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Instant Messaging Vulnerable To New Smiley Attacks

titus writes "Security researchers Yoann Guillot and Julien Tinnes have found a way to encode malicious code into smileys and provided a proof of concept encoder to automate the process. The researchers said their discovery paves the way for IM malware that would be impossible to detect since the malicious code would be 'indistinguishable from genuine chat messages.' I've tested the proof of concept code which works very well. Time to panic?"

170 comments

  1. Virus Smiles!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Uh-oh, I knew all those 14 year old girls were really 1337 ha>0rz...

    1. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by Leafheart · · Score: 5, Funny

      I thought that was the reason for all the "Download best smiles EVER for MSN" links I saw around.

      --
      --- "When you gotta do something wrong. You gotta do it right. (Fighter)"
    2. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by ShadowBlasko · · Score: 2, Funny

      There are no girls on instant messenger... You know that!

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order- Ed Howdershelt Via Tass
    3. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by Nukenbar · · Score: 2

      Were they sending this? :(){ :|:& };:

    4. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I liked this idea better than /.'s sorry excuse for humor.

    5. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by sunami88 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Dad: Who hacked us!?

      Granny: idk my bff jill?

      I'll go kill myself now.

      --
      Sex. Drugs, and Unix.
    6. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ummm you didn't specify the age of your smiley, that better not be child pr0n.

    7. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by spintriae · · Score: 1

      Actually, they're FBI agents.

    8. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by stfvon007 · · Score: 1

      Thanks for joining my botnet by reading this comment! :)

      --
      All misspellings and grammatical errors in the above post are intentional and part of my artistic expression.
    9. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      :(){ :|:& };:

      See? It is true!!!

      PS -- don't paste that into a shell terminal unless you use ulimit to limit the number of processes per user, because it will fork bomb.

    10. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by collinstocks · · Score: 3, Informative

      It is not wise to post such things... there are people who actually would paste that into a terminal despite your warning.

      The way it works is as follows: :(){ something } # this is a valid function declaration which does something
      program1|program2 # this runs both program1 and program2, and pipes the output of one to the other
      command& # this runs a command in the background (i.e. non-blocking)
      ; # this is a line break
      : # this is a valid function call

      So, it makes a recursive function which calls itself twice from within the body of the code. Since it calls itself non-blocking, there is no infinite recursion error. On the next line, it calls the function.

      So, each parent function call spawns two children, and each child spawns two children, et cetera. This can easily bring down a system that is not securely configured (that is, most systems).

    11. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by ThePengwin · · Score: 1

      A girl sending that must really love to fork

    12. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by pbhj · · Score: 1

      Even knowing what a fork bomb will do .. I still want to try it. Can't wait to get home to my VM now.

    13. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by fnj · · Score: 1

      Dad: Who hacked us!?

      Mechanic: Somebody set up us the bomb.
      Operator: We get signal.
      Captain: What !
      Operator: Main screen turn on.
      Captain: It's you !!

  2. Take that! :-) by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 5, Funny

    And that! :-) (-:

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  3. :) and :-) by superpaladin · · Score: 2, Interesting

    which is safer?

    1. Re::) and :-) by VeNoM0619 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Not the ugly one, that's for sure, otherwise you find yourself handcuffed to a bed with a hangover.

      --
      Disclaimer: I am not god.
      We may not be created equal
      But we can be treated equal.
  4. Awesome by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

          ; ) .... now u r mine

    1. Re:Awesome by RichardJenkins · · Score: 1

      Watch out, here comes a cyber-attack from China

    2. Re:Awesome by GMFTatsujin · · Score: 5, Funny

      ^_^

  5. omgponies! :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    :P pwned! :D

  6. Very.. by kheldan · · Score: 1

    ..effing funny. You guys should be on stage in Vegas or something.

    --
    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    1. Re:Very.. by Brett+Buck · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, opening for Kathy Griffin.

            April Fools Day is always a great opportunity to see that computer nerd humor is every bit as good as computer nerd social skills and personal hygiene.

