Jump to content

McDonald's Japan malware attack: Difference between revisions

From Consumer Rights Wiki
mNo edit summary
m copyedit
Line 1: Line 1:
[[File:McDonald's Japan MP3 Player showcase.png|alt=McDonald's Japan MP3 Player showcase from the advertisement. |thumb|McDonald's Japan MP3 Player showcase]]
[[File:McDonald's Japan MP3 Player showcase.png|alt=McDonald's Japan MP3 Player showcase from the advertisement. |thumb|McDonald's Japan MP3 Player showcase]]
On August 4,2006, [[McDonald's]] Japan in collaboration with [[The Coca-Cola Company|Coca-Cola]] ran an promotion that lasted until August 31. Customers would peal an code from a cup and type the code onto their website,  with selected winners of 10,000  individuals obtaining an USB-stick MP3 players loaded with ten free songs. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Sayer |first=Peter |date=2006-10-16 |title=Worm eats its way into McDonald’s MP3 player promotion |url=https://www.infoworld.com/article/2183448/worm-eats-its-way-into-mcdonald-s-mp3-player-promotion.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=InfoWorld |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222055606/https://www.infoworld.com/article/2183448/worm-eats-its-way-into-mcdonald-s-mp3-player-promotion.html |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-13 |title=McDonald's Mp3 Virus {{!}} Info Comp |url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV4rxKhiEKo |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=Youtube}}</ref>
On August 4,2006, [[McDonald's]] Japan in collaboration with [[The Coca-Cola Company|Coca-Cola]] ran a promotion that lasted until August 31. Customers would peel  a code from a cup and type the code onto their website,  with selected winners of 10,000  individuals obtaining an USB-stick MP3 players loaded with ten free songs. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Sayer |first=Peter |date=2006-10-16 |title=Worm eats its way into McDonald’s MP3 player promotion |url=https://www.infoworld.com/article/2183448/worm-eats-its-way-into-mcdonald-s-mp3-player-promotion.html |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=InfoWorld |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222055606/https://www.infoworld.com/article/2183448/worm-eats-its-way-into-mcdonald-s-mp3-player-promotion.html |archive-date=22 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-13 |title=McDonald's Mp3 Virus {{!}} Info Comp |url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV4rxKhiEKo |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=Youtube}}</ref>


==Incident==
==Incident==
Winner's who received the McDonald's MP3 Player would be infected with an malware called QQPass Trojan that would affect computer's running Microsoft operating system, disabling anti virus protection system and capturing password information if the user is running  [[wikipedia:Tencent_QQ|QQ Instant Messenger]],  sending it via email to an third party.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Villa |first=Joey |date=2006-10-16 |title=Superspyware Me! |url=https://www.globalnerdy.com/2006/10/16/superspyware-me/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=Global Nerdy |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250806085622/https://www.globalnerdy.com/2006/10/16/superspyware-me/ |archive-date=6 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Chris |date=2006-10-17 |title=McDonalds' free Trojan: "Would you like malware with that?" |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/mcdonalds-free-trojan-would-you-like-malware-with-that/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=CNET |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250821060514/https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/mcdonalds-free-trojan-would-you-like-malware-with-that/ |archive-date=21 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Leyden |first=John |date=2006-10-16 |title=Spyware infection prompts McDonalds MP3 recall |url=https://www.theregister.com/2006/10/16/mcd_spyware_mp3_recall/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=The Register |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260123185302/https://www.theregister.com/2006/10/16/mcd_spyware_mp3_recall/ |archive-date=23 Jan 2026}}</ref>
Winners who received the McDonald's MP3 Player would be infected with an malware called QQPass Trojan that would affect computer's running Microsoft operating system, disabling anti virus protection system and capturing password information if the user is running  [[wikipedia:Tencent_QQ|QQ Instant Messenger]],  sending it via email to an third party.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Villa |first=Joey |date=2006-10-16 |title=Superspyware Me! |url=https://www.globalnerdy.com/2006/10/16/superspyware-me/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=Global Nerdy |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250806085622/https://www.globalnerdy.com/2006/10/16/superspyware-me/ |archive-date=6 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Chris |date=2006-10-17 |title=McDonalds' free Trojan: "Would you like malware with that?" |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/mcdonalds-free-trojan-would-you-like-malware-with-that/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=CNET |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250821060514/https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/mcdonalds-free-trojan-would-you-like-malware-with-that/ |archive-date=21 Aug 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Leyden |first=John |date=2006-10-16 |title=Spyware infection prompts McDonalds MP3 recall |url=https://www.theregister.com/2006/10/16/mcd_spyware_mp3_recall/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-13 |website=The Register |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260123185302/https://www.theregister.com/2006/10/16/mcd_spyware_mp3_recall/ |archive-date=23 Jan 2026}}</ref>
[[File:McDonald's Japan 2006 Cup Advertisment.png|alt=McDonald's Japan 2006 Cup Advertisement|thumb|I can't delete this ;-; ]]
[[File:McDonald's Japan 2006 Cup Advertisment.png|alt=McDonald's Japan 2006 Cup Advertisement|thumb|I can't delete this ;-; ]]



Revision as of 15:35, 6 March 2026

McDonald's Japan MP3 Player showcase from the advertisement.
McDonald's Japan MP3 Player showcase

On August 4,2006, McDonald's Japan in collaboration with Coca-Cola ran a promotion that lasted until August 31. Customers would peel a code from a cup and type the code onto their website, with selected winners of 10,000 individuals obtaining an USB-stick MP3 players loaded with ten free songs. [1][2]

Incident

Winners who received the McDonald's MP3 Player would be infected with an malware called QQPass Trojan that would affect computer's running Microsoft operating system, disabling anti virus protection system and capturing password information if the user is running QQ Instant Messenger, sending it via email to an third party.[3][4][5]

McDonald's Japan 2006 Cup Advertisement
I can't delete this ;-;

Company response

McDonald's Japan 2006 Google Translate Page apology and request for Mp3 players.
McDonald's Japan 2006 Google Translate Page

On August 7, McDonald's issued an public apology for any consumers infected from the incident. The Company offered a Web link that removes the malware from computers and allows winners to return their MP3 players for a free replacement. [6][7]

McDonald's Japan Customer Support Page in 2006
Customer Support Page
McDonald's Official Statement regarding 2006 Japan malware incident
McDonald's Official Statement

References

  1. Sayer, Peter (2006-10-16). "Worm eats its way into McDonald's MP3 player promotion". InfoWorld. Archived from the original on 22 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  2. [www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV4rxKhiEKo "McDonald's Mp3 Virus | Info Comp"]. Youtube. 2026-02-13. Retrieved 2026-02-13. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. Villa, Joey (2006-10-16). "Superspyware Me!". Global Nerdy. Archived from the original on 6 Aug 2025. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  4. Stevens, Chris (2006-10-17). "McDonalds' free Trojan: "Would you like malware with that?"". CNET. Archived from the original on 21 Aug 2025. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  5. Leyden, John (2006-10-16). "Spyware infection prompts McDonalds MP3 recall". The Register. Archived from the original on 23 Jan 2026. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  6. Thomson, Iain (2006-10-17). "Free malware from McDonalds". ITpro. Archived from the original on 10 Jul 2025. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  7. "McDonalds Unwittingly Distributes Contaminated Prizes". spamfighter.com. 2006-10-26. Archived from the original on 13 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2026-02-13.