EA Games Rootkit - Pando Media Booter

[palindrome]

It adds an icon to your control panel enabling you to configure it. Hardly hidden. Not to mention the agreement during the installation you would have had to make in order for it to be installed. Whether you read it or not is a different matter entirely.

There are a myriad of programs and services that work entirely in the background, largely because the user is less likely to screw them up that way and it reduces clutter.

Frankly I'd be more inclined to attributed the alleged bandwidth usage to something else on a user's computer, but it is possible that it was Pando; perhaps it behaves more actively depending on your location or how many other seeders a given game has. I know I never experienced any problems associated with it when I was playing LoL at least, and while my friends have had connection problems, far as I know it's never been Pando.

And again, this is not an EA product. In any way, shape or form. It is an independent service that a company can employ to help distribute their game.

I can confirm that there was no icon in my control panel on Windows 7 Ultimate x64. The only place Pando showed up was in the task manager as PMB.exe and under Programs and Features as Pando Media Booster.

I have also already confirmed that Pando was utilizing ALL available upload bandwidth causing extremely poor internet performance. Also, just because LoL use the same brand client (Pando) does not mean that they were set to behave identically. We do not have enough information at this time to make that assumption.

Also, if EA put the EULA for Pando Media Booster inside their TOS, they are taking responsibility full responsibility for the product being installed.

 

[palindrome]

I think you should blow your cap away, then bill EA or whatever for the cost.

I wish I could, but I'm too broke to pull a stunt like that and risk not getting paid, lol...

 

[zokudu]

Akamai is what NFS:W used to use. New installations of NFS:W use Pando Media Booster as of October. This has already been confirmed. I honestly cannot tell if you are trolling or just being a jerk.

I literally just went and installed that game and it installed Akamai and not Pando. I just snapped that screenshot 45 minutes ago

 

[palindrome]

I literally just went and installed that game and it installed Akamai and not Pando. I just snapped that screenshot 45 minutes ago

What country are you in? People on the NFS:W forums are saying that the usage of Pando vs Akamai might differ by country due to laws. Also, once again, there has already been confirmation with a bunch of people on EA's forum that Pando is installed with the game. There is also a chance that some unwanted attention has been brought to this per the EA forums and they went back to the Akamai client for the U.S. in last day or so.

 

[sactoking]

I've only encountered Pando in LOTRO, but this is what I know:

LOTRO started out as a direct download from Turbine
Due to high bandwidth usage Pando was added as an option
The inclusion of Pando was highly disclosed and discussed on the forums
Due to concerns about user bandwidth, Turbine continued to have a direct download available
Now, you can download LOTRO using Pando or as a direct download
If you elect to use Pando it is disclosed in the ToS
If you elect to use Pando there is much information and technical support available on the forum

 

[NikolaeVarius]

I can confirm that there was no icon in my control panel on Windows 7 Ultimate x64. The only place Pando showed up was in the task manager as PMB.exe and under Programs and Features as Pando Media Booster.

I have also already confirmed that Pando was utilizing ALL available upload bandwidth causing extremely poor internet performance. Also, just because LoL use the same brand client (Pando) does not mean that they were set to behave identically. We do not have enough information at this time to make that assumption.

Also, if EA put the EULA for Pando Media Booster inside their TOS, they are taking responsibility full responsibility for the product being installed.

This is a case of PEBKAC

 

[palindrome]

I've only encountered Pando in LOTRO, but this is what I know:

LOTRO started out as a direct download from Turbine
Due to high bandwidth usage Pando was added as an option
The inclusion of Pando was highly disclosed and discussed on the forums
Due to concerns about user bandwidth, Turbine continued to have a direct download available
Now, you can download LOTRO using Pando or as a direct download
If you elect to use Pando it is disclosed in the ToS
If you elect to use Pando there is much information and technical support available on the forum

Like I said previously, just because LOTRO or LoL uses Pando doesn't mean they are using it in the same way EA is.

 

[palindrome]

This is a case of PEBKAC

I'm happy that your Pando showed up for you in the control panel, it didn't for me. I didn't make a blanket statement saying that Pando isn't in the control panel for anyone, I merely said that it wasn't there for me. I assure you that it wasn't a PEBKAC.

 

[palindrome]

http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/15/7646144.page

^More info about Pando Media Booster and EA's NFS:W

 

[Chiropteran]

Read the TOS before complaining. Once you click I agree, you forfeit all rights to complain. The TOS clearly states what you are installing ( pando media booster), what it is expected to do ( act as a bittorrent like service), etc.