              Brett

    2. Re:Very.. by Icegryphon · · Score: 0

      That place is reserved for magical trevor whom everyone loves.

    3. Re:Very.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      "computer nerd... every bit"

      har har

    4. Re:Very.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      hahaha... yours was the first post here that actually made me laugh.

    5. Re:Very.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which reminds me... we're the first of the month. Today is shower day!

    6. Re:Very.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kathy Griffin is an unfunny ugly biotch.

    7. Re:Very.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which reminds me... we're the first of the month. Today is shower day!

      I'll go get the fire hose, you bring the lye.

    8. Re:Very.. by Runaway1956 · · Score: 1

      Hygiene? What is that?  A new computer language?

      --
      "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
  7. Disabled... by TurboNed · · Score: 1

    This is why I've disabled my smilies and only post mine backwards so they don't get parsed. I don't want to be considered a hacker... (-:

    1. Re:Disabled... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Based on a number of your posts, I would say that you absolutely are not a hacker. But I am also guessing that you are not capable of being a cracker or even a SK.

  8. thats a good one by stocke2 · · Score: 0

    this is one of the funniest I have heard today, along with the squeeze bacon from thinkgeek

    --
    A Smith & Wesson beats four aces -- Murphy's Law of Poker
    1. Re:thats a good one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Squeeze Bacon was a Aprils Fool's Joke, damn was going to get me some.

  9. Yay! by Dishevel · · Score: 1

    I can't decide if I should even give a shit. Smileys deserve to be filled with a viral infection. Happy little fuckers.

    --
    Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    1. Re:Yay! by Exawatt · · Score: 1

      Is that you, ":-("?

    2. Re:Yay! by Dishevel · · Score: 1

      Or :)

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
  10. DAMMIT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I knew that frowny face was out to get me!

  11. In the spirit by tsstahl · · Score: 2, Insightful

    For the love of all that's decent, make it stop!

    Publishing these holes only encourages further malicious activity!

    1. Re:In the spirit by evilbessie · · Score: 1

      I believe what you meant to say was *sigh*, it's not going to stop today. You knew it was coming you could just have avoided the interwebs today.

  12. Mom was right. by rackserverdeals · · Score: 4, Funny

    Smiles are contagious.

    --
    Dual Opteron < $600
    1. Re:Mom was right. by koterica · · Score: 2, Funny

      So is herpes. A coincidence? I think not.

  13. Oh my god.... by xmason · · Score: 0

    ...the quarterback is toast. :) :) :) :)

    PWN3D!

    --
    I'm not cool enough to have a .sig
  14. Great... by pak9rabid · · Score: 1

    So now I've gotta disinfect my women and my smileys...a pox on you all!

    1. Re:Great... by EkriirkE · · Score: 1

      Bitches love smiley faces.

      --
      from 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
      to 45 2F 6E 40 3C DF 10 71 4E 41 DF AA 25 7D 31 3F
  15. :) i R in yer smiliez... by Phizzle · · Score: 1

    fuxx0ring your computerz.

    --
    I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
  16. Stop. Really, just stop by arkham6 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Please? OK? One or two stories is acceptable, even if they are not funny. Multiple stories each year is just annoying.

    1. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by smolloy · · Score: 1

      Hear hear.

      Enough is enough. One story per year please. Thank you.

    2. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by kclittle · · Score: 1, Funny

      Flamebait??? He's spot on. Mod him "goddamn right!"

      --
      Generally, bash is superior to python in those environments where python is not installed.
    3. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Vohar · · Score: 1

      Yeah, they're really running it into the ground. Wish I had mod points to undo that 'flamebaid' mod he got.

      Leave that poor dead horse alone!

    4. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Flamebait??? He's spot on. Mod him "goddamn right!"

      Slashdot is operational 364 days a year. One day of silliness and it's BITCHBITCHBITCHBITCHBITCH. Your problem's between the chair and the keyboard.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    5. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by poena.dare · · Score: 4, Funny

      Your problem's between the chair and the keyboard.

