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Ambidextrous Linux/Windows Virus
Lam1969 writes "Kaspersky Labs has reported a new proof-of-concept virus that can infect both Windows and Linux systems. It's called Virus.Linux.Bi.a/Virus.Win32.Bi.a and affects ELF binaries and .exe's from windows. SANS has a brief item on the cross-platform virus as well, but no information about a patch or signature yet."
...BSD just coughed up water and started breathing again.
100 bi jokes to follow
... linux is ready for the desktop? [ducks]
I reserve the right to be wrong.
Windows users are prepared for viruses...
What bizarro Earth are you from?
If they can't find convenient vectors, then the ability to produce a fat binary is useless.
Unfortunately, there's a very convenient vector indeed sat at the keyboard of the vast majority of PCs.
It's official. Most of you are morons.
I am curious about how this is a proof of concept virus if it has been done before surely the concept has already been proven?
It wasn't slashdotted last time?
FanFictionRecs.net
welcome our new cross-platform proof-of-concept viral overlords.
Its almost like playing buzzword bingo.
Well it's about time! Finally inter-platform operability.
The race isn't always to the swift... but that's the way to bet!
"For those thinking their "pet" computer is invulnerable to the virus threat -- it's not," SANS said.
Dammit! And I thought using 70s technology would keep me safe from all these modern-day viruses.
This guy's the limit!
So, let's try guessing what the single one is... OpenBSD?
Virus Writer 1: Hmm, let's see... first we have to crack the unbreakable encryption on the root password...
Virus Writer 2: No, you idiot! You can't do that until you've found a security vulnerability in the operating system itself!
1: Well, there is the guy running the machine in the first place...
2: Yeah, like anyone would install a secure operating system that requires insane amounts of technical experience and just spontaneously fall for some virus scam thing...
1: I guess you're right then... oh well, back to waiting for another security hole...
Creative misinterpretation is your friend.
Sure they are. Here's the link.
H4WT P1CS V1RU5 PR0T3CTION CLICK H3RE
I have reverse-engineered the virus and discovered an insiduous distribution mechanism:
I'm just recompiling my kernel without support for ELF binaries. Just a quick reboot, and I'
perl -e 'foreach(values %SIG){$_="IGNORE";}while(){}'
Woah, not my Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor)? Nooooo..... I *love* that chicklet keyboard. And the awesome monochrome graphics. They have the playing card suits built in as *characters*, mind you. You can 1000 PRINT them in the built in BASIC!
Let me tell you, though, it was a bitch getting an entire TCP/IP stack working in the 4K of RAM and still have room for a web browser. And don't even get me started on how hard it was to get 100BaseT working over the exapasion port.
Guess it's finally time to retire the old PET.
The linux version comes with WINE ;-)
When it says 'linux and windows', it will no doubt mean linux-x86, which means that java type code isn't required, as the processor instructions are the same (it's apparently written in assembly code). System calls would have to be done differently, as would inserting the code into an elf/exe file to infect it. One way I guess would be to have different entry points into the code, the linux/windows machines would start running at a different point within the code, but when infecting a new file, it would copy both sections of code into it, rather than just the bit that's running. You could in theory make a virus that will spread to many more systems, but each one makes the resulting virus larger.
The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
It was called Win32S, and actually worked amazingly well. I only ever had 1 programme not work, and that was a quiz programme called "You don't know Jack". This americanism confused me greatly, and I was very annoyed that I couldn't run it and find out who Jack was.
Yet another proof of concept Linux virus that will never actually get out of the lab...oh wait, it's also a Windows virus. I guess it will get out of the lab...
I believe the parent is correct. e.g. the chicken is prepared for the oven...
To Infect your Linux box with Virus.Linux.Bi.a, please follow these instructions.
Enjoy
-- Will program for bandwidth
Steve Jobs' lawyer may come knocking at the author's door handling him a sub-poena about infringing Universal Binary patents.
And Mac fanboys may go about arguing that Windows and Linux are mere copy-cats and that they were the first to have Universal Binaries.
As a first step in this direction, I recommend placing the execution stack in ROM. Following that, we can move towards a ROM heap, and maybe ROM-based disk drives.
LRC, the best-read libertarian site on the web