Stuxnet Intrigue Deepens With Hidden Clues in Code

AOL News Surge Desk ^ | Dana Chivvis

[Pride_of_the_Bluegrass]

(Sept. 30) -- The intrigue surrounding the mysterious, highly sophisticated computer worm Stuxnet got a little more Dan Brownish today with the revelation that there may be hidden messages embedded in the malware's code. The New York Times reported this morning that one of the files in the worm was called "Myrtus," which may be a reference to the Old Testament Book of Esther, in which Jews thwart a Persian plot against them. Along with mysterious Myrtus were two numbers that might be additional clues to who is behind the worm. Or, as the Times points out, they could mean nothing.

Below is a rundown of the hidden Stuxnet messages.

[colorado tanker]

And if you play it backwards it says “Paul is dead.”

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Mahmoud wouldn't dare turn that reactor on now, with a fifty-fifty chance the thing would blow up right in his face.

[ryan71]

I really, really, really hope the Israelis did this.

[Tucker39]

I was truly interested until I came to this part: “The New York Times reported this morning....” Words cannot express how much I don’t care what the NYT thinks!

[rahbert]

I love how Symantec announced the expiration date of the virus.

[ComputerGuy]

He’ll do it via cell phone from 5000 miles away, if he does it at all.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Apparently, the main target of this thing were centrifuges which have pretty much all busted.

[StolarStorm]

Truly brilliant work if the worm had the desired effect. Kudos!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[Glenn]

Good job, Israel.

Hit 'em again -- only harder.

[onedoug]

Politic Worm ping

[Pan_Yan]

Here's the original NYT article.

[r9etb]

Apparently, the main target of this thing were centrifuges which have pretty much all busted.

If so, the more interesting question is, of course ... how does one infect such a system to begin with? I have trouble believing that centrifuge controllers would be hooked to the internet.

[Pan_Yan]

centrifuges which have pretty much all busted.

I haven't seen that reported. Do you have a link? Thank you.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Apparently, the main target of this thing were centrifuges which have pretty much all busted.

I hadn't heard that.

Too cool.

You just know the people who sold the centrifuges to them (Russia) had to have their hand in designing the malware.

[odds]

“Framed up baby, know her place
Slippery salmon all over her face
Browsing down through the mirrored hall
See Arizona standing ten feet tall

~snip~

Your room’s a mess, it’s ugliness
But I go on living in it till you say yes
The curtains are new, but the windows are old
All the stories passing through already been told...
....

maybe these boys want to do some talking”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTSt7TXhOh8

lyrics:

http://www.metrolyrics.com/maybe-these-boys-lyrics-church.html
________________________________________

Old tune & lyrics by an Australian group called “the Church” back in the 1980s. Guess you had to be there to appreciate - although I doubt about many “hidden messages”. :)

[pgkdan]

how does one infect such a system to begin with? I have trouble believing that centrifuge controllers would be hooked to the internet.

Me too but I have no problem believing that Mossad has people in place who could do this or get to others who could do this, either knowingly or not.

[UCANSEE2]

I have trouble believing that centrifuge controllers would be hooked to the internet.

The operators sitting in front of computer screens have to have something to occupy their time. Monitoring a bunch of COMPUTER-CONTROLLED centrifuges is very boring.

[UCANSEE2]

These ‘hidden clues’ may be deceptions.

Just as the concept that the plants in Iran got the ‘worm’ off the internet.