      Nothing wrong with my penis. What you talkin about Willis?

    6. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by JCSoRocks · · Score: 1

      I concur. My PEBKAC scanner went apecrap when I scrolled by the GP's post.

      Now then, anyone hear anything about a patch for this smiley virus?

      --
      You are using English. Please learn the difference between loose and lose; they're, there, and their; your and you're.
    7. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem is: It's full of this BS storys and they keep coming. Some of them were ok but this one in particular wasn't even remotely funny.

      Just leave it at two or three April Fools' stories next year but don't spam everything.

    8. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or you could just chalk it up to a not-useful-Slashdot day and let it go. Seriously, every year we go through this. It's utterly predicatble and not worth getting uspet about anymore.

    9. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by bitt3n · · Score: 3, Insightful

      the real amusement here is watching all the hissy fits these joke articles cause by momentarily interrupting weighty discussions on the legal implications of copyrighting a cloud pattern, or whether Steve Jobs should pop that zit on his chin.

    10. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by blackfrancis75 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Slashdot is operational 364 days a year.

      actually 364.24222 days a year .. and you call yourself a nerd?

    11. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Slashdot is operational 364 days a year. One day of silliness and it's BITCHBITCHBITCHBITCHBITCH.

      In other words, no different than the other 364 days.

    12. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OMG PONIEZ!

    13. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you take into account
      the downtime mr. black,
      downtime?

    14. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right on.

    15. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by pbhj · · Score: 1

      Slashdot is operational 364 days a year.

      actually 364.24222 days a year .. and you call yourself a nerd?

      I think he was allowing for 348 mins of downtime.

    16. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Tim+C · · Score: 1

      Well, if you ask me the whole point of April Fool's Day is to try to fool people into believing something that isn't true - hence the name. (Or alternatively, fool them into not believing something that is true)

      Posting half a dozen (or more) obviously fictitious stories doesn't seem to be in that spirit to me. That's what irks me, not so much the deluge of stupid stories but the apparent missing of the entire point of the day.

    17. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      "Willis"? I just named mine "penis". Go figure.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    18. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by blackfrancis75 · · Score: 1

      Damn that conficker ;)

    19. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      Oh please. This isn't about the 'spirit' of April Fools, it's about people not being able to disconnect from Slashdot for a day. "One predictable day out of the year is useless, so subscribing is a total waste of money! BITCHBITCHBITCHBITCHBITCH!!!

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    20. Re:Stop. Really, just stop by Kuukai · · Score: 1

      At least they're not dupes...

      --
      Sendou Wave Kick!!
  17. :D by DrugCheese · · Score: 1

    How about you just turn off those annoying smiles then? Problem solved?

    I prefer text based emoticons anyway :p

    --
    *DrugCheese rants*
    1. Re::D by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Mark my word. Next year, this day, there'll be a slashdot front page story...about security risk in using to text based emoticons.

      And people will spend the year working on the exploit.

    2. Re::D by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about you just turn off those annoying smiles then? Problem solved?

      Because sometimes you just cant express yourself properly without a few dozen 3 inch wide smileys with glitter text

  18. Smiley Already Used as Harbinger of Doom by hduff · · Score: 1

    Smiley Already Used as Harbinger of Doom http://www.socuteurl.com/waddlypuppet

    --
    "I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
  19. Virus Variant by JerryLove · · Score: 5, Funny

    As I understand it, there is already a variant out undetectable to anti-smiley software as it embeds itself in a frowny-face.

    I wonder if it's transmittable on a discussion board as well? :(

    1. Re:Virus Variant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh no, I'm infected !!!

  20. PIDGIN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    JUST DO IT

  21. The obvious question: by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 1

    "Why so serious?"

  22. Re:Take that! :-) by clampolo · · Score: 1

    :-() (==========B And let that be a lesson to you

  23. My favorite holiday by Weaselmancer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Slashdot Is Broken Day!"

    Oh please, please someone post a release date for Duke Nukem Forever! Or a story about how Microsoft is publishing their source code base under the GPL.

    IT'S NOT TIRED AND BORING AT ALL.

    --
    Weaselmancer
    rediculous.
    1. Re:My favorite holiday by Dun+Malg · · Score: 2

      The only positive thing I can say about today is that it's better than it was a a year or two ago, when every fucking story was a joke, and not a single one of them was even the slightest bit clever or believable. This one story at least has the obfuscation of assembly language to make it look plausible, and we have a real blurb about conficker, so we're already ahead.

      --
      If a job's not worth doing, it's not worth doing right.
    2. Re:My favorite holiday by Petrushka · · Score: 1

      Oh please, please someone post a release date for Duke Nukem Forever!

      Thing is, no one would believe that. Though a lot of people might well believe the story about a Duke Nukem trilogy for NDS and PSP being released. It may even be true ...

    3. Re:My favorite holiday by davygrvy · · Score: 1

      BUT WHERE ARE THE PONIES!!??

      --
      -=[ place .sig here ]=-
    4. Re:My favorite holiday by shadowbearer · · Score: 1

      The only thing I've not seen on here today is a good joke about grits.

        Come on! Such a huge talent pool, and not one good gritty joke?

        Slashdot has indeed gone downhill...

      SB

      --
      It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
    5. Re:My favorite holiday by PitaBred · · Score: 1

      Looks like SOMEBODY has a case of the Mondays!

      Which is strange, because it's Wednesday.

    6. Re:My favorite holiday by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually it's not obfuscation, it *is* a smiley shellcode encoder, and it really works. But of course this has no security implications.

    7. Re:My favorite holiday by rts008 · · Score: 1

      ...and we have a real blurb about conficker, so we're already ahead.

      Well, I hate to break it to you, but that conficker blurb was also....No I can't do that to you.

      Just don't RTFA. It will take that one little bright gem of your day away.

      --
      Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
    8. Re:My favorite holiday by geekoid · · Score: 1

      I'm glad we all agree.

      I like it.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    9. Re:My favorite holiday by Chlorine+Trifluoride · · Score: 1

      woosh?

  24. some text by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    \(^-^)/ ...stupid filter

  25. Re:Take that! :-) by Jason+Levine · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ack! Now I'm :-) infected. How could :-) you go posting :-) such a virulent :-) virus where :-) everyone could see i:-)t? I thin:-)k th:-)e inf:-)ect:-)ion's g:-)et:-)tin:-)g wo:-)rs:-)e n:-)o:-)w. I:-)'m of:-)f t:-)o pa:-)t:-)ch:-) m:-)y s:-)ys:-)te:-)m. :-):-):-):-):-)

    --
    My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  26. More fun with smilies... by 6Yankee · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've always thought that it would be far more fun to get into someone's system (actually, lots of people's systems) and replace the smiley images. You send :) and, instead of getting a smiley face, they see an image that contains a sexually explicit proposition in the default MSN font. Imagine the chaos.

    Fortunately for the world, I can't write viruses. :D

    1. Re:More fun with smilies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How dare you post such filth!

    2. Re:More fun with smilies... by EkriirkE · · Score: 3, Funny

      :O -> goatse.jpg
      :O~ -> tubgirl.jpg
      :x -> lemonparty.jpg
      :S -> meatspin.gif

      --
      from 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
      to 45 2F 6E 40 3C DF 10 71 4E 41 DF AA 25 7D 31 3F
  27. MOD PARENT UP! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    this crap is just getting old.

  28. :(){ :|:& };: anyone? by TinBromide · · Score: 5, Informative

    :(){ :|:& };:

    There, punch that into your terminal and see the poweer of the smiley.

    --
    Is it sad that I am more likely to recognize you and your posts by your sig than your name or UID?
  29. This is the one to watch out for by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 3, Funny

    8===D

    It always leads to trouble.

    1. Re:This is the one to watch out for by AmigaHeretic · · Score: 1

      I more concerned with this one:

      8===D (!)

      Stay away from my @ss!!

