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Mars Rover Code Used For Cyber-Espionage Malware

Posted by timothy on from the shoulders-of-giants-feet-of-scum dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Two open-source libraries used in the Mars Rover software have been integrated in the source code of a malware family (nicknamed Rover) used as part of a cyber-espionage campaign against the Indian government (Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan). The two libraries are OpenCV and OpenAL, two libraries for processing image and audio information. As such, the Rover malware can take screenshots, record video and audio.

9 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. I wish you could uncheck the 'story' article tag by Sowelu · · Score: 5, Insightful

    because this isn't one.

  2. Why the "Mars Rover" Tag?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    What sensationalist BS. It's using standard libraries open to anyone, nothing unique to the mars rover.

    Why not say that it links against libc and that it uses "Nuclear Reactor Code!!11!" in its malware.

  3. Linux coding language used to ... by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The "C" programming language, used in Linux, FreeBSD and Python, has been used to construct ________.

    Really? OpenCV was used for something? I fail to see how this has any connection to the Mars rover.

  4. Mars Rover spam by jfdavis668 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Next thing you know, the Mars rover will be sending me spam emails. Something about good prices for property with views of Olympus Mons.

  5. This summary is bad by wren337 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And you should feel bad

  6. Breaking NEWS!!!! by Wubby · · Score: 4, Funny

    Chemical given to children used to create nuclear bombs!

    H2O, sometimes known as "water", is given to children. It also has uses in industrial factories as a cleanser and is even used as a shielding for nuclear reactors. This chemical, which has been refereed to as the "universal solvent" has been known to be used during the making of nuclear bombs.

    Youths have been spotty spraying each other with this solvents as a game. Film at 11.

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  7. Re:I wish you could uncheck the 'story' article ta by jbmartin6 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    At first I thought all this complaining was a bunch of nonsense and that it was a bit of an interesting story. Then I realized that I had misread the summary. This wasn't code that was developed for the Mars rover, it was code that just happened to also be used in the Mars rover. Interest gone, complaining agreed with.

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  8. Where are you, whipslash? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Informative

    Mars Rover Code Used For Cyber-Espionage Malware

    Hey, whipslash, where are you? This is the kind of shitty misleading click-bait none of us want to see.

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  9. Re:And that computer was built by nasa by michelcolman · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hey, I've written software that uses libraries that are used by the CIA!

    Just to name one: the standard C library.