Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Digital Cinema and Viruses

This is topic Digital Cinema and Viruses in forum Digital Cinema Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Alexandre Hurtubise (Member # 7287) on 12-15-2012, 10:39 AM:

Hello all,
There is a question I want to throw out there...

Has any of you encountered (proven) presence of virus/malware on digital cinema equipment ? I am simply wondering, with people connecting different kind of OSs (POS, LMS client PC, etc...) to the Digital Cinema network in their theatre and then connecting some of these computers to the internet (then to a bunch of other computers at the NOC), this could happen. I guess that is unlikely on all equipment running Linux but anyways, I wanted to know your thoughts/experience on this issue.

Thanks !
Alex

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-15-2012, 11:58 AM:

None that I am aware...however a properly set up network is pretty heavily firewalled. Think about it...what on the booth network needs easy access? Anything that joins the booth network should do so via a firewall that only allows what is needed (and known). For instance, the POS only needs to be able to FTP to a specific point...the firewall can be set to allow only that and no other communication. That sort of thing keeps a lot at bay.

To the NOCs...all is done via VPN tunnels...again, keeping things pretty secure. Proper TMS set up has restricted access too. Is it 100% fool proof? Nothing is but it is a WHOLE lot more virus proof than a typical office network. Nobody is (or should be) surfing the net on this network and it can be set up to prevent it anyway (why does the TMS need to be out on the web?).

I would think, if you have received a virus, it was due to really bad set up/planning and not keeping the booth network properly secure.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 12-15-2012, 12:11 PM:

Does milw0rm work on GDC servers, since they run on Fedora Core 5?

I've always kind of wondered about that....

Posted by Olivier Lemaire (Member # 5579) on 12-15-2012, 01:53 PM:

quote: Frank Cox

Does milw0rm work on GDC servers, since they run on Fedora Core 5?

I've always kind of wondered about that....

Should not work as kernel 2.6.23.8 (and so > 2.6.19) - but I did not tested to confirm.

Anyway, with physical access to a server, you don't even need bother with cracks -> just mount that manufacturer drive/SSD and let's rock.

Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 12-16-2012, 01:25 AM:

Given that every digital cinema worldwide runs a very restricted range of kit, then sooner or later someone will have a crack at it and make it work.

Firewalls et al are no real protection. Stuxnet showed us what is possible.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 12-16-2012, 08:50 AM:

Just imagine what would happen if somebody released a "Fight Club" virus that would insert porn into movies at random intervals unless a theater paid a ransom. [Eek!]

Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 12-16-2012, 07:09 PM:

That would be fun. And probably an improvement [Smile]

More annoying would be an attack on RTS, over or under selling houses, or just reallocating funds, or screwing film returns...

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 12-16-2012, 11:21 PM:

About 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon.
Brad Pitt's face appears on the screen and says, "A big, hairy cock!" then disappears.

The virus could have access to the system's clock.
It probably would be able to tell which movies are Disney and/or kid's shows.
It could lie dormant for months until a Disney movie plays at the appointed time slot, thus maximizing the number of moms and children that are likely to see it.

Once it's triggered, it could disappear and lie dormant, again, indefinitely.

Just imagine the scene with a half dozen irate mothers hounding the apathetic usher who doesn't even know what's going on. He calls the manager but all he can do is stand there with his ass in his hand. Nobody has a clue what is going on.

That virus might stay dormant for a year just so everybody involved would forget what happened.

Then, it strikes again... I can only imagine how screwed up that scene would be!

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 12-17-2012, 03:07 PM:

+1 Randy's not-too-far-fetched crazy ideas...