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software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Bug-ridden Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft, Simsense The program is so riddled with flaws that it often crashes while in use. Make an Edge (1) Test each time the program is used. If the test fails, the software crashes. Crashed programs must be reloaded (see Loading and Using Programs, p. 227, SR4). deadlock Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft, Simsense The program causes a fatal operation in the node, crashing the OS and causing the device to reboot. Make an Edge (1) Test each time the program is used. If the test fails, the OS seizes up and crashes. defective Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft, Simsense The bugs in this program seriously impede with the software’s intended function. Reduce its effective rating by half (round down) to a minimum rating of 1. fatal flaw Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft, Simsense This bug is a more serious version of either Bug-Ridden or Deadlock. It functions just like each of those bugs, except that after the crash, the program is fatally corrupted and cannot be reloaded. The program must be reinstalled. pre-release Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft, Simsense The program is a (pre-)alpha or beta version of the real software. It runs, but with reduced effectiveness. Reduce its effective rating by 1 (to a minimum of 1). Quirks Program Types: Simsense (Skillsoft) Quirks are certain distinctive personality characteristics or odd habits that were copied when the skillsoft was recorded and are imprinted on the user together with the actual skill. These quirks can be anything from certain preferences for combat moves or trick actions (swirling the gun before holstering them) to speech impediments or peculiarities or nervous habits (twitching, itching). These should not be handled as a true disadvantage but can be annoying or even become a recognition feature of the character if it is prominent. resource allocation error Program Types: Common, Hacking An advanced version of Bug-Ridden, this bug works the same except that when the program crashes, it ties up some of the node’s processing power, reducing Response by 1. The program can be reloaded, but Response remains reduced until the node reboots. Static Program Types: Simsense (Skillsoft) Static skillsofts are defective programs that are usable but emit a distracting white noise in the user’s head. Users that don’t mind the noise often consider them a bargain because these programs are cheaper. In game terms, Static programs impair the user’s Perception with –2 dice pool modifier while the skillsoft is actively used. MaLware Malware (short for “malicious software”) is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s informed consent, undermining system security. It encompasses a variety of hostile, intrusive, and annoying software or otherwise uncontrollable program code like viruses, worms, and trojans. virUSeS Viruses are self-executing proactive malware programs that infect other programs to impair them or damage the node on which these programs are run by affecting the node’s operating system. In game terms, viruses are treated as malware program options that can infect certain types of software. Each virus falls into a particular category (its so-called virus species) and possesses a rating that determines how sophisticated and nasty it is. While this rating usually ranges from 1 to 6, some cutting-edge viruses may rank higher at the gamemaster discretion. Metamorphic engines Like all other illegal or pirated software that is not continuously patched up by software companies, viruses are also Unwired Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9
prone to degradation. This is in part due to the continual improvement of the virus detection abilities of programs such as Analyze or Purge. A virus’s rating decreases at the rate of one point per month. Only viruses that carry a so-called metamorphic engine are immune to this degradation. The metamorphic engine is a subroutine that allows the virus to adapt and update itself in order to subvert detection and removal programs. Viruses with metamorphic engines, however, are much harder to acquire or program. infection of programs Whenever virus-ridden software is actively used in a Matrix action or test, the virus tries to infect another piece of software (gamemaster’s choice) that the user has access to either on the same node or in other accessible nodes (for example, a slaved node, or another node in a cluster). The gamemaster determines what software the virus targets; some viruses target particular programs, others choose randomly. Both active and inactive programs may be infected. Make an Opposed Test pitting the virus rating x 2 against the node’s Firewall + System. If the virus succeeds, it infects the targeted software, embedding a copy of its virus code into that other program. If the node wins, it has successfully located the virus and prevented infection and will alarm the user or system administrator. Note that infection is not only restricted to programs that “belong” to the node the virus is on (i.e., programs stored somewhere on that node). The virus may also infect programs run by a persona that is accessing the node—this is, in fact, how viruses are commonly spread. In this case, the infection test is made against the persona’s node, not the node the virus is in. detection and purging of viral Software The detection of virus-infested software depends on how the virus passes the Firewall. If a virus-carrying program is (down) loaded on a commlink or computer system, the system makes an Opposed Test pitting its Firewall + Analyze versus the Virus rat- tecHnoMancerS and MaLware As complex forms and the living persona are fueled by Resonance rather than regular code, technomancers are virtually immune to malware. Viruses usually fail to recognize complex forms as a viable host and are not able to infect them. Trojans cannot enter a technomancer’s living node, though technomancers can exploit trojan horses just like any hacker. Though worms will also fail to infect the living node of a technomancer, they can attack technomancers they encounter in a normal node. Amazingly, no technomancer has managed (so far … ) to create or shape a complex form that has the abilities of either a virus, worm, or trojan horse, though it is rumored that the creation of malware is within the capabilities of dissonant technomancers and entropic sprites (p. 179). Unwired ing x 2 to see if it detects the virus, applying a –4 modifier to the firewall’s roll. If it succeeds, it will block the download and alarm the user or system administrator. To detect a virus post-infection, the Matrix user must actively search for it (i.e. Observing in Detail, p. 136, SR4) by performing a Matrix Perception Test (p. 217, SR4). The virus opposes this test, rolling Rating x 2. Since virus code is actually copied into the infected software, viruses cannot be attacked in cybercombat, nor will rebooting a node make a virus go away (it respawns with the infected program). Infected programs may, of course, be crashed or deleted. To remove a virus and recover the original program, however, the user must perform a Disinfect Test with an antiviral Purge program (p. 111). viral warfare Virus-seeding hackers will often help a virus circumvent a firewall by installing the virus directly while hacking a node. Infecting a targeted program this way requires a Hacking + Edit (Virus Rating x 2, 1 Initiative Pass) Extended Test. SaMpLe virUSeS The following section describes the most annoying and dreaded viruses currently floating around in the 2070s. