Posted on 08/21/2003 4:18:32 PM PDT by Pro-Bush
Microsoft working with the feds; Virus attacks may be terrorism
Evidence gathered by Microsoft, the FBI, and the Secret Service on the worldwide attacks made against computers running the Windows operating system fits the profile of "terrorist activity."
Industry sources citing Microsoft officials told World Tribune.com that recent attacks against from the "Blaster" worm and its variants, coupled with an email virus called "SoBig-F" show signs of a coordinated attack by an entity wanting to disrupt world commerce. Microsoft is cooperating with both the FBI and the Secret Service and will report their findings in the next few days.
While at present no terrorist organizations have claimed responsibility for these attacks in cyberspace, Microsoft is an obvious target for terrorists as the largest, most recognizable, and most profitable software company in the world.
The Blaster worm exploits a flaw in the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) component used by Microsoft Windows, the operating system installed on an estimated 90 percent of all home and corporate desktop computers worldwide.
A patch was made available free of charge by Microsoft in July 2003, but few home or corporate users downloaded the fix. The Blaster worm seeks out any Internet-enabled Windows computer without the fix, installs malicious code that takes control of the computer, and beings attacking a Microsoft corporate Web site used to distribute software fixes to Windows users. SoBig-F is a rehash of a virus first spread by hackers in January 2003. The "F" strain clogs e-mail systems full of messages with subjects like "Re: Details" and "Re: Wicked screensaver," and then installs a "Trojan horse" program that is used to spit out thousands of copies of the virus from the victims' computers.
Microsoft officials said the company is working proactively to halt the spread of the Blaster and SoBig attacks by encouraging Windows users to regularly update their computers using the free Windows Update feature in Windows 2000, XP, and Server 2003.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Microsoft posted two "critical updates" to Windows Update that fixed flaws in their Internet Explorer Web browser and a collection of common Windows operating system components that would "allow an attacker to compromise a Microsoft Windows-based system and then take a variety of actions, including executing code." Sources inside Microsoft say that up to three more of these critical updates will be released in the next few days to coincide with the Blaster and SoBig-F investigation.
I call bullshit.
If it is popularity that drives these things, why is Apache, which is the most popular webserver by far so much less succeptable to attack than microsoft's IIS?
Microsoft gets attacked because their software is full of holes and their security model is crap.
Kinda sounds like perl :-)
Back when fedgov was trying to suppress strong crypto, I had the "RSA in 3 lines of Perl" .signature file.
I also have a really old DOS program that will convert any '.com' file into standard ascii that is still executable. I kinda liked that one.
Kim Commando is still on the radio. My ISP is threatening to shut off service at noon tomorrow to anyone who hasn't patched their stuff. (Although how they know this is beyond me)
Microsoft has the biggest holes, both in quality and in quantity. How many service packs are there for Windows XP as opposed to Solaris 9?
That's not my experience. I usually got the death notice when I wanted to save the last of 20 changes to a project, went to do it and lost everything .
You belive what you want. I will stick with common sense. This cluster ("service pack" if you will) has 69 individual "security" related patches. This is like a window's critical update.
Here is the Solaris 9 cluster patch "read me"...
# CLUSTER_README NAME: Solaris 9 Recommended Patch Cluster DATE: Aug/20/03 ######################################################################## This patch cluster is intended to provide a selected set of patches for the designated Solaris release level. This is a bundled set of patches conveniently wrapped for one-step installation. Only install this cluster on the appropriate Solaris system. Carefully read all important notes and install instructions provided in this README file before installing the cluster. A cluster grouping does not necessarily imply that additional compatibility testing has occured since the individual patches were released. WARNING!! IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that the installation of this patch cluster be performed in single-user mode (Run Level S). ######################################################################## CLUSTER DESCRIPTION ------------------- These Solaris Recommended patches are considered the most important and highly recommended patches that avoid the most critical system, user, or security related bugs which have been reported and fixed to date. In most cases a Solaris security patch will be included in the recommended patch set. It is possible, however, that a security patch may not be included in the recommended set if it is determined to be a more obscure application specific issue and not generally applicable. During initial installation of the Solaris product other patches or patch sets may be provided with the product and required with product installation. Refer to the Solaris product installation documentation to be sure that all the patches required at product installation are already installed. This patch cluster can then be used to update or augment the system with the recommended patches included. PATCHES INCLUDED: ----------------- 114008-01 SunOS 5.9: cachefsd Patch 112998-03 SunOS 5.9: patch /usr/sbin/syslogd 112875-01 SunOS 5.9: patch /usr/lib/netsvc/rwall/rpc.rwalld 112970-03 SunOS 5.9: patch libresolv.so.2 113146-02 SunOS 5.9: Apache Security Patch 113068-04 SunOS 5.9: hpc3130 patch 112963-09 SunOS 5.9: linker patch 113273-02 SunOS 5.9: /usr/lib/ssh/sshd Patch 112233-08 SunOS 5.9: Kernel Patch 112951-05 SunOS 5.9: patchadd and patchrm Patch 112964-04 SunOS 5.9: /usr/bin/ksh Patch 112808-04 OpenWindows 3.6.3: Tooltalk patch 113492-01 SunOS 5.9: fsck Patch 113279-01 SunOS 5.9: klmmod Patch 113278-01 SunOS 5.9: NFS Daemon Patch 113023-01 SunOS 5.9: Broken preremove scripts in S9 ALC packages 112764-06 SunOS 5.9: Sun Quad FastEthernet qfe driver 113033-03 SunOS 5.9: patch /kernel/drv/isp and /kernel/drv/sparcv9/isp 114359-01 SunOS 5.9: mc-us3 Patch 113579-01 SunOS 5.9: ypserv/ypxfrd Patch 112601-07 SunOS 5.9: PGX32 Graphics 113923-02 X11 6.6.1: security font server patch 113993-02 SunOS 5.9: mkfs Patch 112817-09 SunOS 5.9: Sun GigaSwift Ethernet 1.0 driver patch 113718-02 SunOS 5.9: usr/lib/utmp_update Patch 114135-01 SunOS 5.9: at utility Patch 114133-01 SunOS 5.9: mail Patch 114153-01 SunOS 5.9: Japanese SunOS 4.x Binary Compatibility(BCP) patch 113454-07 SunOS 5.9: ufs Patch 113575-04 SunOS 5.9: sendmail Patch 113713-03 SunOS 5.9: pkginstall Patch 114636-02 SunOS 5.9: KCMS security fix 112975-02 SunOS 5.9: patch /kernel/sys/kaio 114564-01 SunOS 5.9: /usr/sbin/in.ftpd Patch 114713-01 SunOS 5.9: newtask Patch 113240-05 CDE 1.5: dtsession patch 114721-01 SunOS 5.9: usr/lib/fs/ufs/ufsrestore Patch 114684-02 SunOS 5.9: samba Patch 114724-01 SunOS 5.9: usr/sadm/lib/wbem/providerutility.jar Patch 114861-01 SunOS 5.9: /usr/sbin/wall 113859-02 SunOS 5.9: Sun ONE Directory Server 5.1 patch 114729-01 SunOS 5.9: usr/sbin/in.telnetd Patch 114482-02 SunOS 5.9: Product Registry CLI Revision 114571-01 SunOS 5.9: libc.so.*.9/bcp Patch 114569-02 SunOS 5.9: libdbm.so.1 Patch 113030-02 SunOS 5.9: /kernel/sys/doorfs Patch 114332-06 SunOS 5.9: c2audit & *libbsm.so.1 Patch 113573-03 SunOS 5.9: libpsvc Patch 112965-02 SunOS 5.9: patch /kernel/drv/sparcv9/eri 113073-03 SunOS 5.9: ufs_log patch 112874-15 SunOS 5.9: patch libc 113096-03 X11 6.6.1: OWconfig patch 112834-02 SunOS 5.9: patch scsi 112907-01 SunOS 5.9: libgss Patch 114129-01 SunOS 5.9: multi-terabyte disk support -libuuid patch 113449-02 SunOS 5.9: gld Patch 113453-04 SunOS 5.9: sockfs patch 114385-03 SunOS 5.9: Enchilada/Stiletto - pmugpio pmubus driver 113319-11 SunOS 5.9: patch /usr/lib/libnsl.so.1 112785-17 X11 6.6.1: Xsun patch 113277-12 SunOS 5.9: sd and ssd Patch 112908-07 SunOS 5.9: gl_kmech_krb5 Patch 114864-02 SunOS 5.9: Sun-Fire-480R libpsvcpolicy_psr.so.1 Patch 112922-02 SunOS 5.9: krb5 lib Patch 112904-07 SunOS 5.9: tcp Patch 114375-06 SunOS 5.9: Enchilada/Stiletto - PICL & FRUID 113574-03 SunOS 5.9: SUNW,Sun-Fire-880 libpsvc Patch 114127-01 SunOS 5.9: abi_libefi.so.1 Patch 113026-10 SunOS 5.9: /kernel/drv/md Patch
Computers don't screw themselves up, people screw them up.
OSX is awesome. I use a iMac in the office and love OS X. Now tell me how much it will cost to replace that motherboard in that G4-G5 of yours? How about the DVDRW? How about the PROC? The reason I ask is becuase Microsoft makes their money on the software. Apple makes it by ripping your ass off on the hardware and monopolizing the hardware. Try getting a replacement mobo from anybody but Apple for the G4-G5. If you find one and use it, your warranty is gone. Every company has its problems. What is funny is how people bash Microsoft and ignore the others. Cracks me up. I like SUN, Apple, RedHat, Mandrake...all of them. But they all have their problems. Microsoft as the "evil giant" is childish and completely wrong. If someone should have been sued for a monopoly, it should have been Apple.
Symantec just laid out $62 million on a patent infringement lawsuit. Believe me, all this virus stuff is just a plot to get your money.
I am an assistant ISO (Information Security Officer) for a small portion of a fairly large organization, the United States Army. We use auto updates for W2K and Norton's. You don't want to know how many attacks we had just yesterday, but not one penetration. If folks would just learn to use those features these problems would be nipped early.
Oh well, I guess this is called job security.
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