"Bundestrojaner"

October 8, 2011 2:09 PM

Chaos Computer Club analyzes government malware The Chaos Computer Club got their hands on something they think is the fabled “Bundestrojaner” – the software the German government is using for computer surveillance. F-Secure announced they’ll add that software to their list of malware.
posted by dominik (19 comments total)

This is a press release from an alternate future where Germany never reunited and it's about East Germany, right? Because that's some Stasi-level shit right there. Particularly the part where it's so poorly executed that you're left wondering if it was meant to be an earnest tool for spying, or something left to be discovered for the sake of making the people behind it look ruthless and menacing.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:22 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

It's rather amusing to follow the folks from the CCC and the Pirate Party on Twitter tonight. Their whole paper (in German) is here for those who are interested.
posted by dominik at 2:29 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Between this and this I'm wondering when I'm going to get my pair of red sunglasses.
posted by The Whelk at 2:34 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Get me one with a green lens and a red one, Whelk.
posted by mrzarquon at 2:37 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

I ♥ the CCC
posted by finite at 2:38 PM on October 8, 2011 [5 favorites]

Between this and this

YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO COMPLY
posted by jfuller at 2:49 PM on October 8, 2011

Pot, meet kettle. Kettle, meet Adolf.

Summary:

1. How dare you record our citizens' public, unencrypted wireless SSIDs!
2. We demand you hand over the information we earlier scolded you for having.
3. Hey, how'd you do that, anyway?

posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:47 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

This is a press release from an alternate future where Germany never reunited and it's about East Germany, right? Because that's some Stasi-level shit right there.

This is Stasi 2.0.
posted by twirlip at 4:44 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]

Man ... talk about helicopter parents.

Imagine what they'd know if they could attach something to us so they'd always know where we are.
posted by Twang at 5:17 PM on October 8, 2011

OK, so the question: WHY didn't the anti-virus software catch this?
posted by jackspace at 5:28 PM on October 8, 2011

Now that anti-virus makers know about it, they will catch it. It's a rare (and stupid) piece of new malware these days that gets caught out-of-the-box by any anti-virus software.
posted by event at 5:34 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Imagine what they'd know if they could attach something to us so they'd always know where we are.

You're joking right? My sarcasm meter is broken?

Information about the required CALEA and E911 requirements that turn all mobile phones into tracking devices.

From over a DECADE ago.
posted by formless at 10:18 PM on October 8, 2011

This is especially troubling since the German equivalent of the Supreme Court explicitly prohibited so-called "Online-Durchsuchungen" (online search warrents), and restricted government malware to wiretapping functionality. Also, I am somewhat surprised by the fact that the command-and-control server (207.158.22.134) is located outside of German jurisdiction.
posted by Herr Fahrstuhl at 2:54 AM on October 9, 2011

German Minister Wants Investigation of Bavarian Authorities’ Use of Spyware
posted by homunculus at 11:12 AM on October 11, 2011

It appears the Bavarian police have used at least one customs check to install the installed the 'state trojan' on a laptop (de, en).

A Bavarian Interior Minister's press release confesses to the spyware and notes the CCC might not have analyzed the latest version (de, en).
posted by jeffburdges at 9:35 AM on October 12, 2011

The newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung reports all the Bavarian government's usages of the state trojan were unlawful and in violation of its initial intention to only be used against serious crime and threats of terrorism.
posted by jeffburdges at 9:08 PM on October 13, 2011

German government's trojan eavesdrops on fifteen different applications, more than originally thought.
posted by jeffburdges at 4:33 PM on October 19, 2011

Fresh German police-malware uncovered; everything the police said in defense to date revealed as lies
posted by homunculus at 10:14 AM on October 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

Relevant CCC's Press Release.

I'd assume virus scanners mostly detect these by now, but presumably the police can easily change it's signature.
posted by jeffburdges at 9:53 AM on October 31, 2011