Wii virus protection

[rob.johno]

Can someone please tell if or where I can get virus protection for the Wii?

 

[Maleko]

you can't. There is no such thing as Wii anti-virus.

 

[pro gamer]

I don't even think you could get a virus on your wii.

 

[rob.johno]

you can't. There is no such thing as Wii anti-virus.

Then how can you protect against virus'? My kids are browsing on-line!

 

[pro gamer]

Tell them to use the computer.

 

[emtee23]

as far as is known, ( I MAY be wrong...) but there aren't any virus' for the Nintendo Wii anyway... since they are all mainly written for a PC and Windows.

 

[nxcmp]

I don't even think you could get a virus on your wii.

Yes you can. There are exploits for all consoles capable of online activity. Using a router is highly recommended. You will be safe as long as the modem (Internet connection) is not plugged directly into your console.

 

[samXcor3]

Also what you COULD do is go into the wii system memory and delete the internet cache, NOT THE INTERNET CHANNEL, but this would also erase your favorites list, etc. Anyway if you have a modem with a firewall or a router with a password you should be fine.

 

[CantGetAWii]

Yeah, theres no need to worry about viruses as long as your connection is stable and well protected.

Internet Channel can be addicting sometimes, seeing things on a bigger screen is what drew me in :lol:

 

[Maleko]

Yes you can. There are exploits for all consoles capable of online activity. Using a router is highly recommended. You will be safe as long as the modem (Internet connection) is not plugged directly into your console.

Really? Show me a link to one not just for the Wii but any console. Sure there are hacks (soft and hard) to compromise a machine if you have physical access to it, but I have seen no exploits or virus' for any console that are executed remotely. Especially none that do not require any input from someone locally.

Even if there were a virus for the Wii (btw the Wii will NOT run unsigned code, with the exception of the new TP buffer overflow which requires physical access) it would do no harm. Even if you could get malicious code onto a Wii, it would be unable to run.

Your comments about the router however, are scary. A router does NOT protect you in any way, shape or form. The NAT box that most people call a "router" (typical Linksys, Netgear, etc home "router" falls into this catagory), does offer limited protection. But very limited. The only "security" that your typical Linksys etc "router" offers, is NAT. Meaning that if a datagram is sent to the NAT box and there is no corresponding entry in the NAT table (a table that lists the outgoing connection info to match it to the correct local IP when it returns) then the packet is dropped (or sent to the DMZ but that is another discussion in and of itself). Much in the same way that the Wii drops unrequested packets. However, there are many ways to get data past a NAT box. So calling any computer "safe" using just a cheap home level "router" is scary wrong.

 

[nxcmp]

Example:
http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/.../2007/007/wii_vulnerable_to_flash_vulner.html

Even PC exploits effect consoles.


X360 http://nvd.nist.gov/nvd.cfm?cvename=CVE-2007-220

 

[Maleko]

Thats not a PC exploit, thats a flash exploit, which only crashes the system due to a mal-formed flash file. It does not run any software nor infect the system. Nor even can it. All it does is crash the Wii.

Neither of those examples though can be considered unattended remote exploits (which is all a NAT box can protect you from). The Wii one only crashes the system, does not infect the Wii nor make any changes to the filesystem while requiring someone to actively activate the exploit, and the 360 one requires physical access. No firewall nor home router would protect against either one.

If there was a virus for any console, we would all know about it. That would be HUGE news, even if it were only a proof of concept.