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Rootkit May Be Behind Windows Blue Screen

Posted by kdawson on from the pre-owned dept.

L3sPau1 writes "A rootkit infection may be the cause of a Windows Blue Screen of Death issue experienced by Windows XP users who applied the latest round of Microsoft patches. It appears that the affected Windows PCs had the rootkit infection prior to deploying the Microsoft patches. Researcher Patrick W. Barnes, investigating the issue, has isolated the infection to the Windows atapi.sys file, a driver used by Windows to connect hard drives and other components. Barnes identified the infection as the Tdss-rootkit, which surfaced last November and has been spreading quickly, creating zombie machines for botnet activity."

11 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Sounds like a good thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's one way of forcing users to take care of an infection.

    Let me try to respin it into an anti-Microsoft jab:

    Windows API is such a jumbled mess of spaghetti code that not even low-level processes related to accessing the hard drive are safe from updates!

     

  2. Inadequate regression testing by Ralish · · Score: 5, Funny

    Next time you might consider doing some backwards compatibility testing with popular rootkits, yes? Just a free tip Microsoft!

    1. Re:Inadequate regression testing by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 4, Funny

      Next time you might consider doing some backwards compatibility testing with popular rootkits, yes? Just a free tip Microsoft!

      But if we do, the makers of less-popular rootkits could sue us in EU for monopolistic preferential treatment! ~

  3. Bug-for-bug compatible by Balial · · Score: 1, Funny

    Does this mean Microsoft is going to have to support and test malware and remain bug-for-bug compatible to avoid bad press in future? That'd be awesome... "we can't accept this fix, it's not compatible with the great zombie bot of '10".

  4. "It's not a bug, it's a feature" by davidwr · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Yes, our security update crashed your computer. We hope you enjoyed our anti-rootkit feature."

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  5. "Rootkit May Be Behind Windows Blue Screen" by thatskinnyguy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Rootkit? I don't see it. Maybe it's because this damn blue screen is blocking my view.

    --
    The game.
  6. Re:Sounds like a good thing by SCPaPaJoe · · Score: 3, Funny

    I sure am glad I have Vista!!!

  7. Re:Sounds like a good thing by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2, Funny

    I sure am glad I have Vista!!!

    I understand each of the words.
    I can pronounce all the syllables.
    Yet this string will not register in my brain...
    It's as if this arrangement of characters should not be.
    Like some great sacrilege has sprung into being.

    --
    You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  8. Good way to lose users by DeadCatX2 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Several weeks ago, I worked on a PC that was probably infected after doing a few Google Image Searches or browsing DeviantArt or something of that nature. I tried multiple virus/malware programs (AVG, Avast, Adaware, MalwareBytes, Spybot). I thought I got rid of the infection...then a Windows Update caused her computer to blue screen on boot.

    My solution?

    http://www.ubuntu.com/GetUbuntu/download

    --
    :(){ :|:& };:
  9. Re:MOD PARENT UP by nschubach · · Score: 2, Funny

    AC's don't get mod points! ;)

    --
    Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
  10. Re:Ah, well, that lets Microsoft off the hook then by rarel · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have a scanner, it's an Epson something. Doesn't do a damn thing, always gives me just a picture. These things are such a ripoff... :/