By downloading the text of this post you hereforth agree that Chiropteran should own 50% of all your worldly assets. Further, you agree that you will not complain or dispute this agreement in any way. Denying that you downloaded this post will result in an additional penalty of 25% more of your assets.


Just so you know, just because something is written doesn't automagically mean it's legal valid and will stand up in court. EULA haven't really been thoroughly tested in court.

 

[Jeffg010]

This is a case of PEBKAC

You know what is funny is if I was to never have known what PMB was and saw this in my control panel I would of never of known what it was doing. Nothing in that description tells me that it is a torrent client, fucking media booster my ass. We all know what they are trying to do and that is to make it as inconspicuously as possible so people won't delete it. I would have goggled this shit and found out what it was and uninstalled it but most people will not know what is going on and that is some shady shit. They really need to have an icon in the system tray or on the tool bar and by not having that is something that I could never defend, seeing that it is using your bandwidth and all.

 

[Martimus]

I am happy to have seen this post. I will do a check for Pando and Akamai NewSession when I get home, so I can get rid of them if need be.

 

[sactoking]

Just for S's and G's I downloaded Need for Speed: World and installed it on my computer. It did not install Pando Media booster. It did install Punkbuster, which was disclosed in the ToS.

Hell, if you want to be irate over something, be irate over Punkbuster. That shit is damn annoying and does its best to not be uninstalled.

 

[palindrome]

Just for S's and G's I downloaded Need for Speed: World and installed it on my computer. It did not install Pando Media booster. It did install Punkbuster, which was disclosed in the ToS.

Hell, if you want to be irate over something, be irate over Punkbuster. That shit is damn annoying and does its best to not be uninstalled.

Hmm, maybe EA either pulled the Pando version of the NFS:W client or perhaps it was a planned test run to see how it behaved in the wild. I truly hope that this is the case and we don't have to see the likes of this shady p2p client again from EA.

 

[darkewaffle]

You know what is funny is if I was to never have known what PMB was and saw this in my control panel I would of never of known what it was doing. Nothing in that description tells me that it is a torrent client, fucking media booster my ass. We all know what they are trying to do and that is to make it as inconspicuously as possible so people won't delete it. I would have goggled this shit and found out what it was and uninstalled it but most people will not know what is going on and that is some shady shit. They really need to have an icon in the system tray or on the tool bar and by not having that is something that I could never defend, seeing that it is using your bandwidth and all.

Here's the problem.

If they don't make it completely obvious, people bitch that it's being deceptive.

If they make it more obvious, people will uninstall because they're paranoid and greedy. Then people will bitch that downloads are too slow.

If they don't use it at all, then operating costs increase and that reduces money that would be spent on other services/departments or it increases cost to the user. Then people bitch that the game doesn't have enough players and that it costs more than it should and that support/development sucks.

Can't have it all when it comes to free to play.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Here's the problem.

If they don't make it completely obvious, people bitch that it's being deceptive.

If they make it more obvious, people will uninstall because they're paranoid and greedy. Then people will bitch that downloads are too slow.

If they don't use it at all, then operating costs increase and that reduces money that would be spent on other services/departments or it increases cost to the user. Then people bitch that the game doesn't have enough players and that it costs more than it should and that support/development sucks.

Can't have it all when it comes to free to play.

Blizzard makes it completely obvious. You don't see a thread on these forums dedicated to it. That making it obvious would be bad doesn't change the fact that it's the right thing to do. I don't know how people can defend this junk.

I can see a lawsuit coming from this and there's no way in hell an EULA would save them.

 

[Dankk]

Here's the problem.

If they don't make it completely obvious, people bitch that it's being deceptive.

If they make it more obvious, people will uninstall because they're paranoid and greedy. Then people will bitch that downloads are too slow.

I don't know, I think they could actually gain support for it if they presented it correctly. During installation there could be a checkbox labeled "Help us by distributing game data to other players" or something to that extent. It could be checked by default, and people could simply uncheck it if they so desire.

Just a thought.

(Regardless of whether or not they let users have a choice, they should at least be transparent about it of course.)

 

[Iron Wolf]

I am happy to have seen this post. I will do a check for Pando and Akamai NewSession when I get home, so I can get rid of them if need be.

Me too. It was on my system for who knows how long after I had uninstalled LotRO, but I had never paid attention before now. I certainly never had the symptoms the OP experienced.