EA Patches Origin

Various news outlets are reporting that Electronic Arts has patched a major security flaw in its Origin gaming storefront/launcher program. Apparently it was possible to execute remote code, which is a scary issue, but has fortunately been resolved. Be sure to update your launcher to remove the vulnerability. The appropriately named Origin service, along with GOG, is one of the easiest ways to buy and play Wing Commander games on modern systems today.

The story brings to mind another famous Origin security threat. Back during the August 1998 launch of Wing Commander Secret Ops, reports began to immediately surface of infected files on one of the download mirrors. This began to spread to other sites hosting a copy. Within hours, fans rallied to identify the CIH virus and provide countermeasures to remove the bug. Origin posted this statement on the issue and ultimately the damage was fairly contained - but it made an already exciting night even more chaotic at the time!