Slash LaneThe software created by Zach Gage is described as an "art project." The "game" generates aliens based on the number of files on a user's computer, and killing them deletes a file. Upon the player's death the game is supposed to delete itself. It includes an online raking of players' scores.
"By way of exploring what it means to kill in a video-game, Lose/Lose broaches bigger questions," the project's creator said. "As technology grows, our understanding of it diminishes, yet, at the same time, it becomes increasingly important in our lives. At what point does our virtual data become as important to us as physical possessions? If we have reached that point already, what real objects do we value less than our data? What implications does trusting something so important to something we understand so poorly have?"
While Gage sees his project as art, Symantec views it as a Trojan, though "Lose/Lose" is not seen as a great threat at the moment. The malware's creator even warns on his Web site what the application does, and upon starting the game, players are also cautioned that it will result in the deletion of files from their computer.
But the security firm cautioned that the threat, called OSX.Loosemaque, could be modified by someone with "more malicious intentions" and passed on to unsuspecting users without the current warnings.
In a video demonstrating the Trojan, Symantec showed how the game begins to delete files on the system as aliens are killed, in a top-down shooter designed in the style of classics like Galaga. After a number of aliens were killed, the program attempted to delete a critical system file, which caused the malware to crash.
"You'll notice that while I'm blowing up the ships, the files in my Documents folder are disappearing," the video states. "It looks like the game chooses users' documents first, and then it moves on to preference files contained within the very subfolders of the user's home directory."
Cult of Mac noted that the game has also been defined as a threat by Sophos Anti-Virus and Intego VirusBarrier X5. The software was first released in September.
Viruses on the Mac platform remain scarce, but with the recent release of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Apple included enhanced malware protection.
Malcolm Owen
Wesley Hilliard
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
67 Comments
Too funny. This is sure to give some other people some great ideas on how to write something more dangerous than this program. What a great front, a game that deletes files.
Though I feel sorry for anyone who accidentally downloads this unknowing of its design, the questions it poses as a whole are pretty interesting, in my opinion. I like the concept, I just would never download it.
Finally, a game that doesn't reward you for killing! Even better, one that inflicts damage onto you! I love this idea since so many video games that have simulated killing make said killing so detached from reality. In Halo, does one ever consider the family of the little guys your character kills when you press the button?
(Although, I do not believe video games lead all their players to be killers... although they do help those who were on the way and can't disconnect virtual from reality)
Soap box aside: I would not label this as a Trojan. You are in full knowledge that your files will disappear! That, and you have to download it.Now please, no MS comments, okay? This has nothing to do with that company. Focus on the art project, as I think its a really interesting concept!
It's not really any more dangerous than any of the programs that have built-in scripting. In Maya for example you get file access from scripts so you can be downloading a script that says it generates trees and then it can create a tree that looks like your folder structure and then erase that folder structure. It could also be justified by pretentious 'artists' by asking whether it's more important to create a lovely tree or make sure you don't lose all the rest of your work. Even Snow Leopard makes you choose between having guests and losing everything - which is more important to you? The worst thing you can really do is give these people any recognition because the recognition alone they use to justify it as art when in fact it's just really annoying.
I wish we lived in times when artists felt they had to actually do something meaningful to earn their title as an artist like sculpt a statute or paint a chapel somewhere. Nowadays, they just defecate on things (literally sometimes) shove it in a gallery and wait for the outrage and then go 'see, it's art because you're pissed off. Wow, I'm so talented'.
My idea for a game is to have these people hurled over a shooting range and the shooter must decide between killing them and the possibility of losing the benefits they've made to society from their work. I think this whole situation would be resolved pretty quickly.
Just to pre-empt the certain-to-appear 'OMG MAC TROJON!!!1' responses, this does not appear to be based on any sort of exploit. Programs are fully capable of managing your user files on any OS. This is how they are able to save, move, and delete files based on your actions. This program simply chooses to delete those unprotected files. Now, if it were able to delete the password-protected system files, that would be another story.
Still, that was an interesting video. Odd idea, and sure to generate some publicity.