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The World of Virus Writers

Posted by michael on from the underachiever dept.

No_Weak_Heart writes "Looking for a little weekend reading? You might try the cover story from this week's NY Times Magazine. It's titled The Virus Underground, and it takes a look at the world of malware scripters, virus writers and worm designers."

10 of 505 comments (clear)

  1. Losers by BWJones · · Score: 5, Insightful

    it takes a look at the world of malware scripters, virus writers and worm designers.

    I guess my initial reaction was fsck 'em. Fsck 'em all. However, it could be suggested that they have made corporations and governments aware of many intrinsic insecurities in certain popular operating systems which may have prevented some larger potential catastrophe. The problem for these guys, is that we will never know and they will continue to be reviled and hated as losers. (That is unless they are talented enough to score a job with Symantec, the NSA or some other organization dealing with comp. security.)

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    1. Re:Losers by Rand+Al'Thor · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That may be a side effect in very few cases, but for the most part I think it's safe to say there is no redeeming factor to any virus or its author.

    2. Re:Losers by Dukael_Mikakis · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's true that virus writers are malevalent and don't have pure intentions when hacking their scripts and all, but in a general sense, where would our security be without virus writers?

      If you consider computer security like the human immune system, then perhaps it may be seen that these people (while malicious) allow security to keep up with that hacks that can be done. If you kept a person in a bubble for twenty years and then promptly released him into the dirty, disease-ridden world he'd likely get sick and potentially die pretty quickly, as his body has no capacity to survive the world. However, with immunizations (i.e. intentional delivery of malicious agents in small doses, possibly on some schedule) and just general exposure to the germs in the world, most people have no problem surviving this world. Yes, MyDoom, and Trojans, and all the other viruses are more than nuisances and they cost people time, money, data, and other things, but these are in relatively small doses. If we had been in a bubble free of viruses for all this time, then whenever we're released into the "real world", anybody could take advantage of all these exploits (open sockets, DDoS, back doors, etc.) at once and perhaps bring the whole infrastructure down.

      It's the fact that virus writers are always developing viruses and releasing them that allows us to fix these problems individually, on a manageable time-scale. If they wanted to do some damage, maybe they should withhold all their viruses and unleash them all at once to cripple everything so much more.

    3. Re:Losers by BWJones · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you consider computer security like the human immune system, then perhaps it may be seen that these people (while malicious) allow security to keep up with that hacks that can be done.

      If you make the biological systems analogy, you will also have to acknowledge that a diverse operating system ecosystem is critical to the health and well being of things, especially as the Internet becomes more widely available. We need Linux, IRIX, Solaris, Windows, OS X and embedded OS's to maintain the health of things.

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    4. Re:Losers by GoodNicsTken · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That's where I think your completely wrong. I'm actually surprised more of the /. crowd doesn't agree with the following viewpoint:

      Software flaws exist PERIOD. They always have and always will. What would you rather have:

      1. A small group of 100 or so people (Govenrment, individuals, organized crime, etc) with the ability to log into your machine, do whatever they want to with it (Set up a kiddie porn ring, steal your identity, etc.)

      2. A virus that exploits the flaw, disrupts computer networks forcing people to patch the flaw. (Many still don't, as Code Red is alive and well)

      I'm all for #2. The flaws exist. Without viruses, then people would NOT patch there systems. When somebody relases a virus, they are saying, hey there's a problem here that needs immediate attention or just about anyone can take over your computer. These guys should be rewarded not punished. IMO they are performing a service letting everyone know of a flaw they discovered, and providing incentive to correct the flaw.

      As computers become a bigger part of our everyday life, they are trusted more and more. I would be a lot more concerned in a world with no viruses, and computers that are generally considered "Secure." That puts the power to ruin someones life in the hands of a few.

  2. Reporters.. by grub · · Score: 5, Insightful


    Whenever I read of a new virus or hear of one on the radio, I wish they'd start to hammer home the fact that 99.99% (wild number I pulled from my arse) of these affect Windows machines only. The ignorant masses just assume that viruses and worms are a way of life, they don't know that it's a way of life only if you use a certain OS.

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  3. this helps prove... by tsunamifirestorm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    my theory that the most dangerous people are people who are bored.

  4. Master? by sperling · · Score: 5, Insightful
    But thanks to a teenager in Austria, it took me less than a minute to master the art.

    The author's obviously as clueless as any nontechie trying to explain or master anything technical. Such a trojan creator could be created in an hour by any competent programmer. The existing virus underground would fall over laughing if anyone dared claiming knowledge or skill after using or creating this tool.

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  5. All been said before by lambent · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I managed to read the first of 10(?!) pages before I decided it was just another alarmist (altho slitely journalistically poetic) piece of trash.

    They're trojans, not viruses. I haven't seen a respectable virus in like 5 years. Viruses are self replicating. Trojans require lusers to activate. (britney--spears--wedding--clip.mpeg, indeed). What pisses me off is this reporter's beliefe that all this terminology is synonymous (virus, trojan, worm).

    After reading the next few pages, i was surprised that the author bothered to extrapolate on the terminology "script-kiddie". (Nice job, Clive) But then he goes on about dreadlocks being the hairstyle of choice .... buh.

    After that it degenerates into political commentary.

    What the hell ever happened to ASM viruses? What happened to TINY?

    My favourite quote: "This guy is the best at Visual Basic". That's not a compliment, dude. That's like being the best at tying your shoelace.

  6. Naive by hackrobat · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The Slammer worm would find an unprotected SQL server, then would fire bursts of information at it, flooding the server's data ''buffer,'' like a cup filled to the brim with water. Once its buffer was full, the server could be tricked into sending out thousands of new copies of the worm to other servers. Normally, a server should not allow an outside agent to control it that way, but Microsoft had neglected to defend against such an attack. [emphasis added]

    It's funny. Which software company will deliberately, knowingly leave out holes in its software? "Microsoft had neglected..." Look, every program, small and big, has bugs. When you're talking of one of the leading database products in the market, you're talking of a very complex piece of software that's bound to have holes here and there. That statement is naive.

    Even Microsoft admits that there are flaws the company doesn't yet know about.

    Really? Which company knows of all the flaws in its software?