    2. Re:This is the one to watch out for by Friday · · Score: 2, Funny

      I more concerned with this one:

      8===D (!)

      Stay away from my @ss!!

      Or it'll end up looking like this.. =(*)=

      -- Never thought I get the use the goatse emoticon in a real posting ;)

  30. Bugtraq by just_another_sean · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I received this in a bugtraq message earlier and just ignored it, thinking huh, I should read that later. Having read it here I went back and checked it out in full. Did anyone actually run the Ruby code attached to the blog/bugtraq?

    --
    Creationist Textbook Stickers Declared Unconstitutional by CowboyNeal
  31. Porn virus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    8===D

  32. Oh now I get it! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You ONLY publish April Fools' news!
    I was reading through the main page thinking what the hell.

  33. The problem with /. April fool's... by PinkyDead · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...is that some of the real stories are less plausible.

    --
    Genesis 1:32 And God typed :wq!
    1. Re:The problem with /. April fool's... by shadowbearer · · Score: 1

        It's amazing that we haven't had any stories about economic recovery today.

      SB

      --
      It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
  34. I've discovered a similar vulnerability by jollyreaper · · Score: 1

    (o)(o) - here's a vulnerability encoded in bewbs.

    I would have more examples but Slashdot refuses to render characters in a fixed-width fashion, foiling any further attempts at character art jokes.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    1. Re:I've discovered a similar vulnerability by bcmm · · Score: 1
      From parent:

      I would have more examples but Slashdot refuses to render characters in a fixed-width fashion, foiling any further attempts at character art jokes.

      .__. '' ._.
      | . \ ' | |o it doesn't. It does however, stop posts which contain an
      | |\ \' | | excessive proportion of ASCII art. Thankfully, this paragraph,
      | | \ \ | | when combined with your quote, is sufficient 'proper text'
      | | '\ \| | for me to get away with the this post. The single quotes are
      |_| ' \___| needed because /. does not allow two consecutive spaces.

      --
      # cat /dev/mem | strings | grep -i llama
      Damn, my RAM is full of llamas.
    2. Re:I've discovered a similar vulnerability by bcmm · · Score: 1

      Of course, I should've done the whole post "code" formatted, which, unlike the ecode tag, doesn't treat double spaces the HTML way (which is odd behaviour in the first place for a tag which can contain angle brackets).

      --
      # cat /dev/mem | strings | grep -i llama
      Damn, my RAM is full of llamas.
  35. So? by CopaceticOpus · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That's nothing, I can insert malicious code into the space between those smileys.

  36. obligatory xkcd by WhiteDragon · · Score: 4, Funny
    --
    Did you mount a military-grade, variable-focus MASER on an unlicensed artificial intelligence?
    1. Re:obligatory xkcd by A.+B3ttik · · Score: 1

      I think I need someone to explain this one to me. :-\

    2. Re:obligatory xkcd by Kozz · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's a basilisk.

      --
      I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
  37. High payload by renrutal · · Score: 1

    Σ(ï¾YÐ"ï¾Y)

    1. Re:High payload by renrutal · · Score: 1

      It seems Slashdot blocks malware in Unicode...

    2. Re:High payload by dingo8baby · · Score: 1

      too much Zalgo. ÒÌÌzÌYÌÌ-Ì--ÌÌ(TM)ÒÌÌzÌYÌÌ-Ì--ÌÌ(TM)ÒÌÌzÌYÌÌ-Ì--ÌÌ(TM)ÒÌÌzÌYÌÌ-Ì--ÌÌ(TM)ÒÌÌzÌYÌÌ-Ì--ÌÌ(TM)ÒÌÌzÌYÌÌ-Ì--ÌÌ(TM)ÒÌÌzÌYÌÌ-Ì--ÌÌ(TM) ---HÒÌÌzÌYÌÌ-Ì--ÌÌ(TM)... :(

    3. Re:High payload by Mindcontrolled · · Score: 1

      £(ï¾YÐ"ï¾Y

      APL doesn't count...

