission. This means by default it will try to launch every time Windows does. (I didn't screencap this 'alert')

-When launching the program, the  "Attempts to communicate with the internet" alert popped up. This is so the program can show you the latest subscriber downloads available on TSR, as well as offer you 30% off a subscription. This connection between the workshop and TSR is always open, the program launches with Windows if you remember.

Screencap of this: http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj211/ShanOw0/tsrtool.jpg

- When using the various 'features' or saving a file using the tool, the program library injection alert popped up.

[Pescado]

edit: Coconut did warn us of this.  While I'm quite ready to believe the worst of T$R, I would like to know for sure if it's at all possible that this is a false alert?  Could the crapware be doing something harmless in a stupid, suspicion arousing way?

I really don't see how something that RUNS AT STARTUP, and then PHONES HOME can POSSIBLY be interpreted as anything other than malicious spyware. All this gives them the ability to constantly monitor your activities and arbitrarily install things onto your computer at will. This functionality cannot be described as anything other than a trojan.

[CatOfWar]

edit: Coconut did warn us of this.  While I'm quite ready to believe the worst of T$R, I would like to know for sure if it's at all possible that this is a false alert?  Could the crapware be doing something harmless in a stupid, suspicion arousing way?

I really don't see how something that RUNS AT STARTUP, and then PHONES HOME can POSSIBLY be interpreted as anything other than malicious spyware. All this gives them the ability to constantly monitor your activities and arbitrarily install things onto your computer at will. This functionality cannot be described as anything other than a trojan.

Then should it be reported to McAffee, Norton, Kaspersky-something-or-other?  I'm playing devil's advocate because I want to know what to say to people who will ask "how do you know it's malicious"?  I'm not tech savvy enough to prove that because they have the capability to spy they are actually spying.  Yes, I know, why else would they put in the capability.  I would want to see the contents of whatever info they are sending to the mother ship.  What's in there?  My download / upload log?  My IP?  What DLL's are they infecting my machine with? (1) What do those DLLs do?  Nothing good, I assume, but it's something I would like to know for certain.

(1) edit: That is, if I had their crapware on my machine, which I never have and don't intend do.  I can't do proper software quarantine.

This info needs to be posted on T$R, their members should ask questions about this (and then run screaming, never to return).

[SimARR]

I ask because others have scanned T$R's crapware with antivirus and malware scanners and found nothing

This is because traditional AV's work based on definitions. They need to have manually discovered a threat and then send out the latest definition files to there product which tells the program exactly what that particular virii should look like.

The only way this could be detected as something malicious is throught the use of 'Heuristics' or 'behaviour analysis.' Programs that use heuristics instead of definitions (Such as Threatfire) look at what the program is doing and determining if it is infected based on its behaviour, as opposed to checking to see if the file matches a huge list of pre-known virus's.

Most AV's include basic heuristic engines, which is why they give warnings about "Suspicious behaviour"

[scrappysim]

 

  I want to know what to say to people who will ask "how do you know it's malicious"?

 

Show them the screencap and tell them "because the Anti-virus says so.  Explain that no one has ever had that message pop up using Delphy's or anyone else's tool and unless TSR can explain why their program needs to phone home just to allow me use if then alternative programs are automatically a better and safer choice.

[Witchboy]

Ok ive noticed right off that the file listed in those screenshots is TSRWorkshop.exe. When i installed the TS3 Workshop it does not add itself to windows startup & there is no file in the programs install folder called TSRWorkshop.exe.

Heres what is in the programs install folder...



The exe to start TS3 Workshop is Sims3Workshop.exe. As i have stated in another thread here i have scanned before install & after install with my Antivirus & Malwarebytes. It came up with nothing. Looks to me Shanow has installed a totally different program & not the TS3 Workshop or atleast not the one i have installed.

FAKE Edit....

Ok i see TSR has released a beta version of this new tool today. I've scanned with both programs as before & found nothing though my firewall now is telling me that the exe is wanting to connect to the internet after i start the program. The file name is TSRWorkshop.exe. It did'nt however add itself to my startup. I'm assuming it wants to connect to show me the TSR CC Showcase of items already available on TSR? Looks to me like they have used a similar setup along the same lines as the TS3 game launcher.

[SimARR]

WB, you have installed the old version with Just the pattern editing capabilities.
I've asked ShanOw to send me a pic of his folder via MSN. Should be up in a few mins. Also, see the above link inside the quote to see the picture of the workshop.

[dusdeedawn]

Wow. TSR has come up with their own little fucked up version of SecuRom. "Phone Home," my ass. Fuck Tomass. Fuck him right in the ear.

[MrsBulldog]

I don't really complain about pay sites (though I don't subscribe to them out of principal-I mean, paying real money for a digital armchair or pair of photoshopped sneakers is just DUMB--and I do not have the money to throw away like that). My view is if EA is letting it go than there's not much that can be done about it aside from supporting the free community (EA has a whole boatload of high-powered corporate attorneys on retainer if they REALLY wanted to enforce their EULA). If TSR wants to charge money and EA lets 'em, well, das leben. No, I don't like paysites, but I don't usually complain either--I just wave my flag for the free community.

But cyber crimes are a whole different deal and for that I WILL complain. If TSR is being EEEEEVIL and committing illegal douchebaggery by infecting computers with malware/spyware and and using the information (and unencrypted password info from their own site) for hacking into competitor websites and cyber-vandalizing (as described in the "TSR: In Ur Accounts, Deletin Ur Stuffs!" thread), then formal complaints need to happen. They are not merely being annoying, they are being criminal. So, if you feel the hot sting of injustice, then here you go:

http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

It's the gov't site for reporting cybercrimes (yes, TSR is a foreign run site, but EA is not and a good part of their customer base is not). Maybe if enough people raise a ruckus...? I wholeheartedly support the free content community (I'm posting in this forum, ain't I?). But frankly, bitching about TSR's activity to each other isn't going to change anything--especially when it seems they are so clearly incriminating themselves. To bastardize a line from one of my favorite movies, "bitch in one hand and shit in the other hand--see which one fills up faster". If people are going to bitch, then go to the the most effective ears.

[captaincaliena]

To bastardize a line from one of my favorite movies, "bitch in one hand and shit in the other hand--see which one fills up faster". If people are going to bitch, then go to the the most effective ears.

*stops*thinks* Bad Santa?  "shit in one hand, wish in the other -- see which one fills up faster?" 


Sorry, ADD.  Pretty much if you're stupid enough to use any "tool" from TSR you deserve to get your shit hacked.  Sorry but that's my stand point.  I'll be so excited to see the worthless crap that starts floating around on their site for TS3 now.  I always love sifting through thirty thousand pages of unshaded t-shirts that look like their glued to the Sim's body because bump mapping is a foreign term to whoever created it.  And I especially love it when said unshaded non bump mapped shit is subscriber only. 

God, I'm a sarcastic bitch.