Legal "Malware" from FBI

FBI uses a Spyware to track down the source of e-mailed bomb threats against a Washington high school last month. The malware had led FBI to 15-year-old student at the school, Josh Glazebrook. He had pleaded guilty to making bomb threats, identity theft and felony harassment.

An FBI agent describes the software (Malware) as a "Computer and Internet Protocol Address Verifier," or CIPAV.

The full capabilities of CIPAV were guarded as secret. But some information of the data that will be collected by the malware were disclosed as below.

• IP Address
• MAC address
• Open TCP / UDP ports
• Current running programs
• OS type, version and serial number
• Registered user and company name on the OS
• Current logged-in username
• Last visited URL

The malware will also monitor the computer's internet use, logging every IP address to which the machine connects. All the information will be sent over to an FBI system located at their technical laboratory.

So who says all malware are "Bad".

Related report:
Wired News - FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats