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Kama Sutra Worm Could Make For A Bad Friday
mikey1134 writes "CNN is running a story about the Kama Sutra worm, a virus that is coded to overwrite files of the (potentially thousands of) infected computers. They provide some background on this viral outbreak and warn users to protect themselves" From the article: "And even for home computer users who have never taken such precautions before, security experts say now would be a good time to back up your most important data, like financial information and family photographs, to CDs, DVDs, zip drives, or an external hard drive that you know is worm and virus free. Unlike a lot of malware that exploits vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system, there is no 'patch' that can be downloaded to ward off Kama Sutra."
For references, these are the enumeration names and where to go to make sure you have the latest anti-virus signature. Remember, this variant will uninstall and delete most anti-virus software so it's important to recognize it before it goes active tomorrow. Most virus definition software refers to it as CME-24. This is important since this worm has many different names including Nyxem.E, BlackWorm, Grew and Mywife.E.
More on the worm and its permutations and statistics on spreading.
A very detailed analysis with all types of files that may be affected.
And, if it's worth anything to you, the Microsoft advisory which seems to tout that Windows Live Safety Center Beta can protect against it. If you're in charge of computer security at your workplace, I would send out an e-mail instructing everyone to verify that they have the correct anti-virus definitions and to scan their computers before leaving tonight. Luckily, that's not my job where I work.
My work here is dung.
This one won't be super destructive, but a bit bad.
Hopefully people will learn from this, until something monstrously destructive comes along.
http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_
Best explanation ever:
"Mac OS X hasn't had any viruses since the OS was launched," says Bill Rosenkrantz, the head of Macintosh products at Symantec, the big antivirus firm. "It's more difficult to attack the Apple system than Windows."
So it goes.
- - -
N3P : Two-year college level training in how to become a successful Project Entrepreneur in Open Source and (soon) Project Entrepreneur in OmniCom!
Better back up that pr0n too! :P
Remember when these things were computer viruses? Now they're Windows viruses.
Nice to see, that. It puts the idea in the head of Joe Not-a-Geek that 'Windows' is not synonymous with 'computer', and that people not using Windows don't have to put up with this crap.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
... really should have more flexible security.
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
The best backups are those written to only once. Burn to a write-once only CD or DVD. Don't back up to an external hard disk. As soon as you plug it in anything can happen, either from Windows itself or from malicious software (redundant, I guess).
In the old days we backed up to tape and flipped a switch so the tape couldn't be overwritten. Today it's burn-once disks. Don't trust anything but physical protections from disk writes.
Developers: We can use your help.
This is the virus that MS has a patch from their fancy new Remote System Control program, right? Simply agree to download and blindly run any code they decide to send, let 'em take a peek at what you're running from time to time, and send regular status reports to the nice windows home base -- and then, we'll protect you from the nasty viruses!
And remember, kids... that's a nice computer. Would be a shame if something were to "happen" to it, you know what I mean?
"Unlike a lot of malware that exploits vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system, there is no 'patch' that can be downloaded to ward off Kama Sutra."
Half the articles i read yesterday about this said that the public was being screwed over becuase MS wouldn't release a patch.
The only patch for stupid is a swift boot in the ass.
Unlike a lot of malware that exploits vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system, there is no 'patch' that can be downloaded to ward off Kama Sutra.
How about a stupidty patch for opening up an attachment like the one described.
"He's lost in a 'floyd hole"
...transfer your important data to a new hard drive inside of a Mac.
Does it run on Linux?
"I realise this is not a very popular opinion but it's the truth, and there for needs to be said" -Bill Hicks
So I guess Kama Sutra could put some IT professionals in some awkward positions
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm
As much as I appreciate the warning, hints on HOW to know if you're infected would have certainly helped. "Make sure your virus scanner is up to date" isn't much to go on, especially since TFA mentions some (unnamed?) scanners cannot detect the infection.
I never open attachments *ever* so I probably have nothing to worry about.
Thanks a bunch CNN! I'll go look elsewhere for real information.
gcc: no input sig
just turn your computer off before midnight, and leave it off until saturday.
