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Microsoft Confirms Update-Linked BSODs Required Compromised Machines
Trailrunner7 writes "Microsoft on Thursday confirmed that the blue screen of death issues that affected a slew of users after the latest batch of Patch Tuesday updates is the result of an existing infection by the Alureon rootkit. There was widespread speculation after the patch release that simply installing the MS10-015 update was causing the BSOD condition on some Windows 32-bit machines. However, Microsoft said at the time this was not the case and started an investigation into the problem. In an advisory released Thursday, the company said that it now was confident that the restart problem is being caused by the Alureon rootkit." That seems a harsh way to find out that your Windows machine has been rooted.
Now, I wonder who the first poster is going to be to demand Microsoft test their patches for compatibility with viruses and malware?
Yeah a BSOD is harsh, but finding your bank account mysteriously drained of funds is more harsh. At least they found out.
Flexible bare-metal recovery for Linux/UNIX
The bluescreen may be painful, but it is far less painful than having your information stolen by criminals. Assuming of course the people who own the machines are savvy enough to properly install their firewalls and virus protection next time.
I read the internet for the articles.
That seems a harsh way to find out that your Windows machine has been rooted.
There are plenty of people who think that tracking down all the machines in these botnets and disabling them is a reasonable way of dealing with the problem.
I would hope so. But the malware removal tool runs last in the Windows Update process. I've never understood why.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Yes, your solution involving non-technical people reading the text of pop-up messages will surely work. Especially a message that looks exactly like some malware, and which they've likely been warned to ignore. The taskbar icon that was added specifically to warn people to "install a firewall/update your browser/ run your AV" didn't work, but adding yet another pop-up will surely work this time.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Maybe an error message saying "We detect that your machine is infected with a rootkit, all of your personal information is in danger of being stolen. Please install a firewall/update your browser/ run your AV". That way, instead of confusion and anger from a BSOD, the user will be educated and possibly secure their system.
I see those words on the screen all the time. The problem is, they're delivered by cleverly-designed socially engineered Malware. The next generation of Malware will do the same thing and imitate the "new" default messages that Windows gives. How many people per day/week/month fall for the same "Your system is compromised, please click here and purchase this product" every day, regardless of the bad grammar and spelling contained in the message? As long as I've been in IT, there still isn't a good way to educate users that shirk off all personal responsibility and refuse to engage their thought processes when it comes to PCs. The world just keeps making better idiots.
Even better, it gets the machine off the net, so other people are not victims of DDoS attacks, spam, automated scans, and other crap that might come from a botnet client.
I admit I sound like a jerk here, but I'd rather have a machine with a BSOD than a rootkitted box. Reinstalling or reimaging a machine may be a bit time consuming, but it is nowhere the time it would take to recover access to compromised bank accounts, Web accounts, gaming, and dealing with identity theft issues.
And I mean that sincerely. Please BSOD more botnets.
and haven't gotten a virus, rootkit, or other miscellaneous malware in years. ... that made itself known.
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
Symantec is shit. Users should not have admin on business machines. They should also not be going out via unfiltered internet connection to whatever dodgy website they like and mail should be screened for questionable content. If you think that this sort of thing wouldn't be happening on Linux (or anything else) if it had so many clueless users in business settings using the product - you're deluded.
I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
good points but I really would not worry about someone laughing at you when they have put Windows on life-safety system or any mission critical system.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
Linux is so easy now, just dual boot and do banking from Linux. Then your worries would be much reduced.
Do you not think it is just possible that properly administered Windows systems actually work reliably? Or do you think MS bribes all the hospitals using these systems so they don't report the hourly crashes/reboots which you no doubt think must be happening?
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it