Chinese Govt Spyware Puts Computers At Risk 110
Ihmhi writes "China's mandatory 'Green Dam Youth Escort' web filter software apparently has a series of severe flaws. In addition to not working on Linux or MacOS, traffic between the software and its servers is unencrypted."
I'm sure it only gets better after that.
Re:Is the software available to download anywhere? (Score:3, Informative)
Your friendly Chinese government official here. (Score:5, Informative)
Elephant (Score:1, Informative)
Excuse me, and no offense to the submitter of this story; But since when did the question begin to revolve around the security issues with the actual program the government uses to control your webhabits and not the actual attempt to control free speech?
I know, we are geeks and we like to talk about this stuff, but let's not forget the elephant in the room here.
Re:This software is legally mandated. (Score:5, Informative)
Think of it as an AOL Free Trial CD. You remember, the free coaster they shipped.
It's not supposed to work (Score:5, Informative)
After spending a number of years living/working in China, I've come to the conclusion that the government just doesn't care if this new "feature" works or not. The goal isn't to really censor here, but to let people know that "the man" is watching. In China, that is enough to keep the vast majority of people in line. There are still tens (perhaps hundreds) of millions of people that have vivid memories of the Cultural Revolution. They know all too well what happens to the squeaky wheel and tailor their activities accordingly. Sad, but that's the way it is.
Re:Your friendly Chinese government official here. (Score:2, Informative)
Easy to Beat (Score:3, Informative)
Step 1: Install Virtual PC, or other VM Software
Step 2: Install the Mandatory Software INSIDE the VM
Step 3: Leave the VM running in the background and never touch it