DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Malware preinstalled on new hard drives- Seagate's Maxtor (B ware g [uys+als] )

14 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/malware-preinstalled-on-new-hard-drives-seagates-maxtor-b-ware-g-uys-als.73476/

ArZuNeOs
ArZuNeOs Original post #1
Nov 17, 2007 at 8:47 PM
Source : Taipei Times

Large-capacity hard disks often used by government agencies were found to contain Trojan horse viruses, Investigation Bureau officials warned

By Yang Kuo-wen, Lin Ching-chuan and Rich Chang
STAFF REPORTERS
Sunday, Nov 11, 2007, Page 2

Portable hard discs sold locally and produced by US disk-drive manufacturer Seagate Technology have been found to carry Trojan horse viruses that automatically upload to Beijing Web sites anything the computer user saves on the hard disc, the Investigation Bureau said.
Around 1,800 of the portable Maxtor hard discs, produced in Thailand, carried two Trojan horse viruses: autorun.inf and ghost.pif, the bureau under the Ministry of Justice said.


The tainted portable hard disc uploads any information saved on the computer automatically and without the owner's knowledge to www.nice8.org and www.we168.org, the bureau said.
The affected hard discs are Maxtor Basics 500G discs.


The bureau said that hard discs with such a large capacity are usually used by government agencies to store databases and other information.
Sensitive information may have already been intercepted by Beijing through the two Web sites, the bureau said.


The bureau said that the method of attack was unusual, adding that it suspected Chinese authorities were involved.In recent years, the Chinese government has run an aggressive spying program relying on information technology and the Internet, the bureau said.


The bureau said this was the first time it had found that Trojan horse viruses had been placed on hard discs before they even reach the market.
The bureau said that it had instructed the product's Taiwanese distributor, Xander International, to remove the products from shelves immediately.
The bureau said that it first received complaints from consumers last month, saying they had detected Trojan horse viruses on brand new hard discs purchased in Taiwan.


Agents began examining hard discs on the market and found the viruses linked to the two Web sites.Anyone who has purchased this kind of hard disc should return it to the place of purchase, the bureau said.


The distributor told the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) that the company had sold 1,800 tainted discs to stores last month.It said it had pulled 1,500 discs from shelves, while the remaining 300 had been sold by the stores to consumers.

Seagate's Asian Pacific branch said it was looking into the matter.
==================================================================
Attention

Many of the fellows in Digit Are gearing to buy FreeAgent From Seagate & Maxtor .....A word of caution.I wanted u to understand

Also who knows these spyware may not get erased even if u formmat it...& worse if it is like virus Kaczor ...forget privacy for ur life

So be cautious
Gigacore
Nov 17, 2007 at 8:49 PM
Does Seagate has a Maxtor Hard Disk :confused:
[xubz]
[xubz] #3
Nov 17, 2007 at 8:50 PM
Gigacore said:
Does Seagate has a Maxtor Hard Disk :confused:
Maxtor is now owned by Seagate (i.e. Seagate bought it)
Gigacore
Nov 17, 2007 at 8:52 PM
^^ Thanks for that info xubz,

i think Maxtor was not happy with the deal, so they are preinstalling Malwares :razz:
ArZuNeOs
Nov 17, 2007 at 8:58 PM
Giga

Yes Maxtor Is Now Owned By Seagate As Ati is by AMD

& in the market Free Agent contains both old stocks of Maxtor & some of Seagate

Also Maxtor has external devices on its own

These guys sell unsold stocks in external devices ...so caution.....
As the strategy goes

Old Wine in a New Bottle.....Customers Beware

Actually 2 reasons 4 me to post

1) Spyware in Drives
2) Old Unsold stocks being sold off
Gigacore
Nov 17, 2007 at 9:00 PM
^^ Ok.. thanks for that once again.. keep posting!
iMav
iMav #7
Nov 17, 2007 at 9:16 PM
seagate issued a statement regarding this and said that an internal investigation is on and this was accidently added to the disks and wasnt a a malware attack
pushkaraj
Nov 17, 2007 at 9:24 PM
That was really nice info dude. Keep posting :)
naveen_reloaded
Nov 24, 2007 at 3:48 PM
Wow..nice try by chinese gov..
C
Nov 24, 2007 at 5:11 PM
Hey i tried the two links given on the first post *www.nice8.org/ and *www.we168.org/ They are not opening up.
fun2sh
fun2sh #11
Nov 24, 2007 at 5:13 PM
iMav said:
seagate issued a statement regarding this and said that an internal investigation is on and this was accidently added to the disks and wasnt a a malware attack
wat do u mean by ACCIDENT!!!
were they breedin VIRUSES in their underground chamber that this ACCIDENT HAPPEND??
C
Nov 24, 2007 at 5:17 PM
iMav said:
seagate issued a statement regarding this and said that an internal investigation is on and this was accidently added to the disks and wasnt a a malware attack

I too had read the same...
MetalheadGautham
Nov 24, 2007 at 5:29 PM
china is gonna be as bad as US soon:mad:
hullap
hullap #14
Nov 26, 2007 at 8:46 PM
^^^ right