      --
      Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.
  38. Sodomy by AmigaHeretic · · Score: 0

    8-------> ( ! )

  39. Re:Take that! :-) by weirdcrashingnoises · · Score: 1

    this is just g:Pting god d:-)m rediclo:)!

    --
    sigs... don't talk to me about sigs....
  40. what a relief! by f4k3r · · Score: 0

    i think it would be pretty awesome if all those people who can't use their native language well enough to express their mood/feelings with words would just magically go offline ... that would be a great day!

  41. Yay! The Smiley of Death! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Ah, the Smiley of Death! Long time no see.

    Yes, I have seen people reboot their PC because of him, tho I tend to use the less virulent :(){:|:};: on the innocent, as it gives them a sporting chance of stopping it...

    But who's innocent these days? MWUAHAHA! :(){:|:&:}:&: !!!

  42. A real april fools would have been... by jw3 · · Score: 1

    ...if one of these hard to believe, so obviously April Fools stories actually turned out to be true. That would have been the *real* April Fools in a really good style. An artfully crafted provocation, made to look stupid and be almost unbelievable... everybody takes it for another lame joke -- and then... tada! April Fools! Your computer actually was compromised by a malicious smiley.

    Because until now, the April Fools day on slashdot is ...sad.

    j.

    1. Re:A real april fools would have been... by Petrushka · · Score: 1

      ...if one of these hard to believe, so obviously April Fools stories actually turned out to be true.

      Remember when Gmail launched?

    2. Re:A real april fools would have been... by geekoid · · Score: 1

      Because until now, the April Fools day on slashdot is ...fun.

      There, fixed it for you~

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  43. STOP PRESS! Slashcode is also vulnerable! by daybot · · Score: 2, Funny

    :O

  44. Stop this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Will you please stop this now?

  45. Moderating by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have moderator points pending. Is there a way to moderate a submitted story as "unfunny"?

    j.

  46. Warning! by digitac · · Score: 3, Funny

    Slashdot vulnerable to lame April Fools' jokes! Cease using immediately for at least 24 hours.

    This message brought to you by the Association of Simpleminded Slashdot Humor Adversion Team

  47. (: Global impact (: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So...

    Does it work in Australia?

  48. Did anyone actually run the code? by fader · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm paranoid, as my idea of a good AFJ would be publishing genuinely malicious code as joke malicious code.

    --
    - fader
    1. Re:Did anyone actually run the code? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Harmless! It is really a shellcode smiley encoder.

  49. DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ARE you STUPID or waht?
    DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY ?
    do you even HAVS A BRAIN ?
    Why don't you just stop posting here right now like forever and evr ?

    1. Re:DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY ? by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      What's funny is that my first reaction as I read the article was, "doesn't yeast produce wastes that are foreign and toxic to the human body?" And wouldn't you know it, the next section was entitled, "Waste problem". Guess they're reading my mind. :-P

      :(

      :~(

    2. Re:DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY ? by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      Oops, sorry, that was a failure of copying, pasting, and previewing... uh... intentionally. April fools?

  50. Yawn.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    I'm getting really bored at all these silly April 1st stories.

    I think for a little excitement I should go and punch Cowboy Neal in the face and kick him in the nutsack too.

    Now don't you think that would be funny?

  51. Re:Take that! :-) by saskboy · · Score: 1

    Fortunately (-: reverses the :-) infection. (-:

    The trick is getting the infectious smilies and disinfecting smilies into perfect balance. McAfee and Symantec will have products available for that shortly, sure to take your smile away when you pay them for the anti-smile software.

    --
    Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
  52. You know... by WarpCode · · Score: 3, Funny

    Regardless of it being a harmless April fools joke, Symantec is probably all ready working on a "Smiley Face Blocker".... And people will buy it...

    1. Re:You know... by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 2, Funny

      And then they will repackage it as Emoticon Exterminator Enterprise Edition...and corporations will buy it...

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    2. Re:You know... by argent · · Score: 1

      If I never see a graphical smiley again... it might make me consider giving Symantec some money again. :) was good enough for my generation, it should be good enough for you darn kids.