-- lol pwned
...to CDs, DVDs, zip drives, ...
What is this, 1996?
Anyway I like how virus names are slowly getting edgier. Kama Sutra is a good one, but it'll be great fun when someone names a virus the Angry Dragon, Cleavland Steamer, or the Dirty Sanchez. I eagerly await the day when the words "Rusty Trombone hits America hard" grace CNN's frontpage :)
Because the kids moving the stop sign were purposefully trying to cause harm. Microsoft didn't make Windows insecure on purpose. If MS could be charged for not securing windows, the Stop sign manufacturer could be charged for not making the stop sign tamper proof.
Also, I don't think computer viruses cause all that many deaths.
"I realise this is not a very popular opinion but it's the truth, and there for needs to be said" -Bill Hicks
As bad as this day? http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0689711735.01._S CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
//mah favorite book
You mean this? The text says it was manslaughter, which is fair enough, and that it was overturned, or did you mean a different case?
It's not really a worm. What, exactly, is microsoft supposed to patch?
end up fucking yourself.
This URL would seem to provide some hints about how to check whether you're infected.
d .html
It mentions some registry keys that the worm sets up.
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/w32nyxem
"Absorbing your worst..."
I wouldn't call it a Microsoft insecurity issue, but a stupid user issue. The user has to install it for it to work, the user actually has to be involved and allow it onto their box. The same type issue can be had for a Linux box and you don't even have to be a root user to be affected; someone emails you unknown app and like these windows dumbasses you run it can wack all of the Openoffice documents you have been using to write your disertation for the past year is gone.
A stupid user is stupid user, the article summed it pretty well: "Unfortunately, there is no way to patch user ignorance, and the way this virus propagates is through user ignorance,"
Simple. The End User License Agreement absolves Micrsosoft of all responsiblity for defects including ones they have been NOTIFIED ABOUT. The entire security community is very good about informing the secure@microsoft.com team about vunerabilities. For that matter so is /. the WSJ and CNN. Every copy of there software ships with a get out of jail free card.
Charles Wyble System Engineer
Try and get your knee to settle down and RTFA
Unlike a lot of malware that exploits vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system, there is no "patch" that can be downloaded to ward off Kama Sutra.
"This is something that is not inherent in the operating system," Sergile said.
"Unfortunately, there is no way to patch user ignorance, and the way this virus propagates is through user ignorance," he said.
I like to jump all over Microsoft for their lax security and gaping vulnerabilites as the next guy, but this time it isn't an unpatched hole in office or RPC or something causing this.
There isn't anything you can do to protect your system from this worm, aside from not being dumb enough to click on an email attachment that says "free nekkid pikturs".
>Hopefully this worm will cause a bunch of monetary damage to some corporations
Apparently not, just horny/stupid military and home users:
Furst says the worm has spread to a lot of military addresses on the Internet (.mil), but mostly to ISPs (Internet Service Providers), meaning most of those infected are probably home users.
There is much cruelty in the universe, John.
Yeah, we seem to have the tour map.
Errr how can a comment pointing out the previous two articles on /. for reference be offtopic? or were you moding it in anticipation of this post?
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. - Douglas Adams
I've worked on large systems, including a multi-terabyte "data warehouse". No matter how big every system can get nightly incremental backups to save space. There is no way EVER you should be overwriting any previous backup. If you have that much data, and it's that valuable, you pay for whatever it takes to make every backup written once-only. Buy a set of drives or one drive with a large multi-disk feeder and pop in 100 7 Gb DVDs every night. Or better yet only do an incremental every night and a full weekly.
What's more expensive... write-once backups or the loss of all of your data? Pick one and good luck.
Developers: We can use your help.
I am beginning to suspect more and more that most of these viruses are actually being created by select members of the opensource community who are diehards who want everyone to switch to a one world platform (Linux). When are they going to realize that noone wants a Linux desktop on their home computer (sad really)?
After checking up on the virus through some of the links in the article...frankly, I would be surprised if most readers of Slashdot were affected. I thnk most Slashdotters are way too smart to engage in the sort of behavior (opening suspicious email attachments) that is necessary to allow infection.
I feel sorry for all the people who aren't, though.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
I set my computer's clock 1 day ahead!
From TFA:
"So while you might think it is coming from cousin Alice, most likely cousin Alice is not going to send you something that says 'Hey look at these pictures with naked people.' So that should be your first clue that a virus is propagating and you'd be well served to call cousin Alice to let her know that she is [unknowingly] sending out this type of e-mail," Sergile said.
Mr. Sergile, you obviously haven't met my cousin Alice.
Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
This one will be more damaging than people think.
A lot of SMEs uses unsecured and passwordless network shares for sharing company data. Data that is stored in, you guessed it, *.doc *.xls, etc, etc files. This virus looks for shared drives such as this and will corrupt the files on them tomorrow.
If only one PC in the company is effected, I can see a whole lot of sore heads tomorrow at lunchtime.
I guess I should have paid more attention to this one.
May the Maths Be with you!
"Unfortunately, there is no way to patch user ignorance, and the way this virus propagates is through user ignorance,"
:-)
Isn't the purpose of this article to patch user ignorance?
If I were more creative, and funnier, I would come up with many witty and similar analogies to the phrase "patching user ignorance."
You might be surprised, once the mass emailing starts. The net ain't gonna be too fast tomorrow.
Sadly, just because you don't run MS Windows, it doesn't mean it's not your problem.
First time AntiVir updater did not fetch update file for me. Will try again later.
Cheers
Free smut is a yes yes for workplaces you can imagine it, 'hey look free porn' 'open it! lets see some hot school girl action' 'oh well nothing there, look at the time see you all tomorow' friday 3rd... 'hey where are all my files? The servers, network drives all gone!' Dust off your tape drives and press the rewind button tonight.
I feel a sudden illness coming on, could be a virus.
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Actually there is a patch for user ignorance. It's called user education. The problem, of course, is that ignorant users are usually also ignorant on their own ignorance, and therefore don't apply this patch.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
Ah yes, because there were no windows viruses before linux.
Changa hates change.
Here's how to know the difference between a money-making press release, and an honest story: The press release says "Fear, fear, fear!!!"
The honest story gives you links to tools for eliminating the threat: You can run this tool: W32.Blackmal@mm Removal Tool, which apparently removes all variants of the worm.
Here are manual instructions: WORM_GREW.A, Also known as: CME-24
Here is the list of names of the CME-24 worm, and links to removal methods: CME-24 aliases, information, and removal tools.
security experts say now would be a good time to back up your most important data, like financial information and family photographs, to CDs, DVDs, zip drives, or an external hard drive that you know is worm and virus free
the media storage industry.
good work guys.
And I quote "God your stupid".
I rest the case defined in the message heading as a case of Slashdot user self-flagellation, which is not a part of the Karma Sutra.
"And even for home computer users who have never taken such precautions before" You mean an updated antivirus program? You would think after the thousands of worms that everyone would learn by now, especially those who know they have a tendency to click things for no reason.
I better get prepared
Oh wait - I have a mac - *sigh*
Time to get off that crazy train people!
Any ideas if it will only attach files on local machines ore will it traverse to network shares of course only the ones without security?
Is this a VIRUS, or a WORM? They are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
This is because, while it may have been posted before, this is very helpful for some of us who are looking for resources to make sure we are covered in the last day before the attack. If it wasn't for the links I got off slashdot, I couldn't get my PHB's to approve my time to verify everything. Thus, an article is not a "dupe" if it is still useful. Hence, your complaints are offtopic.
As was this.
Watch for Penguins, they eat Apples and throw rocks at Windows.
Only assuming that the so-called "stupid person" understands that it was _this specific virus_ that did it, and remember what was done _on his part_ for it to end up this or that way.
A horse can't be sick, you know, even if he wants to.
"im not a virus...lol" *delete, Format C:* "Okay, i am now :)"
Sorry *ducks*
In the Soviet Union, signatures writes you!
you really, really have to work at it to fuck up a Linux box... with windows, just going online can be enough...
Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
Even simpler: press control-alt-delete. If your computer does nothing, you're safe.
CasualSax's Rusty Trombone pounds the US in the IS.
Hmmm witty sig or funny sig? Maybe elitest techy sig!
Why all the panic really? Can't a decent firewall stop the "injection" of this virus through a service/hole? Its a worm we're talking about after all... Just watch what you download/run keep the shields up and you should be fine. I've never been affected by any worms, but always had a properly configured firewall.
Step 1: Go into Date and Time properties Step 2: Click on Internet Time tab Step 3: Uncheck Automatically Synchronize Step 4: Click on Date & Time tab Step 5: Change the date to the 4th (saturday) Step 6: Click OK Step 7: Wait until it really is saturday and turn automatically synchronize back on. I'd reccomend this for everyone, whether you think you have it or not, just to be on the safe side.
F-Secure has details about this too.
/f %%i in (computerlist.txt) do (i on\Run /s | find "ScanRegistry" >>scanlist.txt 2>&1
Using the REG utility in WinXP or Win2K Resource Kit, it's not too hard to write a script to scan your PC's registries for this key. Something like
for
echo %%i >>scanlist.txt
reg query \\%%i\HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVers
)
then look in scanlist.txt for any 'hits'.
There's no patch because it's not a vulnerability, it's a virus. The only thing you can patch is the users that still won't follow directions and not open executable attachments. The OS is working as intended when it executes code you ask it to, which is how this virus gets on.
This "OMG MS won't patch t3h systems!!!11" stuff on Slashdot is getting old. No, they won't patch it because there's nothing to patch. Duh. They have decided to add it to the malicious software tool, which is a mini virus scanner akin to Stinger from Mcaffee, which scans for a limited subset of viruses, but that's not a patch. Windows OneCare, which is NOT a remote control system by the way, does find it because, well, it's a virus scanner just like any other. It catches it just like AVG, F-Secure, Norton, and so on, which is to be expected as it's a competitor.
So let's leave off the bullshit ok? There are two easy methods to prevent this from hurting your system:
1) Don't run random programs that some with e-mails. If you use Outlook Express, it'll even tell you not to (twice).
2) Get a virus scanner. Doesn't need to be MS's, there are many good ones out there. I recommend AVG, it's fast and free.
I have tried to find out if clamav will detect this virus with no positive results. Does anyone know the status?
Tis better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt --Abraham Lincoln
Anyone infected is supposed to download a revolver and shoot themselves in the head for being stupid enough to open an unknown attachment.
Here's my idea:
:D
We setup a room. The door to the room says, in every language "Danger! Do not enter". Inside they'll be a cage you need to open, again with keep out warnings. Inside the cage will be a button that says "Warning: Do not push the button, death will result!". If you push the button, you die. We come in once a week or so and clean out the body.
My guess is any person likely to push the button is also the kind that'll open random attachments despite being told not to by us, the OS, their virus scanner, etc.
Problem solved
Don't worry, it says its not a virus. Continue opening up your hot teen sluts attachments that are .exe's, .pif's, .scr's, or .bat files like usual.
You SOB!
My linux system just rebooted....
This is of course not true. It is quite possible to protect your systems against worms and other mishaps like this.
Learn a bit about security and limited user accounts. Make sure that normal users cannot write to directories like %programfiles%, %system% and %windir%. Don't allow users to work as administrator.
Install a service like TrustNoExe. Set it up so that executable programs are only allowed in %programfiles% and %windir% (and other directories that normal users cannot write, and that you use to store programs).
Now, when a user receives a program in mail or downloads it from the internet, it cannot be executed. Storing it somewhere in his writable directories (Documents and Settings directory, networkdrives) is possible but it just cannot be started.
It does not require user education, just an educated administrator.
"There is no 'patch' that can be downloaded to ward off Kama Sutra."
That's right. Once you get the Kama Sutra, you're fucked!
Maybe i have never looked into this but why can't the virus/security industry agree on one name for a virus? Cnn.com is calling it Karma Sutra and symantec.com is W32.Blackmal (and listing about 5 other varient names). Why is this. I guess it keeps us IT folks employed because users are too confused. They think 16 different viruses are going to hit them, when it's actually one with 16 different names/variants.
I have no idea of what this worm is nor do I care. From the top of my linux box it'll be another friday like the others, where I may have the pleasure to see more Win users complain about their OS, without them doing anything to change OS.
It may be a bit cruel, but I'm already impatient to say my old "I told you so!" to everyone who wouldn't do the switch to linux.
Say WHAT? The idea behind backups is to make your data storage more reliable, not less.
Stone tablets! You were lucky. We had to carve our writings directly into the rock walls of our caves with our teeth! Of course, this was after we were woken up 15 minutes before we went to bed...
No, I get what you're saying. I was responding to the OP that it was Microsoft's fault that there was not OS patch available and that this left users vulnerable.
I guess if I had a chance to edit my post, I would have worded it a bit differently.
There is much cruelty in the universe, John.
Yeah, we seem to have the tour map.
Generally I find that the Kama Sutra makes for a good Friday, although I haven't tried "The Worm" yet.
It's a regular email attachment virus, nothing wormy about that. "The main difference between a computer virus and a worm is that a virus can not propagate by itself whereas worms can" This requires Stupid user interaction, without it it wont spread and do it's shitznitz. Anyhow, i would say that anyone still running windows, clicking attachments left and right, should in all honesty not be on a account with system rw privs. Hell, i regard linux as somewhat secure and I still dont run as root or superuser lest i'm trying to upgrade stuff or change the system.
Wait.. How long as windows done bash scripts?
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
"Dood, that raver chick gave me the KSW last night and it's been itching all day!"
I guess the Kama Sutra Worm STD might have more positions, but the Tantric Worm lasts longer.
"We now return you to your regular slashdot blather"
...called GNU/Linux OS :)
Windoze is no more than a game platform and should not be used as other tool if you are smart enough
sex is better than war!
Not to mention "insight a panic"...
if I had insight as to what causes a panic then perhaps I'd learn how not to INCITE one.
But one mistake makes me think the original poster is an idiot. Two mistakes like this makes me think the original poster was trying to be funny. Who knows?
Past this in Word 'DATA Error [47 0F 94 93 F4 K5]', select the charators '47 0F 94 93 F4 K5' and change the font Wingdings The virus harms data, and can disable mouse and keyboards.
Paste this in Word 'DATA Error [47 0F 94 93 F4 K5]', select the charators '47 0F 94 93 F4 K5' and change the font to Wingdings. The virus harms data, and can disable mouse and keyboards.
I know I am!
Proud member of the American Non Sequitur Society. We might not make much sense, but boy do we love pizza!
But at least yesterday one of the first posts gave this link:t ails.aspx?name=Win32%2FMywife#Aliases
http://www.microsoft.com/security/encyclopedia/de
Note that this link provides a REMOVAL TOOL. I guess Microsoft doesn't have some sort of conspiracy against unpaying customers after all.
Our users have had it pounded into their heads never to open attachments on messages with odd subjects.
But I'm just waiting to see who the pervs are. This should be interesting when someone comes to me and says their files have been deleted. Hmmmm.. and what were you trying to look at.
The article states that the virus executes on the third of this month (tomorrow.)
Why not just wind back the clock?
I'm serious. I've fooled many a shareware program that locks the program after x days by setting the date back to when I first installed it (or even earlier, which makes for some funny notices.)
Unless the Kama Sutra virus is programmed in such a way as to store the date and time installed, and then keep track of every (milli)second that's past, and execute once enough seconds have passed to put it on the 3rd, I would think you could easily fool it by simply changing the date on your computer back a week or two. If you're really anal about calendars, you can find a year where the months start on the same day.
Yes, this would mess up some other programs that use the computer's date, but temporarily wonky programs are better than completely deleted files, no? So, set the clock back, and wait until Microsoft finally releases their patch or whatever, if you're afraid that another virus scanner hadn't caught it.
