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What We Know About the FBI's CIPAV Spyware

StonyandCher writes "What is CIPAV? CIPAV stands for 'Computer and Internet Protocol Address Verifier'; a lengthy term for powerful spyware the Federal Bureau of Investigation can bring to bear on web-based crime. It was used last month in a case where someone was emailing bomb threats regularly to a Washington high school. An affidavit by an FBI agent revealed some of the workings of CIPAV. 'According to the court filing, this is [some of] what the CIPAV collects from the infected computer: IP address, Media Access Control address for the network card, List of open TCP and UDP ports, List of running programs ... Last visited URL. Once that initial inventory is conducted, the CIPAV slips into the background and silently monitors all outbound communication, logging every IP address to which the computer connects, and time and date stamping each.' In a Computerworld article, the author attempts to dissect CIPAV's purpose and raises a number of questions such as: What happens to the data the CIPAV collects? Does the CIPAV capture keystrokes? Can the CIPAV spread on its own to other computers, either purposefully or by accident? Does it erase itself after its job is done?"

4 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. Nice acronym but... by Statecraftsman · · Score: 4, Funny

    can't we just continue calling this Vista?

  2. Re:does it... by HaeMaker · · Score: 4, Funny

    Let's find out...

    "Mr. Gman from Quantico, VA has sent you an eGreetingCard from Flowers By Irene! Just open this P.D.F. file to view..."

  3. Let's check... by Jeff+Carr · · Score: 5, Funny

    $sudo apt-get remove cipav
    Reading package lists... Done
    Building dependency tree
    Reading state information... Done
    E: Couldn't find package cipav

    Whew, safe!

    --
    The television will not be revolutionized.
  4. Re:address is 192.168.0.100 by ArcherB · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just look for the guy with that address!

    It most do a trace route/phone home or somthing to actually get a useful address


    As opposed to the guy at 127.0.0.1! I hacked into his machine once, but that bastard had some sort of active defense daemon running that wiped my drive at the same time I was trying to wipe his!

    Fortunately, I was able to see the porno pics of his wife before I was hit. Man! That bitch was FUGLY!

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