      And get off my lawn.

  53. Re:Take that! :-) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  54. Slashdot useless on April, 1st by fadir · · Score: 1

    One, if really necessary 2 subtle jokes are fine but this bombardement of nonsense is just annoying.

    Those "jokes" are so obvious, it's not even remotely entertaining.

  55. Too bad... by SebaSOFT · · Score: 1

    I don't want to be in your contact list...

    Oh April's fool! I get it! Is this supposed to be a joke? I'd stay with the lynx text browser....

  56. touche! ][:=~+ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you have to look at the mouseover text:
    "U+FDD0 is actually Unicode for eye of the basilisk, though for safety reasons no font actually renders it."

    On a similar note, take this!
    ][>:=~+

    http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=177

  57. don't panic by dkarma · · Score: 1

    Its just time to turn off smileys with that nice little checkbox most IMs have these days. smileys are a dumb misnomer anyway. a yellow face w/ a middle finger in the air is not smiley at all

  58. Bobby McFerrin says: by FelixNZ · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't worry about your data, be :)

  59. I can just imagine... by soapdog · · Score: 2

    You go typing: "I 3 you" and norton pops up... the horror, the horror...

    --
    -- Por mais que eu ande no vale das trevas e da morte, meu PowerMac G4 Não Travará!!!
  60. Yes, unicode strikes again. by dschmit1 · · Score: 1

    This asdfhsdhafiihueaein,,zuew and (.Y.) --that really aren't different. I guess I don't get how the smileys make a differences or why I can't just send my malicious messages with plain alphanumeric, or gasp! scripts, ie Japanese written word.

  61. Re:Take that! :-) by shadowbearer · · Score: 2

    *grin*

    --
    It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
  62. huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    g.d. april 1 aint over fast enough

  63. It's actually April the second by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So it isn't a joke.

    April fools day finished eight and a half hours ago in the real world (Australia) and even earlier for New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji etc

    And something similar for Japan, China, Korea, All south East Asia and the list goes on.

  64. In related news by blind+biker · · Score: 1

    "I fucked all your mothers" declared Louis CK during one of his stand-up routines.

    True story.

    --
    "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
  65. Re:Take that! :-) by lahvak · · Score: 2, Funny

    You can use a good programming editor when posting, something with syntax highlighting and parensbcwsmilies matching to keep your smilies properly balanced.

    I guess the way the infection works is you put so many smilies to make the message look like some sort of lisp code. The IM software gets confused, starts a lisp interpreter to make some sense of it, the unbalanced parenthesis cause a buffer overflow in the parser, ...

    --
    AccountKiller
  66. While this may well be a joke... by Wiseleo · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...in reality there are 3rd party smiley add-ons that work with IM software. You can recognize them by the "Your buddy sent you a smiley, to see it you need to install X software" type of IMs.

    That software is not exactly good for your computer either.

    For example: http://emoticons.smileycentral.com/yahoo-smileys.jsp

    And its EULA http://helpint.mywebsearch.com/intlinfo/eula/eula.jhtml

    Choice quotes from EULA

    UNIFIED REGISTRATION: As a service to our users, we may consolidate registration data for Webfetti, My Fun Cards, Kazulah, Smiley Central and certain other specified websites, services or applications accessible via the Toolbar, so that users are only required to provide registration information once, and would then be able to use the same unique ID and password to access all such websites, services or applications.

    Passwords. In order to access certain services, you may be required to accept additional terms and conditions and/or establish an account including an unique ID and password

    After reading that EULA, which references a bunch of other EULAs... that's enough to send my head spinning.

    --
    Leonid S. Knyshov
    Find me on Quora :)
  67. Geek License Revocation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's it. Hand in your card at the door.

    Revocation due to non-recognition of a fork bomb on sight.

    1. Re:Geek License Revocation. by Thinboy00 · · Score: 1

      Woosh!