As the T-Shirt says: Social Engineering - Because there is no patch for human stupidity...
Search for a file named something like winzip_tmp.exe on your drives. It's a good indicator to see if you're already infected (and also a good indicator to make sure your AV scans are accurate.) I never rely on AV scans alone.
Hah!! *shakes head*
muszek: How long are you gonna lead this guy on? His sarcasm detector is clearly out to lunch.
It's "batch", not "bash".
I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.
I just checked all of the virus sites and they are all on 'green' alert level saying that there are not even an moderate threats out there right now. Either this has just been blown way out of proportion by CCN (slow news day) or all of the security companies think they already have this one solved.
Our IT department is taking no action since there is no elevated threat level.
The CNN article has a great quote: .sig of mine someday....
Unfortunately, there is no way to patch user ignorance...
I love it - might become a
I'm in my right mind and I have the answer to everything!
"There's no patch because it's not a vulnerability, it's a virus. The only thing you can patch is the users that still won't follow directions and not open executable attachments. The OS is working as intended when it executes code you ask it to, which is how this virus gets on."
The OS is working as intended. Sure. But appliations in emails should not be able to hide the fact that they are applications. Applications should not be able to edit the registry without warning the user. Users should not need to run as Administrator to make their computers work properly. The registry is itself pretty sucktastic as far as security design goes.
The problem is that the OS is intended to be shiny and easy, and not even faintly secure.
What I say does not represent the views of my employers, my friends, my cats, or myself.
...and I have just fired up Word and Excel and everything still seems to be there.
Oh wait, I'm on a Mac.... Never mind!
I have Mac OS X 10.4.4 om my desktop machines and Ubuntu on my IBM laptop. Life is good. :)
I'm using FreeBSD, am I safe? I think I am, but with all the panic swirling around over this issue, I'm not sure. Some guy just ran past my cubicle screaming, "no one is safe!"
A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
In aviation the US system prevails. The altitude of the flight is still measured in medieval feet, something like 33600. In normal scientific metric system it is 9600 meters.
As my professor said: "It is the shame to enter 21-st century with the Imperial System of Measurement". Still we did.
I blame the US archaic technological system of doing things. This is the reason of these endless vulnerabilities.
It is impossible to work like this. I think the UN has to create the International Body and come out with the Open Source Secure OS, based on the understandable scientific System of Measurements. The humankind shall not be the hostage of an undereducated Bill or whomever. We shall aspire to the modern secure computing.
For faster/easier protection, would it be effective to tar/rar/zip the files up? I'm thinking specifically for the non-tech friends of mine that I was warning.
duh... /etc/inittab and change the bit looks like:
Edit
ca::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -r -t 4 now
to:
ca::ctrlaltdel:/bin/false
Done. You no longer can use three finger salute to reboot your machine accidendally.
Download a LiveCD of a small Linux distro and boot to it tomorrow:
Damn Small Linux.org
Puppy Linux
This way, you have nothing to fear, safely surfing the 'Net, without the risk of compromising any of your data. Plus, you get to have a taste of what Linux is like.
The worst that can happen is that you decide you don't like that particular Linux distro. In that case, you can take out the CD, and boot back to Windows on Saturday.
You can use any bash version available for Windows. Cygwin Bash to start with but not excluding GNU Bash or many alternatives you can find from google (the one I linked is the first one from Google search for "Windows Bash").
from Australia? Could be that we could figure out how bad this might be
"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the universe. It hates me, you know"
But cousin Alice sends me pictures like that all the time. Don't believe me? Go ask Alice.
But seriously though, incidents like this make me wonder whether we're doing the human race a disfavor by trying to protect all of these stupid people. If someone is going to click on random porn links, especially ones sent by unusual sources, maybe they deserve to have their computer ruined? I mean, we're not exactly talking about your grandma. Ok, well maybe your grandma, but somehow I don't suspect either of mine would click on such a link.
This sig has absolutely no significance and serves only to take up screen space and waste the time of the reader.
Does it run under WINE?
Does it run on ReactOS?
