You may remember a while back when Ubisoft was promoting Watch Dogs, one clever PR stunt was to have an ATM in Canada suddenly spew out a bunch of cash. Anyone worth their salt knew it was nothing more than a bit of marketing, but now some enterprising, albeit less than savory individuals, have figured out how to make a certain type of ATM do exactly what Ubisoft was describing.
NetworkWorld reports that cybercriminals have developed a new type of malware that can now be controlled by text messages. The software is called "Ploutus," and first appeared in Mexico. Early versions of the software required it to be manually installed and then controlled via the ATM's keypad, or attached keyboard. Now, all that's needed is a phone connected to the ATM via USB.
Malware analyst Daniel Regalado explained how it all worked in a Symantec blog post earlier this week: "When the phone detects a new message under the required format, the mobile device will convert the message into a network packet and will forward it to the ATM through the USB cable."
With the phone connected to the ATM, the charming individual will then send SMS messages to be detected by the phone, which will then pass them along to the ATM as packets. From there, the ATM can then execute the Ploutus program, and tell the ATM to spit out cash at the crook's leisure. The only step that's left is to send someone to pick up the cash.
Not as efficient as Aiden Pearce's Profiler, but it works. Still, the Watch Dogs hacktivist comes out the victor for being able to change traffic lights and ease his morning commute.
Now that you're properly spooked about how secure your nieghborhood cash dispenser is, let's move on the the good news. While Microsoft managed to get timed exclusivity rights for Call of Duty DLC, Ubisoft is offering up exclusive missions for Watch Dogs, and they've offered up the details for said content.
Sony gamers get four extra missions that comes in at about an hours worth of additional playtime. It's a nice bonus for players who want to know a bit more about one of the game's notorious groups, DedSec. It also rewards mission completion with a Superior Capacity Hacking Boost, and a 'White Hat' Hacker Outfit. Here's Ubisoft's write up on the content:
"The scenario takes place after Aiden Pearce, the vigilante hero of Watch Dogs, catches the eye of DedSec, a notorious hacker group fighting for freedom and security in the digital age. Aiden receives an encoded message asking him to help some members of this organization who want payback. Pearce must use his knowledge of Chicago's complex ctOS network to discover digital vulnerabilities in Umeni Technologies' security network and earn his reward."
Check out the trailer below for a peek at Aiden's pristine gear.
Watch Dogs is out for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4 on May 27. The Wii U version will release at a later date.
