Posted on 03/06/2004 8:32:51 AM PST by Indy Pendance
If you've been feeling under siege lately from computer viruses and worms, you're not paranoid. Yes, the authors of this malicious code really are out to get you, and with increasing frequency.
Apparently, they're out to get each other, too.
The makers of antivirus software have discovered taunting messages buried in the code of several worms currently plaguing the online world. It appears the authors of the Bagle, MyDoom and Netsky variants are trying to one-up each other in a virus-writing war.
For example, found inside Netsky.F, a version released this week, are the words "Bagle — you are a looser!!!!" In turn, recent MyDoom and Bagle worms include messages for Bagle's author, saying his or her actions will "ruine our bussiness" and threatening, "wanna start a war?"
And the war appears to be well under way. Antivirus companies report that the pace of release of new versions of these worms is quickening, forcing them to scramble to issue updates for their scanning products.
"In the short span of 15 days, we've seen 14 variants of two kinds of viruses," said Vincent Gullotto, vice president of McAfee AVERT, the PC security arm of Network Associates. "Usually, when a big virus hits, you don't see another variant of it for a week."
All of these worms are propagated via e-mail, arriving as an attachment to messages that entice users to open them. Bagle worms warn about some kind of problem with the way you use your computer: a subscription expiration, a problem with a paid account, or a system administrator's alert. Netsky and MyDoom usually make reference to some type of document, such as a Word, Excel, music or picture file. Some variants of MyDoom also mock Microsoft, with a subject line that reads, "micro$oft must die. support us!"
Of course, viruses and worms dispatched via e-mail would not be a problem if clueless users didn't click on the attachments in the first place. Yes, virus writers are scum who deserve whatever maximum punishment the law allows. But those who, after countless warnings, still click on attachments they're not expecting — or who don't run up-to-date antivirus software that would catch this junk — bear much of the blame.
This has been a complaint among the techno-savvy for years (see the Aug. 23, 2003, Computing column at www.chron.com/virus), but it's surfaced into the mainstream. For example, New York Times Internet writer Amy Harmon wrote last month that techies are becoming less patient with users who don't take the most basic precautions or exercise simple common sense.
There have even been calls for an "Internet driver's license," in which users would have to prove they know what they're doing before being granted access to the online world.
The argument for that idea goes something like this: A computer network is a combination of various users' resources, shared for the benefit of all. It is, in other words, a community. Each member of the network community has a responsibility to behave in a manner that won't disrupt or harm others.
When a user clicks on a virus, that's not simply damaging one computer — and with some stealthy viruses, the infection may not be readily apparent. Rather, because most modern viruses try to spread via e-mail, that action puts at risk everyone whose address is found on the infected PC.
There are more complications. Viruses e-mailed to corporate addresses can trigger an alert to the sender from firewall-based antivirus software. Because most viruses that spread by e-mail falsify the sender's address, those alerts are more than useless. They can clog up e-mail servers and render inboxes unusable.
And speaking of responsible network behavior: Although many system administrators have figured out that this feature of corporate antivirus software is a menace, not enough have. If you're in charge of your company's computer security and you've got virus alert notifications to senders turned on, stop reading this and go disable it. Now. We'll wait for you to return.
Finally, many of the current crop of viruses do more than just try to infect other machines. They also open up a port on the computer and allow a hacker to take control. These so-called "zombie" machines can and have been used to attack other computers on the Internet. Some antivirus experts speculate zombie PCs could be used to blast huge amounts of spam, although McAfee's Gullotto said he's not aware of any confirmed cases.
However, he did say there are some viruses designed to seek out zombies and plug into them, using the compromised system as another method of spreading themselves. In other words, because the user has become infected with one virus, others move in as a result.
Requiring that folks know the basics about computer security before giving them access to the network is akin to making sure a driver knows how to safely operate a car before he or she is allowed to take to the public roadways. On the surface, it makes a lot of sense.
Of course, there are plenty of arguments against this notion, too, ranging from further government intrusion in our lives to the sticky question of enforcement. And then there's the fact that the connected PC has become a powerful means of personal expression, which raises First Amendment concerns.
But something needs to be done to ratchet down the mayhem, both by catching and punishing virus writers, and by convincing people not to click with abandon on everything that comes into their inbox — before the criminal and the clueless few ruin the Internet for the responsible many.
It's amazing that these imbeciles can compile a computer virus but have no grasp on basic spelling and grammar.
If you have a test, non-networked machine, you can also have further fun with them by hacking the virus and getting more info from it (for a good example of this see 'Security Warrior' which runs through a hack they did of a virus and found that the author had put a back door password in his virus so that he could get info from other people who were using the virus, pretty slick breakdown).
Cut off both of their hands.
Maybe then, their eyesight will return.
IOW, Macs are "Typhoid Marys" which can harbor viruses without effect to themselves, and therefore tend to transmit them freely to other computers. Hmm! That bears consideration!
You won't be getting any tinfoil comments from me - because you are completely correct, IMHO. We see it happening in everyday real life - why not for cyberspace?
Yep. I mean, it's 2004 - - how stupid do you have to be?
Dead on!
I do have something these boobs can license, and it's not my p/c!
You missed the common factor - Microsoft is the disease carrier. Their products can be unsafe on any platform.
So far, no worms, viruses or spyware have been reported for Mac OS X.
You missed the common factor - Microsoft is the disease carrier. Their products can be unsafe on any platform.I beg to differ. Although several articles have been written that make this claim, a google search (and a cracker forum search) yield a number of malware targeting MacOSX. The sad fact is that most Mac users (and PC users) wouldn't know whether their machines were infected. No offense intended, but it is a sad truth. Most malware for the PC is pretty obvious about its actions, and those owners are aware of the virus status, but for the "smarter" virii and trojans that don't bite the hand that feeds them, owners are pretty much ignorant. There are worms, virii, trojans, and macro virii that can hit an OS X box. The damage is limited, however, as most users have little control over their own boxes anyway.
So far, no worms, viruses or spyware have been reported for Mac OS X.
You DARED speak to a Mac user?LOL, Yeah. I felt dirty aftwards, too. =P It was like rubbing elbows with the A.N.S.W.E.R. canaille. Talk about needing a flea bath. LOL, just kidding. The Mac user was just irritating because of his attitude.
One thing I'd like to see some of these industry folks do that would have the effect of helping us all, as even those of us not succeptable to microsoft worms and viruses are affected by the bandwith saturation and spam that results, is an PSA campaign to educate users. We've all seen the inane anti-drug PSAs that are everywhere on TV, and have been for some time. Why not fund a coop that can make television commercials and radio ads that will point up the easy methods of computing hygene that will at least slow the spread of these things. As a side effect, it would also reduce spam that is relayed through zombies.
This could also be coupled with an anti-spam campaign to convince people not to buy anything from spammers. If spamming weren't profitable, then it would be a lot less prevalent. Perhaps someday email would be usable again.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.