Folks, is there a connection between the girlization of menfolk and computer insecurity? I think there is. A long time ago, men were not afraid of anything including death. These days we curl in cubicles and basements worrying about virus wiping out our porn. I say we should take over the world once again and disregard computing fear and FUD.
Lt. Suka Olways
They have the mechanism of automatic update. They shall not sleep this night, instead taking care of the customers. Or give us some advises. At least try it.
But they do not care. They've got their monopoly an do not care. We have to pay salaries to 2500 people, and we have to worry that this childish OS crumbles under our feet. This is an insane situation.
c'mon guys you can't be serious, are you waiting for tomorrow to see what will happen?, where did you gfet your CS?, in a Jack in the Box kids meal.
"This is a really damaging worm. This is not one of those worms that is interested in having access to your machine for purposes later on. This worm will really damage your machine," Georgia Tech's Furst said.
It'll really damage my machine? What, it'll grab an ice pick and start stabbing the motherboard? It'll jam a soldering iron into the processor? Maybe take a hacksaw to the hard drive?
Somehow, I'm a bit more concerned about worms that ARE interested in having access to my machine for purposes later on. Thrashing my data? Pshaw. I've got backups for that, and if it only triggers once a year, double pshaw. Keylogging? Packet sniffing? Extracting personal data to defraud me out in the real world? Using my computer to conduct attacks on other computers, leaving the blame to me? I consider those a wee bit more dangerous than something that will just "really damage" my machine.
Demanding constant attention will only lead to attention.
Script above is not a /bin/bash script, you tool.
Crack a cold one and laugh your ass off at all of those Windows lemmings. Suckers! Muhahahaha!!
I wouldn't call it a Microsoft insecurity issue, but a stupid user issue.
I disagree. Stupid users can be the weak link, but at this point, they aren't there yet. A whole lot could be done to mitigate these types of viruses by the OS that is not done. Give the users good tools and if they still screw up you can complain.
The user has to install it for it to work, the user actually has to be involved and allow it onto their box.
This is true, but most Windows OS's don't do a reasonable job of distinguishing data and programs. Even those that do, use very poorly designed UI's to do so.
The same type issue can be had for a Linux box and you don't even have to be a root user to be affected; someone emails you unknown app and like these windows dumbasses you run it can wack all of the Openoffice documents you have been using to write your disertation for the past year is gone.
Perhaps for some brain-dead Linux distros this is true. In general, however, Linux makes it a lot harder to disguise programs as data (no hidden extensions). They also require the user to explicitly make a downloaded program executable (no double click and it runs). Also, most Linux machines have a workable non-admin account and use it as a default. This means the virus cannot disable the virus protection, as this one does. Finally, a few more secure Linux distributions run programs in virtual servers, requiring the user to explicitly grant it the ability to modify the user's files.
A stupid user is stupid user
And yet, that stupid user running the average Linux or OS X distribution would not have had a problem.
Windows needs to be fixed. It is under siege and still does not implement security even as good as most Linux or OS X boxes. What they should be doing is implementing better security, not worse. When a user gets a program via e-mail, the attachment should be labeled as such, explicitly. To run any new application the user should have to explicitly agree. This does not mean give them an OK/Cancel dialogue. The UI throws so many techno-babble OK/Cancel dialogues at the average user they are conditioned to click OK to everything. They should be given real choices like "I trust this program, run it" and "Don't run this program." Even when run, the program should default to executing in a sandbox environment, with no access to the internet or to read/write any user-space files. It should be able to read necessary system files, but not write them. It should not be able to change existing DLLs. If the program tries to do any of these things, the user should be informed in plain English and given the opportunity to enable the program to do so. Think, "This program wants to read your e-mail address book (allow it to read your addresses)(Don't let it read your addresses). This program wants to access the internet in a way normally used by mail programs (allow it to send e-mail)(prevent it from sending e-mail)." Windows should install a non-admin account by default and use that as the user's normal login account, thus an additional password would be required to disable the anti-virus.
