blackworm virus

[Lambert]

Anybody heard about the blackworm virus?


A virus referred to as "Blackworm" by some security vendors has apparently already infected more then 2 million systems. At least that's what the virus's own counter Web site is posting.

Blackworm will unleash its misery on the naïve, unsuspecting, insecure PC users of the world on Feb. 3, overwriting at least 11 different file types on users' computers.
Those file types include all .doc (Microsoft Word), .xls (Microsoft Excel), .ppt/.pps (Microsoft PowerPoint) and .pdf files, among others.


http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3580166




http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=1067

[BWF89]

Good thing I use OpenOffice.

[BLTicklemonster]

Don't think that will affect linux, will it? I'm wondering how hard it would be to make a virus that would launch with terminal. I mean, like, I'm not wondering how hard it would be for me to, but how hard in general. Like do we have to worry about some snapperhead coming along and doing it.

[xequence]

Don't think that will affect linux, will it? I'm wondering how hard it would be to make a virus that would launch with terminal. I mean, like, I'm not wondering how hard it would be for me to, but how hard in general. Like do we have to worry about some snapperhead coming along and doing it.

Nah, it wont effect linux.

[BLTicklemonster]

Zeek? You're back? Are you using ubuntu, or just couldn't leave? Ever get ut working?

[xequence]

Im not using ubuntu, unfortunatly. My hard drive is small and I am addicted to downloading things. I was dual booting and I realised with my downloading addiction I needed to delete one OS. So, since my MP3 player is windows only, I had to delete ubuntu. I am planning to get a new computer sometime and it will dual boot...

And besides cedega, I didnt get UT working in linux :(

And basically, once I start posting in a forum, its hard to stop, so I couldent leave even though im using windows at the time being =P

Oh, and I will probably be on the BL server tonight. (Tried it out a couple times today with just the bots and the maps seemed to be hard on my computer, so hopefully it will be able to handle whatever is being played at the time ;)) Its fun exploring around different UT servers. I went to one and the people were SOO easy =P They were odd and kept switching teams and made it 3 VS 1 on me. I got just under 500 points and they called me a cheater o.O That would have been impressive if it was against people who had played UT before though =P

[towsonu2003]

edit: didn't like the idea to post this... never mind :)

[xequence]

edit: didn't like the idea to post this... never mind :)

I read your evil post before you edited it out =P

[towsonu2003]

I read your evil post before you edited it out =P
:-# :-#

argh!! so if this happens, it's either you or me hehehehe ;)

seriously: brrrr ([emoticon for:]scared from the possibility of a linux port of this to bust me)

let's move this thread to security section and discuss the probabilility of this to happen with lordhunter the logic monster. ;) :mrgreen:

[xequence]

:-# :-#

argh!! so if this happens, it's either you or me hehehehe ;)

seriously: brrrr ([emoticon for:]scared from the possibility of a linux port of this to bust me)

let's move this thread to security section and discuss the probabilility of this to happen with lordhunter the logic monster. ;) :mrgreen:

Anyway, its EXTREMLY unlikly :P

[towsonu2003]

Anyway, its EXTREMLY unlikly :P
me writing a script? -> you're right :confused:
virus ported to linux -> have no idea :confused:
in conclusion: :confused: :confused:

PS. I would hate to see this hit my work comp! time for the backup I guess... I forgot to do it this month anyway... does it hit outlook inbox files? mine is ~200MB!

[BLTicklemonster]

OSS is an easier hack: Mitnick
By Jason Norwood-Young | Other stories by Jason Norwood-Young print comment save
30 January, 2006
Sign up for Tectonic's weekly newsletter >
In an exclusive interview on Friday, infamous hacker Kevin Mitnick told Tectonic that, given the choice between finding security vulnerabilities in closed and open source, he'd prefer to attack an open source environment.

“Open source would be easier [to hack],” admits ex-hacker turned security consultant Mitnick. “It's less work.”

Mitnick says that open source software is easier to analyse for security holes, since you can see the code. Proprietary software, on the other hand, requires either reverse engineering, getting your hands on illicit copies of the source code, or using a technique called “fuzzing”.

Fuzzing means putting fake data – such as really long strings – into portions of the application that allow user input. “You want to make that function call fail. Does it cause an exception? If it does then the programmer probably hasn't validated the input. You could supply your code in a particular manner – thus tricking the application or function into executing your own code. Hackers want to execute their own code – preferably with privileges – and then they gain control.

