Star Trek Online adds log file to music harddisk ?! (possibly a backdoor in game ?)

[Skybuck Flying]

Hello,

Something fishy is going on with Startrek Online the free to play game.

The GameClient.exe of the game seems to add a log file to my music harddisk.

The music harddisk is located at N: drive.

Strangest thing I have ever seen a game do.

I have prove of this too, two screenshots showing the file and also a
screenshot showing the security audit. However it might contain sensitive
data so I won't share it with the internet.

However I did share these two screenshots with the Startrek Online ticket
system.

What reason could this game have to add something to my music
folder/harddisk ? It doesn't seem to do it to any other harddisk.

So I suspect the following:

1. It's an innocent programming mistake ? Seems a weird mistake to make, so
unlikely.

2. The game is scanning for music files on my harddisk ? Also seems
unlikely, harddisk activity was low.

3. The game contains a backdoor, and somebody running the game is taking a
look at my harddisks and is interested in my music collection ?!?

This last explanation seems most likely to me.

Why are they interested in it ? Just to play it ? Or maybe copyright checks
?

I have added some newsgroups which I think might contain people interested
in these kinds of security topics.

Perhaps somebody has the time and the skills and the interest to check it
out further to see what's going on with this game ?!

Maybe somebody can find a possible backdoor in this game ?

Bye,
Skybuck.

[Skybuck Flying]

Oh yeah two more things:

1. I deleted the folder two days ago or so but it came back, so I am 100%
sure the game is responsible for it being created.

2. The log file contained all kinds of stuff/lines. I should have kept it to
post it here.

Currently the log file only contains the following line:

2012-04-06 21:29:23 131469 fmod_dsp_echo.cpp

If the log file grows I will post more lines in this thread.

Bye,
Skybuck.

[Skybuck Flying]

Oh a third thing:

3. The log file has the name <ComputerName>.log

So if your computer name would be: JackComputer then the log file would be
called:

game\logs\JackComputer.log


game is a folder.
logs is a sub folder.
JackComputer.log is the log file.

With this little bit of extra information other people which are also
playing this game might be able to find this file on their computer and see
if it exists and what's up with it.

Bye,
Skybuck.

[John W. Williams]

Post by Skybuck Flying
3. The log file has the name <ComputerName>.log
So if your computer name would be: JackComputer then the log file would be
game\logs\JackComputer.log
game is a folder.
logs is a sub folder.
JackComputer.log is the log file.
With this little bit of extra information other people which are also
playing this game might be able to find this file on their computer and see
if it exists and what's up with it.
Bye,
Skybuck.

It's a fukken game noone cares.
--
EA

[Skybuck Flying]

Post by Skybuck Flying
3. The log file has the name <ComputerName>.log
So if your computer name would be: JackComputer then the log file would be
game\logs\JackComputer.log
game is a folder.
logs is a sub folder.
JackComputer.log is the log file.
With this little bit of extra information other people which are also
playing this game might be able to find this file on their computer and see
if it exists and what's up with it.
Bye,
Skybuck.

It's a fukken game noone cares.
--
EA
--
Well that's amuzing you work for EA ?!? Even if you don't work for EA.

People do care, so go spread your lies somewhere else.

I end this posting with just 1 single link for correcting you:

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2011/11/02/ea-denies-origin-spies-on-battlefield-3-pc/1

Google the rest.

Bye,
Skybuck.

[Jan Andres]

Post by Skybuck Flying
Hello,
Something fishy is going on with Startrek Online the free to play game.
The GameClient.exe of the game seems to add a log file to my music harddisk.
The music harddisk is located at N: drive.
Strangest thing I have ever seen a game do.
I have prove of this too, two screenshots showing the file and also a
screenshot showing the security audit. However it might contain sensitive
data so I won't share it with the internet.
However I did share these two screenshots with the Startrek Online ticket
system.
What reason could this game have to add something to my music
folder/harddisk ? It doesn't seem to do it to any other harddisk.
1. It's an innocent programming mistake ? Seems a weird mistake to make, so
unlikely.
2. The game is scanning for music files on my harddisk ? Also seems
unlikely, harddisk activity was low.
3. The game contains a backdoor, and somebody running the game is taking a
look at my harddisks and is interested in my music collection ?!?
This last explanation seems most likely to me.
Why are they interested in it ? Just to play it ? Or maybe copyright checks
?
I have added some newsgroups which I think might contain people interested
in these kinds of security topics.
Perhaps somebody has the time and the skills and the interest to check it
out further to see what's going on with this game ?!
Maybe somebody can find a possible backdoor in this game ?
Bye,
Skybuck.

