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Rootkits Head for Your BIOS

Posted by Zonk on from the get-me-off-of-the-internet-please dept.

Artem Tashkinov wrote to mention a SecurityFocus article which discusses a disturbing new threat to computer security: Rootkits that target a computer's BIOS. From the article: "One rootkit expert at the conference predicted that the technology will become a fundamental part of rootkits in the near future. 'It is going to be about one month before malware comes out to take advantage of this,' said Greg Hoglund, a rootkit expert and CEO of reverse engineering firm HBGary. 'This is so easy to do. You have widely available tools, free compilers for the ACPI language, and high-level languages to write the code in.'" Update: 01/27 14:28 GMT by Z : John Heasman wrote with a link to the slide presentation on this topic given at the Black Hat Conference (pdf).

4 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. Awfully specific by truthsearch · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is going to be about one month before malware comes out to take advantage of this.

    That's an extremely specific prediction. I think we know who they should look at first when these rootkits show up...

    --
    Developers: We can use your help.
  2. Re:Solution by cogg · · Score: 5, Funny
    I still have to explain to my parents that the box beside the monitor is actually the computer. They think it's built into the monitor.
    You can blame apple on that.
    *ducks*
    --
    "Never 'clear the air'. Instead, investigate all the subtle nuances of the word 'fester'." - R. Candappa
  3. Re:Really? by MadTinfoilHatter · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hear Sony is working on a version of their own, as well...

  4. Re:What about EFI? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now they are sending rootkits after my Electronic Fuel Injection too?