On Tue, 29 Aug 2006, in the Usenet newsgroup alt.computer.security, in article
<gsCdnf9BfeCvW2nZnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d@comcast.com>, Rick Merrill wrote:

>David H. Lipman wrote:
>
>> From: "spviking" <Smp928s@gmail.com>
>>
>>| Hi, Can modem hijacking happen to someone who uses broadband (not dsl)
>>| and doesnt have a phone line hooked up to their computer? I am a little
>>| new to the topic, any help would be appreciated.
>>
>> Plaese elaboarte on what what you are trying to ask.
>
>I thought the OP was talking about downloading programs that then try to
>place calls via your phone, i.e. highjacking the modem.

My interpretation was that the O/P was concerned about those wonky add-on
"tools" needed to connect to some web sites - that turn out to be mal-ware
that reconfigures the windoze Dial Up Networking setup to replace the
existing (presumably "local") phone number with one in Central Africa (or
some other "friendly" region) and suddenly the dial in to the ISP isn't
a local call any more, and the telephone bill is running $LARGE_NUMBER
of $CURRENCY_UNITS per second.

Where this _MIGHT_ impact a broadband user without a telephone line and
appropriate modem is if the "tool" reconfigures the networking setup,
trying to disable the broadband connection so that the system _has_ to
use the dialin to the foreign country. Not very likely, but possible.
The mal-ware actually should trivially detect that this is a broadband
connection (rather than dialin), and there are much better things it can
be subverted for.

What would be FAR more likely is the installed mal-ware converts this
broadband connected system into a support zombie - serving pr0n or SPAM
to the world at no cost or risk to the bad-guy. If something goes wrong,
the O/P takes the heat, and the bad-guy can't be found. What's new?

To the O/P: The mal-ware is going to go for the broadband connection (DSL
or Cable - doesn't matter) for the same reason you converted to broadband.
Bandwidth. Do you remember how long it took to bring up a single full
screen image from someplace on the net over a telephone line? With cable,
it comes up just like that! Now, think of the poor spammer trying to
deliver that marvelous offer of p*n*s ex**nder pills to every household in
Ohio using that same dialin line. Don't you think the spammer would rather
use your high speed connection to do the same task, especially when there
is no cost to the spammer, and you're the one people want to lynch?

Old guy