0.5.2 is out! A while ago we pushed this release update which includes a couple of security enhancements, lots of code cleanups and a small fix for On-Demand mode, as some people were having trouble switching back to On-Interval after going to stand-by mode. Lets take a deeper look at the changelog:

• Response encryption: Prey now supports 128 bit AES decryption for response bodies, which means that all data sent by the Control Panel will be encrypted with a salted secret key, rending theoretical man-in-the-middle attacks impossible. We’ll be deploying this gradually during the next days!
• We also added a check to prevent malitious code execution through config values in the response XML. (Issue #85)
• Better way of knowing if On-Demand is still active or not, using timestamps from the keepalive pings sent by the server. This should fix the issue that prevented some users from switching back to Interval mode.
• Lots of code cleanups, removed duplicate or unused stuff. We’re also switching backticks for $() calls, which is much easier to read.
• Small improvements to the auto update process.
• Initial support for Prey to be run as a non-root user. On Ubuntu we were able to run as a third user with some sudo permissions. Once we get it working on Mac we’ll switch over and not run Prey as root any more (yes, we heard you guys).
• Support for SMTP servers which don’t require authentication. Simply leave the SMTP user/pass fields blank and you’re set. Passwords with spaces should also work.
• Added a simple SMTP user/pass verification routing in check mode (Standalone users).

That’s about it! For the full commit list check out the comparison view on Github. As always, any questions or comments are welcome.

Happy hunting!

Update: 0.5.1 was just pushed. Fixed an issue regarding password on Standalone mode and checks for On Demand mode.

Good news for all Prey users. Version 0.5 is available for download and ready to roll. Codenamed “Cloud Strife”, 0.5’s changes include:

• On Demand support for laptops/desktops (via a secure, persistent TCP connection) and Androids (via Google’s Cloud To Device messaging system).
• Updated Lock for Mac to make sure it triggers deactivation of module on Control Panel when successful password is entered.
• Offline actions support: You can now force the actions to be kept running even if the device goes offline.
• CronService for Windows optimizations and fixes (read note at the bottom!).
• Android: Lock module support for 2.2+ Androids. You need to grant permissions on your phone after updating, otherwise it won’t work.
• Android: can now reassign current SIM as the valid one, so you don’t need to disable the SIM lock function to stop getting alert messages when switching SIMs.
• Windows Lock binary rewritten in C#. Better focus management. Task Manager disabling works as it should in XP and Vista/7 as well. As we’re not bundling WinLock.dll any more, there shouldn’t be any more false positives.
• Mac Geo Module: support for weird chars like slashes.
• Mac & Windows screenshot grab in JPG which is lighter than PNG. Reports should get faster to destination now.
• New strategy for capturing webcam shots in Linux (waaay better image quality and lightness). Thanks to everyone who helped on this.
• Linux: Change the delay to give wifi time to work when using autoconnect (thanks Drew!)
• Linux: When using autoconnect mode in the config, Prey will use the network with the strongest signal available (again, thanks Drew!)
• Fixed file sending in SCP mode (screenshot, picture). (#76)
• Mac installer fixes. You shouldn’t get any more “Unverified” states anymore.
• Removed rubbish on Mac/Linux log files.
• Linux: Fixed Wifi device getting (using iwconfig now).
• Linux: Lock module should work on distros with Python 3 installed.

And a couple of other smaller fixes too.

Important: On Windows, running Prey as a system service –rather than at user-level — should not only be the default option but the way of running Prey on Windows, so we’re deprecating it on next release. If you’re still running at user level we strongly encourage you to switch modes. You don’t have to if you don’t want, but Prey will refuse to auto update until you do. :)

That’s it. Hope you enjoy 0.5 and, as always, happy hunting!

It’s been over a year since we launched the Control Panel and it was about time we made some changes. During the past months we’ve been noticing which things work and which needed to be looked at, thanks to the constant feedback we’ve received from you guys.

So, first of all, thanks everyone!

Here’s a brief list of changes we’ve made to the Prey Control Panel, which hopefully will make it easier for you to manage Prey and keep an eye on what’s going on with your stuff.

Here we go.

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Hello everyone!

The latest and greatest of Prey is packed and ready to go. Codenamed “Solid Snake”, version 0.4 features two new modules, a lot of fixes and enhancements and some important code optimizations. If you wish to know how to update you can scroll to the bottom. Otherwise lets cut to the chase and see what’s new!

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Hello everyone!

After a lot of testing we’re glad to announce a new release of Prey, version 0.3.3, which will hopefully fix all the problems some Windows users were having with the reports in the Control Panel. There have been lots of changes (just look at the number of commits!), but the most important changes are:

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Hello everyone!

It’s been some exciting weeks since the release of Prey 0.3. We’ve received a ton of feedback and new ideas, and more developers are joining the team and making contributions to make Prey even better.

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