Drive N: is often used for a network drive on PCs in office / corporate
setups. It sounds perfectly reasonable that for testing purposes, the
developers would have the software write debug logs to a network drive, so
they can easily access them in case any tester finds a bug.

They probably just forgot to switch off the logging before they put out
the code as a production release. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

[tom st denis]

Post by Jan Andres

Post by Skybuck Flying
Hello,
Something fishy is going on with Startrek Online the free to play game.
The GameClient.exe of the game seems to add a log file to my music harddisk.
The music harddisk is located at N:  drive.
Strangest thing I have ever seen a game do.
I have prove of this too, two screenshots showing the file and also a
screenshot showing the security audit. However it might contain sensitive
data so I won't share it with the internet.
However I did share these two screenshots with the Startrek Online ticket
system.
What reason could this game have to add something to my music
folder/harddisk ? It doesn't seem to do it to any other harddisk.
1. It's an innocent programming mistake ? Seems a weird mistake to make, so
unlikely.
2. The game is scanning for music files on my harddisk ? Also seems
unlikely, harddisk activity was low.
3. The game contains a backdoor, and somebody running the game is taking a
look at my harddisks and is interested in my music collection ?!?
This last explanation seems most likely to me.
Why are they interested in it ? Just to play it ? Or maybe copyright checks
?
I have added some newsgroups which I think might contain people interested
in these kinds of security topics.
Perhaps somebody has the time and the skills and the interest to check it
out further to see what's going on with this game ?!
Maybe somebody can find a possible backdoor in this game ?
Bye,
  Skybuck.

Drive N: is often used for a network drive on PCs in office / corporate
setups. It sounds perfectly reasonable that for testing purposes, the
developers would have the software write debug logs to a network drive, so
they can easily access them in case any tester finds a bug.
They probably just forgot to switch off the logging before they put out
the code as a production release. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Run game as unprivileged user?

Oh wait, the OP is a moran.

Tom

[Skybuck Flying]

Post by Jan Andres

Post by Skybuck Flying
Hello,
Something fishy is going on with Startrek Online the free to play game.
The GameClient.exe of the game seems to add a log file to my music harddisk.
The music harddisk is located at N: drive.
Strangest thing I have ever seen a game do.
I have prove of this too, two screenshots showing the file and also a
screenshot showing the security audit. However it might contain sensitive
data so I won't share it with the internet.
However I did share these two screenshots with the Startrek Online ticket
system.
What reason could this game have to add something to my music
folder/harddisk ? It doesn't seem to do it to any other harddisk.
1. It's an innocent programming mistake ? Seems a weird mistake to make, so
unlikely.
2. The game is scanning for music files on my harddisk ? Also seems
unlikely, harddisk activity was low.
3. The game contains a backdoor, and somebody running the game is taking a
look at my harddisks and is interested in my music collection ?!?
This last explanation seems most likely to me.
Why are they interested in it ? Just to play it ? Or maybe copyright checks
?
I have added some newsgroups which I think might contain people interested
in these kinds of security topics.
Perhaps somebody has the time and the skills and the interest to check it
out further to see what's going on with this game ?!
Maybe somebody can find a possible backdoor in this game ?
Bye,
Skybuck.

Drive N: is often used for a network drive on PCs in office / corporate
setups. It sounds perfectly reasonable that for testing purposes, the
developers would have the software write debug logs to a network drive, so
they can easily access them in case any tester finds a bug.
They probably just forgot to switch off the logging before they put out
the code as a production release. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

"
Run game as unprivileged user?

Oh wait, the OP is a moran.

Tom
"

Won't you look silly after having wasted all that time on Microsoft Software
and still getting hacked.

The only moron here is you.

Bye,
Skybuck.