Lesson plan
3wPlayer
3wPlayer is malware that disguises itself as a Media player. It can infect computers running Microsoft Windows. It is designed to exploit users who download video files, instructing them to download and install the program in order to view the video. The 3wPlayer employs a form of social engineering to infect computers. Seemingly desirable video files, such as recent movies, are released via BitTorrent or other distribution channels. These files resemble conventional AVI files, but are engineered to display a message when played on most media player programs, instructing the user to visit the 3wPlayer website and download the software to view the video. The 3wPlayer is infected with Trojan.Win32.Obfuscated.en According to Symantec, 3wPlayer "may download" a piece of adware they refer to as Adware.Lop, which "adds its own toolbar and search button to Internet Explorer". A Perl script posted online can reportedly decrypt 3wplayer files back into AVI. This claim has been tested with mixed results, as the intended AVI file is rarely the desired video file. Some developers have made an application to automatically identify 3wPlayer encrypted files.
Article summary
3wPlayer is malware that disguises itself as a Media player. It can infect computers running Microsoft Windows. It is designed to exploit users who download video files, instructing them to download and install the program in order to view the video. The 3wPlayer employs a form of social engineering to infect computers. Seemingly desirable video files, such as recent movies, are released via BitTorrent or other distribution channels. These files resemble conventional AVI files, but are engineered to display a message when played on most media player programs, instructing the user to visit the 3wPlayer website and download the software to view the video. The 3wPlayer is infected with Trojan.Win32.Obfuscated.en According to Symantec, 3wPlayer "may download" a piece of adware they refer to as Adware.Lop, which "adds its own toolbar and search button to Internet Explorer". A Perl script posted online can reportedly decrypt 3wplayer files back into AVI. This claim has been tested with mixed results, as the intended AVI file is rarely the desired video file. Some developers have made an application to automatically identify 3wPlayer encrypted files.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.