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the countless versions and species that have been compiled by insidious hackers, just a representative sample of the most common ones that hackers and other characters may deal with while interacting with the Matrix. Gamemasters and players are encouraged to explore these and expand upon them with their own, as necessary for their games. Buzz Infected Program Types: Simsense (Skillsoft) This virus contains BTL-like subroutines that are written into the target program, thereby creating a brain-bending skillsoft. For example, a moodchip-program (see Moodchips, p. 250, SR4) may be integrated so that the user receives a sensual or invigorating sensation whenever the skillsoft is accessed. Because the user is receiving BTL effects, he could become addicted in the same way as if he used the BTL directly (see Addiction Test, p. 247, SR4). flicker Infected Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft The virus opens or closes the node’s wireless connections randomly, causing the node to switch between different modes (active, passive, hidden), thereby impairing it. inertia Infected Program Types: Common, Hacking, Simsene, Autosoft Inertia viruses infect programs to render them functionally inert—they appear to be running, but they fail to respond as needed. Whenever a character tries to use the program, it fails to perform as desired (though the virus still tries to infect another program in the node of the same type). In game terms, the software does not provide its rating in dice to an attempted test. Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9 121 software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Malware 86 Agents 87 Botnets 88 the
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JackPoint StatS___ 57 users current
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AR transmissions are so easy to eav
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And I’m even happier when I can i
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tHe aUgMented worLd The augmented w
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people started cobbling together re
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While the cheaper commlinks are onl
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Matrix criMeS > I’ve downloaded a
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“protection rackets” against vi
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a general agreement that in order t
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Now, to operate in the sprawl, you
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capabilities and resources to do it
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popULar SoUSveiLLance videoS knight
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drug treatments during incarceratio
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of more than one sprite at a time.
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intuitive Hacking Cost: 5 BP A char
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tweaking tHe rULeS Gamemasters and
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‘link will s-l-o-w d-o-w-n, big t
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gram and a massive amount of time (
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. . . Matrix topoloGy . . . Hex was
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track programs are not able to dete
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node attributes like a metaphor or
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datatrail Every interaction on the
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a castle could represent a control
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Simsense can also be used for exper
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with their image links is an expens
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To avoid detection, the hacker can
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aLertS Another important line of de
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Page 73 and 74: encryption on the access log of the
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Page 77 and 78: You also need to choose the Matrix
Page 79 and 80: Sculpting: The node looks a lot lik
Page 81 and 82: Hardware: Saeder-Krupp Schwermetall
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Page 85 and 86: Don’t call me a script kid Don’
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Page 91 and 92: what it sounds like: two or more ha
Page 93 and 94: Yep. You can also stick malware int
Page 95 and 96: gaMe inforMation The Hacker’s Han
Page 97 and 98: paYdata General rules for fencing p
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Page 103 and 104: to Mook or not to Mook? For some ch
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Page 111 and 112: Server-Side prograMS Server-side pr
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Page 117 and 118: Mute Program Types: Common, Hacking
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Page 125 and 126: dataworms Dataworms are a stealth t
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Page 149 and 150: Sift Technomancers who possess this
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Uv nodeS—at tHe edge of reaLitY I
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is something larger beyond the curt
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the realm where the source code was
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infektors The Infektors’ ultimate
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corrupting it into a temporary diss
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Pilot Response Firewall Matrix INIT
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former prematurely and leave them o
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playback gear On the most basic lev
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y default can be used repeatedly an
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to explain the missing time. Also,
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compartmentalized pieces of informa
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. . . Matrix Gear . . . Glitch was
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eLectronicS Electronics follow all
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Hacker ServiceS See Buying a Better
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Software Suites Availability Cost H
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SaMpLe nodeS (cont.) . . . . . . .
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SaMpLe SpiderS (cont.) Security tec
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