“On the face of it, open source software is more secure,” says Mitnick. “A lot of eyes are looking at the code. You'd think that with OSS, with more people looking at the code, you're more apt at finding security holes. But are enough people really interested?”

Mitnick does qualify his statement carefully - it's six of one and half-a-dozen of the other. “Then again, a lot of people are really good at reverse engineering. You can obtain illicit copies of [proprietary] source code,” he says diplomatically.

Mitnick was arrested in 1995 by the FBI for hacking. He served five years in prison, including eight months in solitary confinement after it was alleged that he could launch nuclear missiles by whistling into a telephone. He will be in South Africa next month for the ITWeb Security Summit 2006, and will speak about social engineering and wireless security.

He runs Microsoft Windows XP Pro, Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, Debian, Gentoo and Solaris. Currently he's penning an autobiography to clear up some myths about himself. And no, you can't launch a nuclear attack by whistling into a telephone.




:-k interesting...

[towsonu2003]

:-k interesting...
well, I take this as a nice reminder to oss coders / programmers that they need to organize their procedures better for code auditing.

[C J Pro]

I wonder if news of this virus will help the Linux and Apple communities grow. We know that the WMF hole did nothing noticable so let's hope this brings in some more activity.

I need to print out flyers on this now...

[towsonu2003]

Ok this is a long post of winding some frustration, so just skip it ;)

I wonder if news of this virus will help the Linux and Apple communities grow. We know that the WMF hole did nothing noticable so let's hope this brings in some more activity.

I need to print out flyers on this now...
I don't think windows users will mind it at all. they (this used to be "we") are too used to the threat of viruses doing nasty stuff. But they will choose to get stuck with it. I wrote a huge email about just how to get her anti virus updated and firewall installed. it would take half of it to get ubuntu installed on the system. but she'd prefer to struggle rather than to learn that we don't realy know how to use computers.

I don't blame them too much. Installing Linux means learning how to use a computer from scratch. You have to get your hardware and winmodem to work, 3d if you play games, learn how to use openoffice (and still stay connected with ms office users), figure out how to connect to internet and so on. My computer isn't behaving nicely after working on this for 3 months. If I was a regular computer users, I'd now be back to windows. you download drivers from manufacturers or get a driver cd for god's sake ;) .It's too much reading and struggling for an average user.

My mom is thinking to give away her computer to a newbie (never had computer before). I will be the "OS installer and tech guy" etc for the new owner... The other day, I was thinking "okay, I will install Windows to the computer and she'll get viruses and spyware within hours, if not minutes. She [gender irrelevant] won't be able to use this thing at all!". But then again, if I install Linux, I will be the only person who will be able to give her tech support. No one in my country even knows linux (pple I know don't have a clue). And you need foreign language to use the forums [english] and it is just too hard for a real newbie (who needs to learn what a cd drive is) to learn how to use the forums. You get harassed when you don't know which input to post while asking for help... If I install linux, I will end up getting the hardware (!!WINMODEM!!) to work. I'll have to teach her how to take out the cd from her machine for god's sake (and I like the umount thing nonetheless).

Who would want that? I wouldn't want to depend on some guy (me) I barely know who will have unlimited access to my machine and fix whatever problem I have. I would hate to call the guy because I cannot get my floppies out of the box without corrupting the filesystem / documents in it. Or install a package. Or to dial up. Or get access to a flash drive which got mounted with root permissions due to a bug in the system. Or see a web page without problems etc etc etc.

We need more people to use linux, so that there are more people supporting newbies. once you have a ground that will support you, you can make the switch without thinking "who the hell uses this stuff??". but we are too few [especially outside US] and windows is too easy to use for others to switch:
1. get drivers from driver cd (no clicks, 1 hour wait)
2. get anivirus (3-4 clicks)
3. get firewall (1-2 clicks)
4. update windows (2 clicks)
5. get antispyware. (2 clicks)
6. keep everything up-to-date (2 click per application)
7. get rootkitrevealer if you're crazy enough (at which stage you start thinking to switch ;) ) (2 clicks)

All of these are clickable / executable, and they are now COMMON knowledge (which means it is "not" hard to do them) except 7... you got windows? you'll know to do these. Because everyone around you know how to do them. But for a linux newbie, you gotta know apt-get exists before you can even successfully install a package (and you have to know that a software is a package in linux to just search for help)... it took me 1 month to grasp the idea of apt-getting stuff! In suse, where I did not use forums, I didn't even know they had repos! I learned that after switching to ubuntu. who're you gonna ask? daddy? he's busy updating his anti virus database.