All of these abilities can be set up today with existing OS's and a company the size of MS should be able to have them working in a few month's time. It is easy to blame the user, but the user has to work with the tools he has. Sure maybe they clicked "OK" but they've already had to click it 50 times today just to do their normal work. After a while, you can't expect everyone to pay attention. I call upon MS to write a more secure OS, with a workable GUI. Until they do so, I call upon everyone here to stop cutting them slack for what "dumb users" do. They are not the weak link here. Not yet, by a long shot. You should not have to be a computer expert to use a tool designed for non-experts. Both Current and older versions of Windows need a lot of work. After it is done, then user education is needed, but until that time it is just not going to work.
...one computer is a Apple PowerBook running Mac OS X and the other is a IBM ThinkPad running SuSE Linux... :-D
I do however expect to make a lot of money the next 3 - 5 days.
--
What was the goal of DARPA net ? share information between different platforms.
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid /1999041209131106
/ virus.aspl edgebaseAnswer/0,295199,sid63_gci980535,00.html
Care to argue with Symantec on the definition?
How the hell did My above post get modded 'troll' anyways? There's your proof. Oh, need more proof?
How... http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2004
About... http://www.computer-lynx.com/a-virus-or-worm.htm
THIS??? http://expertanswercenter.techtarget.com/eac/know
Someone needs to go back to computer pre-school. I knew the difference in those 15 years ago, when I was 8. Tool.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
I metculously setup my homeLAN machines at home as well as my college student's machines to have firewalls and spyware scanners and AV scanners as well as resident scanners. I have the routers set up to deflect everything they are able. I turn off services I know are a problem, I have resident scanners for email, web, p2p, IM, the works. I run hijack and rootkit testers on all the clients and set up the machines to flush all their tempfiles and browser caches on shutdown. I have hostfiles locked.
And just watched someone look at an AV scanner popup with colors and flashing lights that it captured a bug - what do you want to do with it? And this person couldn't cancel it, ignore it fast enough.
I quit. People are morons.
Tomorrow I will have a job!!!
I am currently looking for a job (if you know someone -> evi@valerieandevi.be) and freelancing on the side. Tomorrow will be a great day for me... all of a sudden hundreds of company's begging me to come in to fix them and restore the backups they don't have.
NO I DIDN'T CREATE THE VIRII [sic] but I can think wishfully can't I?
Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
install this using wine?
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<h3>Snort Signatures
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;</h3>Joe Stewart (Lurhq.com) provided [...] of the worm:
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and the like acceptable. While asserting html4/strict.dtd - best laugh I've had this week. If they can't master basic HTML (straddling a /H3 with a SPAN?!?!) it they probably shouldn't be allowed to run a webserver, let alone attempt to advise people on security matters.
Say I saved a file on a public computer at college and transferred it to a USB pen, then opened it here at home. If the public computer was infected, it wouldn't affect me would it?
I, for one, can't wait to get home and see if all my files have been deleted. I've been running low on disk space, but I've been too lazy to delete old data myself. Thanks, Kama Sutra! You saved the day.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
...isn't this the kind of threat that forced the government to put SkyNet online?
*tinfoil head dress*, "ON!!".
Authority questions you. Return the favor.
. . . to be a Mac user.
...switch to a system that doesn't have such horrible security.
I am awaiting the flood of calls from friends and family who "ran this really cool program, but now can't access word documents".
They never, EVER learn. I think i'll stand behind them when they're checking their e-mail and scream DON'T DO IT when they stupidly attempt to run THIS_IS_A_VIRUS.JPG.VBS.EXE. Oh, and also to stop them disabling anti-virus software, because it can't possibly be a virus. What if it's a joke they're missing out on?
They never learn.....
lameness filter doesn't like me
I knew my 3rd leg would be handy 4 SOMETHING!
meh
I mirror my disk and then once in a while (once a month or so) I copy data I consider important to an external drive which is locked under key.
The only way I would lose my personal data is if there was a catastrpophic problem, in which case data integrity of my family photos and video would be the least important of my concerns.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
If it is possible for you to get your email client to execute attachments, then your email client is defective. Patch it or replace it.
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.