Tag Archives: Worm

[WTF] Did Stuxnet Sabotage Iran’s Nuclear Facilities?

Newspapers are full of speculations and details about this unique piece of software code, that obviously is a work by a government.Stuxnet used 4-zero-day exploits to infect computer networks running with Microsoft Windows. It was compatible to Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

The Register writes:

(..) the Stuxnet worm was programmed to probe the hosts it infected for extremely specific settings. Unless it identified the hardware fingerprint it was looking for in industrial software systems made by Siemens, it remained largely dormant.

Experts say the quality of code is very sophisticated, there are nearly no side effects. It is estimated that the costs of the development of a virus of that quality goes into the millions of dollars. It also shows a very detailed knowledge of the attacked facilities.

There are some indications that Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz were the target of that virus.

The downside is we suspect this is the beginning of large scale cyber attacks. I don’t think that western Nulear Facilities are safe from such attacks. Let’s all hope the best. This virus is simply a nightmare.

Links

Update

A short overview on the articles published show, that almost all of them cite german security specialists Frank Rieger (member of Chaos Computer Club) or Ralph Langner (Founder of Langner.com).

[iPhone] Virus Worm Spreading on Jailbroken iPhones

Apple must be pleased about this news. They haven’t become tired in telling the people that jailbreaking the iPhone seriously compromises user security.

And now a worm developed by Ashley Towns from down under is nothing else but attacking jailbroken iPhones whose Secure Shell has not been disabled or where the default root password (“alpine”) is in place.

Luckily the first version of the worm was almost imperfect as it just changed the background wallpaper to a photograph of Rock Astley – yes rickrolled again. Anyway ITBusinessEdge now reports that a second version of the worm has been seen in the wild. This new version of the worm gives no indication that it has successfully compromised your jesus phone. Beware guys.

Now, will we get virus scanners for our jailbroken iPhones? Will it be necessary to run firewalls?

It seems like irony, but it seriously looks like that all the probs Microsoft’s operating systems have had for years with viruses and worms – just because Windows is the most widespread desktop operating system – are now coming to the iPhone.

via IT BusinessEdge.com