So the girl who's gonna get the computer will have windows pre-installed with all security applications in there (rootkitrevealer included). she will probably hate computers within months. but she'll have a bunch of people to get support when her dial up dies, not just one guy who she knows barely. And she'll have MS Office in her CV instead of OpenOffice...

One last paragraph: My hopes got up with vista's huge system requirements. but it seems they will be getting manufacturers to produce cheaper stuff. so no real hopes there either.

wow this was long!!

[xequence]

1. get drivers from driver cd (no clicks, 1 hour wait)
2. get anivirus (3-4 clicks)
3. get firewall (1-2 clicks)
4. update windows (2 clicks)
5. get antispyware. (2 clicks)
6. keep everything up-to-date (2 click per application)
7. get rootkitrevealer if you're crazy enough (at which stage you start thinking to switch ) (2 clicks)

you got windows? you'll know to do these.

I do none of those and I am havnt gotten a virus in as long as I can remember. I dont bother with an anti virus, firewall, I turn off windows update when I first install windows, I dont bother with an anti spyware, I dont get a rootkit thingy, and the only program I bother to get the newest version of is uTorrent.

The last time I have gotten a virus or spyware was... Back when I knew nothing about computers and used windows ME.

[towsonu2003]

I do none of those and I am havnt gotten a virus in as long as I can remember. I dont bother with an anti virus, firewall, I turn off windows update when I first install windows, I dont bother with an anti spyware, I dont get a rootkit thingy, and the only program I bother to get the newest version of is uTorrent.

The last time I have gotten a virus or spyware was... Back when I knew nothing about computers and used windows ME.
hmm, that is intriguing... Knowing that antivirus saved me ~once every month while I was using windows. spyware ~5 times a month, firewall ~countless (once with a spyware trying to connect to its server). rootkit revealer told me about norton's cloaked folder (meaning I had to be carefull with that folder).

you are either infested with virus and you don't know, or just don't use windows on the net, or use a anti-hook thing (I forgot its name), or you're a genius, or using a windows at your workplace ;) I'll be waiting for your response :)

PS. I am paranoid, I confess. But even with paranoid practices, windows was too much of a hassle. you never know what you're getting without something monitoring you in windows.

PS2. ok you gotta get the drivers though???? eheh

[BLTicklemonster]

I haven't had a self induced virus in ages. Years. Son induced... about a year ago. Wiped everything out. My son got it from a site about nintendo games. Brand new, avg wasn't onto it yet, and I didn't have it set to "anal" (I do now). He now is quite familiar with Firefox, trust me. It's all he uses. (course he's on ubuntu now anyway, so what difference does it make now)

[xequence]

PS2. ok you gotta get the drivers though???? eheh

I have to install my video driver.

you are either infested with virus and you don't know, or just don't use windows on the net, or use a anti-hook thing (I forgot its name), or you're a genius, or using a windows at your workplace I'll be waiting for your response

I use windows on the net all the time. And if I had a virus I would definitally be able to tell... I can detect just by my computers performance if anything extra is running in the background. I can tell how fast I am downloading or uploading something depending on how fast I can load pages for crying out loud =P And I dont have a workplace. Unless you count school, in which I very rarly go on the computers.

hmm, that is intriguing... Knowing that antivirus saved me ~once every month while I was using windows. spyware ~5 times a month, firewall ~countless (once with a spyware trying to connect to its server). rootkit revealer told me about norton's cloaked folder (meaning I had to be carefull with that folder).

The only thing you could count as a firewall I use is PeerGuardian. But thats not to keep viruses out, its to keep the RIAA and MPAA out.

I haven't had a self induced virus in ages. Years. Son induced... about a year ago. Wiped everything out. My son got it from a site about nintendo games. Brand new, avg wasn't onto it yet, and I didn't have it set to "anal" (I do now). He now is quite familiar with Firefox, trust me. It's all he uses. (course he's on ubuntu now anyway, so what difference does it make now)

The only viruses I got were a couple years ago and they were from stupidity. I went to a random crack site and downloaded a crack, it was a virus. Now I know better though, and I know the ones to stay at =P