Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Russian Police Know Who Wrote Gpcode Virus

Posted by timothy on from the nyet-nyet-nyet- dept.

rifles only writes "Russian police almost certainly know the identity of the programmer responsible for the frightening 'ransomware' crypto virus, Gpcode, which has hit the Internet several times since 2006, says a story at Techworld, which has tapped a Kaspersky Lab researcher. Gpcode used 1024-bit RSA/128-bit RC4 to lock up victims' data, an uncrackable combination that left the world with only one solution: find the virus author to get the master key. So why don't the cops do anything? Good question, but this is Russia we're talking about."

36 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. In Soviet Russia . . . by Eg0Death · · Score: 5, Funny

    . . . virus encrypts you!

    --
    Why is this thus? What is the reason for this thusness?
  2. The enemy of my enemy is my friend by zappepcs · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Who is to say that Russian authorities are not using this coder as a cover for much more malicious activities? All we know is that there is a virus that encrypts your data. What is it that we don't know yet?

    --
    Support NYCountryLawyer RIAA vs People
    1. Re:The enemy of my enemy is my friend by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Who is to say that Russian authorities are not using this coder as a cover for much more malicious activities?

      No, no - they are TRYING to get him, but he lives in Georgia.

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
    2. Re:The enemy of my enemy is my friend by martyb · · Score: 5, Funny

      All we know is that there is a virus that encrypts your data. What is it that we don't know yet?

      I'll take a stab at that one: the decryption key! <grin>

    3. Re:The enemy of my enemy is my friend by kestasjk · · Score: 5, Informative

      Who is to say that Russian authorities are not using this coder as a cover for much more malicious activities? All we know is that there is a virus that encrypts your data. What is it that we don't know yet?

      I've read the RTFA, if you thought "Russian KGB are letting mysterious virus author do as he wishes" was too bizarre to be true you're right.

      This is how it breaks down:

      • The virus author contacted Kaspersky asking for money for the tool to decrypt the encrypted files
      • Kaspersky attempted to trace the author, and found that (surprise, surprise) he is using various proxies in the US, Hungary, Russia, etc
      • Russian authorities apparently haven't rushed to the location of the Russian proxies (there's no mention of whether the US and Hungarian ones did)

      Implying that the KGB are the master-mind hackers of an intricate spiders web of zombie-PCs may be a little premature based on this techworld.com article..

      I wish there were sites which reported computer security news like it is, without the bullshit

      --
      // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
    4. Re:The enemy of my enemy is my friend by kestasjk · · Score: 4, Informative

      (Just to be 100% clear and frank "Russian Police Know Who Wrote Gpcode Virus" is just a plain lie)

      --
      // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
    5. Re:The enemy of my enemy is my friend by Vagnaard · · Score: 3, Informative
      Sorry to interupt you but :

      On December 21, 1995, the President of Russia Boris Yeltsin signed the decree that disbanded the KGB, which was then substituted by the FSB, the current domestic state security agency of the Russian Federation.

      --
      He had a baseball bat, and I was tied to a chair. Pissing him off was the smart thing to do. - Max Payne
    6. Re:The enemy of my enemy is my friend by billcopc · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yet again the summary misleads, but it's no secret the Russian authorities don't have the resources to investigate anything of importance, and that problem leads to the iconic corruption that brings it full-circle.'

      --
      -Billco, Fnarg.com
    7. Re:The enemy of my enemy is my friend by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 5, Funny

      MI6 knows who he is. They used to have pictures, but they lost them.

      --
      I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
    8. Re:The enemy of my enemy is my friend by jcrousedotcom · · Score: 4, Funny

      Well, I live in Florida, should I just drive up and get him/her? :)

      --
      Illiterate? Write for free help!
  3. what? by SolusSD · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Good question, but this is Russia we're talking about." ?? Someone care to enlighten me what that was about?

    1. Re:what? by binarylarry · · Score: 3, Funny

      In Soviet Slashdot, first post copies YOU!

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    2. Re:what? by The+Master+Control+P · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The implication is that the Russian government is explicitly corrupt and does not put on any pretense of enforcing the law but instead protects those with money or ties to money.

      See also: Russian Mafia.

    3. Re:what? by MoonlightSeraphim · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The implication is that the ... government ... protects those with money or ties to money.

      now if we look at it this way it is not much different from any other government.

    4. Re:what? by The+Master+Control+P · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Fools act because something must be done.
      The wise act because they have something to do.

      In any case, the question is how to survive the Subprime Mortgate Plane's crash-landing. In the short term, the fallout has left credit markets paralyzed with fear and waiting for the market to unjam itself would most likely prove unpalatably painful. If we aren't to act until we have a solution, what do you propose that we may act?

      Long term, obviously, the solution is to bring back the regulation that stopped this nonsense from happening in the first place. Time and time again, we've seen that the markets are great at setting short-term prices and astonishingly, abysmally bad at planning for the future (witness the subprime ponzi scheme). Back in the thoroughly unregulated Robber Baron era, we'd have bank runs and financial panics like this literally every 5-10 years. Since the markets clearly can't regulate themselves to prevent this kind of screwup, the government needs to step in and do so. But this is long-term prevention to keep the Subprime Mortgage Plane from ever taking off again; What do we do now that we're stuck on it?

    5. Re:what? by Bryan+Ischo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't know very much about the actual causes of this issue, however I do find it really annoying that someone must invariably turn the discussion into an "it's the Democrats' fault! No, it's the Republicans' fault!" waste of time. You cited only Democratic presidents (and president hopefuls) in your post. I find it VERY hard to believe that there isn't blame to be place on just about every politician out there, regardless of party. So why do you feel the need to try to make this issue partisan? It's attitudes like yours that turn intelligent discussion into useless time sinks, which is the root cause of the USA's political environment being so dysfunctional.

      In short: if voters use their brains, then they will elect politicians who use their brains. You are encouraging voters not to use their brains with arguments like yours. So you and people like you are the real root of the problem.

  4. So why don't the cops do anything? by Daimanta · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Simple. They have an ulterior motive in not dragging his ass to prison. That or they're lying. Or lazy.

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost.
    1. Re:So why don't the cops do anything? by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Informative

      Simple. They have an ulterior motive in not dragging his ass to prison. That or they're lying. Or lazy.

      Like cops the world over.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    2. Re:So why don't the cops do anything? by Eg0Death · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Probably along the lines of this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/07/AR2006040701972.html [washingtonpost.com]

      The picture this arcticle paints leads me to believe that proof is optional in the arrest, charge, convict process.

      --
      Why is this thus? What is the reason for this thusness?
    3. Re:So why don't the cops do anything? by phayes · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Theres a world of difference between knowing who did something, and having enough proof to be able to arrest them, charge them and convict them.

      There is a only a world of difference in countries that have an independant judiciary. In Putin's Russia where the judiciary is only there to serve as a fig leaf for Putin's ambitions, there is no difference at all...

      --
      Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
  5. Goodfellas by pete-classic · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So why don't the cops do anything?

    And when the cops assigned a whole army to stop Jimmy, what did he do?

    He made them partners.

    -Peter

  6. Tapped? by Hatta · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm not sure it's relevant who at Techworld is tapping who at Kaspersky Labs

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  7. Changes in the wind. by Ostracus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "According to Kaspersky, stopping ransomware-based malware in the future will require more effective law enforcement, the use of forensic software analysis to tie suspects to their malevolent creations, and possibly building restrictions into the Windows cryptographic software libraries used to create Gpcode itself."

    This concerns me more than what the cops do as pointed out in the story there's the difficulty of getting the money back to the ransomware author.

    --
    Shai Schticks:"You don't make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies"
    1. Re:Changes in the wind. by jimicus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "According to Kaspersky, stopping ransomware-based malware in the future will require more effective law enforcement, the use of forensic software analysis to tie suspects to their malevolent creations, and possibly building restrictions into the Windows cryptographic software libraries used to create Gpcode itself."

      Then Kaspersky are idiots - any malware author with half a brain will simply statically link their code with a stripped down OpenSSL library.

