Mac OS X malware game Lose-Lose deletes files
Thursday, November 5, 2009
A graduate student has written a game for Mac OS X that resembles the classic video game Space Invaders, but Mac users should not download the game if they don't want to have it randomly delete files.
Because the Lose/Lose game deletes files for every "alien invader" a player kills, web security companies and anti virus vendors are labeling it a piece of Trojan malware. Security company Trend Micro said the game is an example of social engineering that could trick users.
Zach Gage explained on his website that the game Lose/Lose is more of a social experiment than malware. Gage said the purpose of the game is to answer the question: "Why do we assume that because we are given a weapon and awarded for using it, that doing so is right?"
He also makes it clear that playing the game will delete files. "Lose/Lose is a video-game with real life consequences. Each alien in the game is created based on a random file on the player's computer," Gage said on his blog. The website includes a red-lettered warning that files will be permanently deleted.
At the Trend Micro malware blog, the security company seems to take issue with the game's intent and consequences, noting the potential for abuse to dupe unsuspecting Mac game players.
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