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Proof of Concept PocketPC Virus Created
SpooForBrains writes "The Register has reported that "Ratter" of the virus writing group 29A has created the world's first PocketPC virus as a proof of concept. This one has no payload and is polite enough to ask if it can spread, so the dangers are minimal, but it occurs that the possibility of PocketPC and Symbian virii suddenly makes the concept of bluejacking somewhat more sinister."
Unless there is a flaw on the implementation of the phone can this kind of virus really spreads?
-- tinyhack.com
> Windows CE is actually more secure than Windows XP because the majority of the OS
> is in ROM. Those files are protected at the file system level - it is not even
> possible to read or copy the files, let along modify them.
Keeping files in ROM does not inherently constitute a better virus protection.
Of course, altering a ROM file is (usually) impossible. However, any complex
operating system has a lot of options for RAM or FLASH based files to "hook-in",
and RAM and FLASH are certainly not impossible to alter.
A virus that hooks into the startup sequence of a pocket device is as effective
as a hypothetical one that managed to alter the ROM of that device. Sure, a
ROM device might have a "wipe-all" reset button that gets rid of the virus,
but it would get rid of all personalization data as well - files, installed
software, addresses etc.
So, how does that make the ROM device less vulnerable to virus attacks? It
can't be rendered completely unusable. Ok. But all the other threats continue
to exist. You can loose your data, you can spread the virus to other devices,
you could even sync a multiplatform virus to your desktop PC, etc.
Marc
I accept that but would argue that a Windows system comes "out of the box" poorly configured for security.
Also, take a script on UNIX/Linux and it's permissions are determined purely by the user who ran it, hopefully not root - therefore its effect on the system must be limited.
On Windows, you can disable ActiveX and VB scripts from running, for example, but I do not know of a way of running them safely with limited permissions. (I possibly bow to your greater knowledge of Windows security here.)
Finally, I'd ask you to consider Windows user general mentality anyway. Most home user types are going to be running their systems at home with Admministrator accounts or with themselves set as Administrators for everything they do. On the otherhand, UNIX people do what they can at their own user levels while only resorting to root to do what they need to at that time.
All of these facts illustrate how a virus/trojan program has more (potentially) devastating effects on a Windows system than a UNIX one.
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
This is blatant FUD.
It is, but there is an once of truth in it. The default behavior.
By default, Windows Xp Home runs me as admin, and I had remove permissions for it the be secure...
By default, Mandrake runs me as user. I had to learn to change to root.
But I think the best behavior is with OS X (which I don't own). It prompt you with a password windows each time you need admin access. To me the says: 'STOP! think about what you are doing! Are you sure, you know what you are doing?'
Kinda like the way my sister caught Sircam.exe but when the thing poped-up in ZoneAlarm, she got the reflex to click 'No': "I don't know this application, And everything seems to work OK without it, so there...". She was infested all right, but it didn't spread... (and didn't clog her dial-up line). And off, I did have the "AAAHH! VIRUS!" Reaction when I saw the same pop-up on her computer... Now she google for the file when she don't know... I'm soo proud of my sister, growing up before my very eyes *snif*
Education, can go a long way, but if people can't know they have problems, we can't help them... Default install would go even further... If would force so people to think...
Windows isn't the problem, Ignorance is the problem. Education is the solution.
I live in Soviet Canuckistan you insensitive clod!