  8. This just in by Windows_NT · · Score: 4, Funny

    They'll never catch me, HAHAHA!
    # encrypt /mnt/cppp/super_secret_files /mnt/cppp/putins_wife.jpeg -a 1024 --key="motherland"

    --
    Go go Gadget Nailgun!
  9. ee+BfO3iVLaBGTTcTioI6Ax4 by BlackPignouf · · Score: 4, Funny

    hQIOA9E1fHW L3Cs+EAf+ LWFxdp1PrTde8Qie 1RCbJcYw+wje0tBapGwhioSd8+yQ
    1HgIDg7 zfLYXpPL4Pqlv FvyE810ZzpfzhcI2WhNI2O 1TT6pl8nXeEWbDr39TOXCf
    FNBkdmXnkZ /2+iF7/2ht/yAmNQm 4dX6v1BaHSHccN RTCsa74Rq58BfYKAJm2AEf/
    gI0eKtXH SUiCT 8MBdee+BfO3iVLaBGTTcT ioI6Ax45ODsz5zColQz0VJb99LmjGw
    AGVLf4dMLxm8WpZb Ni7RX8WLACnJAP t5MNhOee/J4 vwohQDrfQpux85HKsbQ6nFm
    6Q5HKf4 l68DyPo yYvuvNSg0TlYov03G xYxEA6T4xAwgAi7ahv huEhPFexhNru/S

    This highly interesting post has automatically been encrypted.
    Please Paypal-send 10$ to john.doe@gmail.com to read it!

    1. Re:ee+BfO3iVLaBGTTcTioI6Ax4 by beacher · · Score: 5, Funny

      B e s u r e t o d r i n k y o u r O v a l t i n e.

      Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!

  10. So why don't the cops do anything? by Richard_at_work · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Good question, but this is Russia we're talking about.

    Theres a world of difference between knowing who did something, and having enough proof to be able to arrest them, charge them and convict them.

  11. but how does it work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That's a good point someone brought up. In the situation of ransom, how
    will it ever work?
    If large amount of funds are transferred by bank, they can
    find and freeze the bank account.
    If large amount of funds are transferred in cash,
    the money can be traced so you would be caught if you use it.

    So What is the the point in ransoming in the current era? There must be
    something I am missing.

  12. Simple by Shivetya · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It is implied that in Russia there are no rights, if the government wants something or someone it doesn't think twice about getting it regardless of the ramifications.

    Of course that is not much different from Western Countries, we just like to pretend otherwise.

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
    1. Re:Simple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Wait, isn't this the modern Russia which has imprisoned and shut down all free media, poisoned the Ukranian head of state, also brazenly poisoning people in other countries. Holds Europe hostage with its petroleum, and Putin is now head of state for life.

      When the NYT's has a regime change by Bush after printing something unflattering to him, then come tell me that there is no difference.

  13. RC4 is broken, not unbeatable.. by nweaver · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ransomware crypto is not that effective: Backups are good, and the problem is payment is traceable.

    And RC4 isn't good for ransomware crypto, it IS broken, badly so.

    --
    Test your net with Netalyzr
    1. Re:RC4 is broken, not unbeatable.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      No, RC4 is NOT broken.

      What IS broken is the implementation required for 802.11 (Wireless LAN) (weak Initialisation Verctors).

  14. Re:in America by I'm+not+really+here · · Score: 5, Interesting
    DISCLAIMER: I have friends from each of the countries mentioned below, and do not think this of them or their countries of origin.

    It is not xenophobia, it is simply stereotyping other cultures. Not that this is the best behavior, but it is common. Here are a few others that are often seen bandied about:
    • French: Stuck up snobs who run away from any fight.
    • German: Stubborn amoral mules who are in denial of Hitler and the Nazi regimes atrocities.
    • Australian: Down-under hicks who always say "G'Day mayte"
    • Americans: Fat slobs who think they're better than everyone else
    • British: Inbred, with bad teeth
    • Africa: Everyone is poor, hungry, and lives in a mud hut.

    Now that I've evenly offended pretty much everyone, please read the following before modding me into oblivion:

    Stereotyping is what happens when somenoe only sees what little they see in the news or what little they see from video games or movies.

    People from France are people (some nice, some not). People from Germany are people (some nice, some not). Etc., etc...

    Point being - People are just people, but often, for convenience, people latch onto the stereotypes and just repeat those.

    To be honest, for many Americans, their understanding of Russia is likely as follows:
    AllOfMP3.com, Russian Mafia from movies, and the Cold War in the history books.

    It's sad, I know.

    --
    Before commenting on the Bible, please read it first
  15. There is no police in Russia by svadu · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's funny to mention there is no police in Russia, It's actually called militia :)

  16. Re:in America by Thiez · · Score: 5, Funny

    > Now that I've evenly offended pretty much everyone

    I was going to complain about how my country isn't on the list, but then I realized its very omission was offending me, implying it is small and insignificant. Sir, I must congratulate you on finding such an extremely concise way of offending the dutch.