Miss Lexotan

Malware Artwork for the series Illegal Knowledge

Interaction:

• mouse track controls on 3D sculpture

Malware (only on fullscreen mode) :

• a random variation of artwork driven by click events
• site redirection to ecosia.com

Miss Lexotan is a computer virus implemented by Vecna in 1998, recognized as one of the first polymorphic viruses: a program able to attach itself at the end of any existing executable and modify its code to dodge security tools detection.

The malicious component would run with the carrier program once is called. Just like the original Miss Lexotan, this artwork is a program able to mutate and embed pseudo-malicious code running in the background.

A reflection on the definition of malware, and the expertise required to create them. In this case, the malicious component is a simple site redirection over a secondary location happening in the background while the user interacts with a 3D sculpture.

The word malware is a blanket term for any kind of computer software with malicious intent. In this case, the malicious intent is to exploit collector engagements to increase the page count of our destination website: ecosia.

According to ecosia, for every single search the company redirects most of the revenues to actions against global warming. Miss Lexotan is a malware that exploits your browser to plant trees.

@EILSEQ 2023