Slashdot Mirror
Stuxnet Infected (But Didn't Affect) Chevron Network In 2010
Penurious Penguin writes "The Wall Street Journal, in correspondence with Chevron representatives, reveals that back in 2010, Stuxnet reached Chevron, where it managed to infect — but not significantly affect — the oil giant's network. According to a Chevron representative speaking to CNET, the issue was 'immediately addressed ... without incident.' The Stuxnet worm is believed to be the work of the U.S. and Israel, and this report is confirmation that it struck well wide of its intended targets. Chevron's general manager of the earth sciences department, Mark Koelmel, said to CIO Journal, 'I don't think the U.S. government even realized how far it had spread ... I think the downside of what they did is going to be far worse than what they actually accomplished.'"
The transport used was fairly generic in nature, but since the payload was aimed at a specific controller used on centrifuges its not surprising that it had little effect elsewhere.
Even if that Siemens motor controller was common, its use case in Iran was rather specific, and chances are the payload was pretty specific to exact firmware levels. From Wiki:
While the worm is promiscuous, it makes itself inert if Siemens software is not found on infected computers, and contains safeguards to prevent each infected computer from spreading the worm to more than three others, and to erase itself on 24 June 2012.
Had it been given a shorter life span than two years, chances are it would never have been discovered.
The real risk here is that others have climbed on board this train and are using essentially the same engine for other purposes.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
Unless Chevron is running centrifuges in Iran, Stuxnet probably wouldnâ(TM)t have been much of an issue as the Stuxnet code was pretty specific. But of course the real issue for Chevron it *how* they allowed Stuxnet to infect at all? What was the vector, and why was it either Interwebs connected or techs were using infected thumb drives?
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
new meaning
Gently reply
I think the downside of what they did is going to be far worse than what they actually accomplished.
So you think nuclear proliferation is acceptable and that Iran will manage being a Nuke Bomb owner in a sensible way? Really?
A "bomb" in the hands or the Iranians is truly a terrifying thing.
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
You have a choice between real people dying or computers catching a virus... The more effective we are in slowing down Iran's nuclear program, the more time we have before we need to resort to military action...
Lemme start by saying that I agree.
But isn't sabotage an act of war?
The US seems to think so: http://www.geek.com/articles/news/pentagon-rules-cyber-attacks-and-sabotage-constitute-an-act-of-war-20110531/
And that it justifies military response.
There is 0 evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The CIA said as much.
I trust them more than I trust a bunch of war mongering politicians and lobbyists for a certain country.
You have a choice between real people dying or computers catching a virus. Personally, I prefer the latter. The more effective we are in slowing down Israel's nuclear program, the more time we have before we need to resort to military action. I think everyone can agree harsh sanctions and computer viruses are preferable to all-out war. That is, so long as they work. Those who criticizes legitimate sanctions and the passive actions like computer viruses doesn't understand that their actions are just leading to all-out war.
FTFY.
Also, you could change that to "The more effective we are in slowing down the USA's nuclear program, the more time we have before we need to resort to military action", but I think you get the point. Or I hope you do.
Americans are crazy and have no problem invading one foreign country after another. Even a foreign country that has done nothing wrong to them but has been bombed and its own citizens put into oppression the American government and their allies.
At least Iran does not invade other countries nor threatens them unless of course the other countries interfere with them first.
A reminder it was the US government who installed the Shah in the first place that started that countries hatred to the US. If any country that should give up its nuclear weapons it should be the US.
There is 0 evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The CIA said as much.
There is the uranium enrichment process which is most of the work. Reading through intelligence reports, it appears that Iran is deliberately putting off the most provocative steps for now (well as of perhaps 2010, who knows about now). But that's not the same as "zero evidence".
If one looks at the US Manhattan project, most of the work done outside of New Mexico was uranium and plutonium refinement. That required vast amounts of energy and huge complexes in numerous states. It was only in New Mexico at the twin locations of Los Alamos and Sandia, that the actual first atomic bombs were assembled.
As I see it, once they're machining highly enriched uranium (called "HEU" in the above linked report), they're most of the way towards a primitive nuclear bomb such as "Little Boy" used on Hiroshima in 1945. I think they could have a test weapon ready in months at that point.
Another key bit of evidence is the extreme hardening of much of their uranium enrichment facilities against conventional attack. If these facilities were just for civilian use, then they wouldn't have enough value to justify the degree of hardening used.
I'm afraid of the country that thinks absolutely nothing of blackmailing its "allies" at every turn.
Another key bit of evidence is the extreme hardening of much of their uranium enrichment facilities against conventional attack. If these facilities were just for civilian use, then they wouldn't have enough value to justify the degree of hardening used.
Maybe if they weren't being targetted by Mossad thugs they could afford to have unsafe nuclear facilities. As it is, their (civilian!) scientists are being killed left and right, and there was (at least) one (digital) attack in one of their facilities. You can't blame them for trying to defend themselves from attackers If it were your country instead you'd be all for defending from the agressors, but since they're dirty sand-niggers they obviously deserve it.
You forgot: Bloomberg Secret Soda Police (BSSP)
they have been actively targeted by multiple military organizations, so it is perfectly reasonable for them to harden such facilities even if they aren't trying to develop a weapon.
No. I don't buy that at all. I mostly agree with the second paragraph, but there are two addition concerns, both which coincide with your observation. Iran can also chose to use any nukes it makes. Nobody trusts them with this stuff. Also, we have to consider the other countries in the area. Saudi Arabia and Egypt may decide to develop nuclear weapons of their own in response.
And Iran may pass on its knowledge or nuclear weapons themselves to its non-terrorist allies/associates such as Venezuela or North Korea.
Maybe if they weren't being targetted by Mossad thugs they could afford to have unsafe nuclear facilities.
And there's that third piece of evidence. One doesn't just get targeted by "Mossad thugs". It's not like the weather.
You can't blame them for trying to defend themselves from attackers If it were your country instead you'd be all for defending from the agressors, but since they're dirty sand-niggers they obviously deserve it.
No blaming is going on here. But I don't mind making "trying to defend themselves" as hard as possible.
If your using the same controllers as the target for that virus, but your not running applications requiring precise speed control you would not even notice anything has changed. As I understand it, centrifuges rely on a well controlled rotation speed to hit a certain amount of G force. Most industrial applications don't require speed control to be that exact and generally are not going to be running fast enough to cause destruction from the stress. It sure is sad that the trolls have nothing better to do than take this subject so far off course this leads to 95% of the thread being useless garbage. I guess many of them are now unemployed and looking for something to do, since they seem to have at least another 4 years to find a job.