      --
      $ make available
    2. Re:Geek License Revocation. by fractoid · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Fork bomb? I thought it was a smiley threesome.

      Then all of the participants had lots of kids. Lots and lots and lots of kids.

      --
      Rampant carbon sequestration destroyed the Dinosaurs' tropical paradise. I'm here to help repair the damage.
  68. Re anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OpenBSD and Solaris survive, linux fag.

  69. GO...THE FUCK...SOMEWHERE ELSE by LateArthurDent · · Score: 1

    IT'S NOT TIRED AND BORING AT ALL.

    What's tired and boring are people with no lives like you who don't want to be here and yet come along to post. And the idiot mods who modded you up for that.

    It's fine that you think it's dumb. That's your prerogative. So you can't quit slashdot for A DAY?

    I enjoyed this years' stories. I thought some of them were quite funny, as are the posts (except for people like you). You may think that makes me an idiot, and again, you're entitled to your opinion. But do you go around to every website on the internet that you think is stupid to post how stupid you think it is?

    On second thought, you should do that. The internet is a big place, and if that task keeps you busy and away from here, we both win.

  70. This is real you guys by wiedzmin · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is not a hoax, this is real you guys... I'm cereal!

    --
    Bow before me, for I am root.
  71. Not safe out there! by rts008 · · Score: 1

    Gahh!
    Wouldn't you know, I switch to Lynx to avoid getting goatse'd and RickRolled...and what do you do? ASCI goatse!!
    You're despicable, evil, and talented!

    --
    Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
  72. Re anyone? by Aeolien · · Score: 1

    Any guesses as to how many newb-owned computers he just hosed?

  73. Dammit by nog_lorp · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I stared at the PoC and the outputs wondering how the fuck they thought this was supposed to actually be run by the target, before remembering what day it was.

    1. Re:Dammit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But the jokes on them, as everyone knows if you do a prank after mid-day, YOU are the fool..

      What a bunch of clueless fools.

  74. Re: anyone? by darkcatalyst · · Score: 1

    You forking bastard!

    --
    This is what entropy is for.
  75. Re:crap anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    that wasn't fun at all. I had to restart my computer. I specifically got ubuntu windows instead of microsoft because of this kind of crap!

  76. Re:crap anyone? by TinBromide · · Score: 1

    that wasn't fun at all. I had to restart my computer. I specifically got ubuntu windows instead of microsoft because of this kind of crap!

    You ever see that old yarn about a linux virus? Please copy and paste this... blah blah blah?

    --
    Is it sad that I am more likely to recognize you and your posts by your sig than your name or UID?
  77. hilarious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do you know what's absolutely hilarious? You reading slashdot on april fools and posting about how much you hate it. I mean, you, the person who posted this.

    What's the matter? Can't follow your own advice? You know the type of stories you can expect here today, and if you've forgotten what day it was, you were quickly reminded once you first saw these stories. Instead you felt the need to click on "read more" on one of those hated unfunny stories, and post about how bad everything is. Then you came back, and felt like replying to the other dude. Imagine what else you could have done with that time :)

  78. A geek girl on LJ is getting it as a tattoo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    :(){ :|:& };:

    YAY!

  79. stone age by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why should this be allowed to kill a workstation?

     

  80. Re:Take that! :-) by BenoitRen · · Score: 1

    inf:-)ect:-)ion's

    Looks like your grammar was infected as well.

  81. achievment searching by fbartho · · Score: 1

    Seeing this article, made me think of the XKCD post about how the guy won't get back in bed with his girlfriend because "Someone is wrong on the internet!"

    I couldn't avoid reading this even though "That's not how it works... GAH!"

    --
    Gravity Sucks
  82. Re:Take that! :-) by Jake+Griffin · · Score: 1

    "infection's" being short for "infection is"? How is that wrong?

    --
    SIG FAULT: Post index out of bounds.
  83. Re:Take that! :-) by BenoitRen · · Score: 1

    Oh, right. My bad. Damn smilies.

  84. Everybody knows... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is not new.
    Everybody knows that smiles are contagious.