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North Korean Antivirus Software Uses Decade Old Pirated Scan Engine (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the closer-look dept.

With a name like 'SiliVaccine' you could be forgiven it's something your doctor would give you if you were worried about turning into a clown. But in fact this is North Korea's home grown antivirus product. From a report: Check Point Software has obtained and analyzed a rare copy of the software and discovered key components of its source code to be identical to a 10-year old copy of Trend Micro's AV software. Analysis has also uncovered that SiliVaccine is designed to allow a specific malware signature to pass undetected to users, and an update patch for the software contained JAKU malware, which has been used to target and track specific individuals in South Korea and Japan. Check Point believes this could have been used to target journalists who write about North Korean affairs.

12 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. When it finds a virus by mandark1967 · · Score: 2

    It displays a pop-up stating "You ARRRRGH infected, matey"

    --
    Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
    1. Re:When it finds a virus by olsmeister · · Score: 1

      Nope, it straps you to an anti-aircraft gun and blows you into little bits.

  2. New Technology by Andrew+Lindh · · Score: 1

    They needed software that would run on their "new" upgraded computers using Windows XP. It's a huge step forward from DOS where they could not get rid of the crazy Ping-Pong virus...

    1. Re:New Technology by ausekilis · · Score: 1

      Many years ago there was an email attachment called "Australia.exe" that got your computer ready for travelling south of the Equator by turning the screen upside-down. It got picked up by a friends virus scanner as malware, so it was removed.

      Some years later, that same thing was introduced into Windows 7 (Ctrl + Alt + down arrow).

      We can only assume that NK is trying to keep up with the US by incorporating viruses into the OS itself. I'd expect this "Australia" thing to show up in the next 5-10 years.

    2. Re:New Technology by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      The Ctrl-Alt-DownArrow thing is a function of Intel video drivers, not something Windows 7 brought to the table.

  3. Outside NK by jbmartin6 · · Score: 3

    the software contained JAKU malware, which has been used to target and track specific individuals in South Korea and Japan. Check Point believes this could have been used to target journalists who write about North Korean affairs.

    It took me a minute to parse this. It means, unrelated to this NK AV package, the JAKU malware could have been used in the past to target Japanese and South Korean journalists.

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    This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
  4. Shoud've just "stolen" an Open-Source AV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    https://www.clamav.net/downloads

    looks pretty good to me.

  5. But we are always told ... by Alain+Williams · · Score: 1

    that NK is the source of a lot of malware. Surely if they had the ability to produce such malware they would also have the ability and motivation to protect their own Windows PCs from malware from other countries -- while white-listing their own malware.

    For me this casts doubts on the stories of NK being a major malware source.

    1. Re:But we are always told ... by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      You seem to be illiterate.

  6. Better link: by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 3, Informative

    detailed analysis with real info: SiliVaccine: Inside North Korea’s Anti-Virus

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    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  7. Trump's powers are amazing ... by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

    ... he's made the cool kids discover that there are some negative aspects to communism ...

    1. Re:Trump's powers are amazing ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      ... he's made the cool kids discover that there are some negative aspects to communism ...

      Now if only someone could convince the proponents of un-checked Capitalism of the same thing, we'd have common ground.

      Communism is broken, but Capitalism is broken too ,, the problem with both is the most broken parts are the things people are most dogmatic about.

      Those tend to be the point where their pet theory devolves into magical realism ... which if you keep hoping, going "la la la", and ignore human nature for long enough the logical holes in that belief system become Unalterable Truths.

      Truth be known, the strict proponents of Capitalism are just as fucking delusional as the strict proponents of Communism. They're both full of shit, and believe in things for which there is little evidence, and a lot of practical counter examples.

      There is a point at which you're all in on a terrible idea that you have convinced yourself works,

      If anybody tells you that all of Capitalism is evil, or all of Communism is evil .. that person is a zealot and an idiot.

      The older I get, the more I admire the anarchists. They might be onto something.