New Articles for This Topic
Last Update Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 12:57:59 -0500 (EST)
- http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_markoff/i
Study Says Chips in ID Tags Are Vulnerable to Viruses
A group of European computer researchers have demonstrated that it is
possible to insert a software virus into radio frequency identification
tags, part of a microchip-based tracking technology in growing use in
commercial and security applications.
In a paper to be presented today at an academic computing conference in
Pisa, Italy, the researchers plan to demonstrate how it is possible to
infect a tiny portion of memory in the chip, which can hold as little as 128
characters of information.
- http://www.byteandswitch.com/document.asp?doc_id=92299&WT.svl=news2_1
"Beware the Smart Virus"
Byte and Switch (04/07/06); Rogers, James
Attendees at this week's Storage Networking World conference warned of a
new kind of smart virus based on advanced mathematical theory that could
disrupt storage networks and servers. "It's not far-fetched," said
Interval International CIO Sasan Hamidi, who noted that researchers are
already able "to create a living computer program and let it have
intelligence." With that capability, a smart virus could mutate itself to
get around patches and other security measures. Hamidi claimed that
hackers could author the viruses based on cellular automation or game
theory, among other scientific foundations. Evolutionary computing could
lead to a threat that differs from traditional worms and viruses in its
ability to alter its own code once detected and redirect the attack to
another part of the network. "The code adapts itself to the environment,"
said Hamidi. This could be a worm that learns from the environment and
becomes more intelligent." Since storage and many other computer resources
are now IP-based, an evolutionary computing virus could wreak havoc on an
organization after entering through a system's TCP packets. IT managers at
the convention agreed that few people have the expertise in genetic
algorithms to pull off an evolutionary computing attack, though they
identified the 1988 Great Worm attack that brought down much of the
Internet as an example. However, Hamidi argued that the industry's current
lack of preparedness against such an attack is troubling. Even though most
hackers currently lack the knowledge of advanced scientific theory to
execute such an attack, the attendees grudgingly admitted that it is only a
matter of time before the theoretical possibility of an evolutionary
computing attack becomes a reality. - http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/041706-open-source-rootkits.html
"Does Open Source Encourage Rootkits?"
Network World (04/17/06) Vol. 23, No. 15, P. 1; Messmer, Ellen
In its recently published report, "Rootkits," McAfee identifies a ninefold
increase in the number of rootkits collected as samples of malware this
quarter compared with the same time last year, attributing the spike to the
activities of the open-source community. Nearly all the rootkits McAfee
identified are designed to conceal code, such as spyware or bots, or to
mask applications operating in Windows systems. "The predominant reason
for the growth in use of stealthy code is because of sites like
Rootkit.com," said McAfee's Stuart McClure. Rootkit.com has 41,533 members
who anonymously post rootkit source code, though site operator Greg Hoglund
claims the site exists as a resource for anti-virus firms and others who
want to learn about rootkits, but that anyone with strictly malicious
motives would be foolish to post on the site, because the rootkit would be
held up to public scrutiny and detection. Hoglund admits, though, that
with tens of thousands of users, there are likely to be some people who are
more interested in exploiting vulnerabilities than using the site for
educational purposes. Because it draws on a massive brain trust, the
open-source community is critical to exposing new vulnerabilities and
developing better code, says TrendMicro's David Perry, who nevertheless
allows that Rootkit.com attracts a lot of would-be hackers who use it to
shop for tools. Hoglund says there are probably only 20 to 30 main types
of rootkits, though there are numerous variants. Rootkit detection and
eradication have become frontiers in software research, and while some
rootkits are nearly impossible to eradicate, Rootkit.com has made it easier
for people to use the software designed to find and eliminate them, said
Komoku CTO James Butler. A major fear in the security industry is that a
hacker will soon be able to scan networks with a worm and deliver a piece
of malware that could wipe out files or alter data while remaining hidden
by a rootkit. - http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2006/0,4814,110710,00.html
"Linux Desktop Growth Could Spur New Malware Activity"
Computerworld (04/20/06); Lai, Eric
As Linux is implemented as a desktop OS in a growing number of
organizations and institutions, including the Indiana Department of
Education, experts say the platform could become increasingly targeted by
malware. Right now, one of the main attractions of Linux is its relative
immunity from malware as compared to Windows. However, the emergence of
the cross-platform proof-of-concept virus Virus.Linux.Bi.a/Virus.Win32.Bi.a
has raised concerns that actual malware will be launched inevitably. "I
think we'll see an increase in virus activity as Linux becomes more
mainstream," says Johannes Ulrich of The SANS Institute. The addition of
new access controls to the upcoming Windows Vista may also push some virus
creators to target other OS platforms, although Red Hat and Novell say they
have enhanced their own access controls in their respective offerings
Security Enhanced Linux and AppArmor.
New Topics
New Articles for This Topic
Last Update Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 23:04:10 -0400 (EDT)
- http://news.com.com/AIM+worm+plays+nasty+new+trick/2100-7349_3-5920403.html?tag=nefd.top
Worm Carrying "Rootkit" Spreading Via AOL IM
C/Net is reporting the spread of a worm via AOL IM. One security
expert calls this unnamed worm "a very nasty bundle" of malicious
software including for the first time a so-called "rootkit."
"A rootkit is a tool designed to go undetected by the security
software used to lock down control of a computer after an initial
hack," the C/Net report explains. It's part of a "disturbing trend"
using the popular IM systems to spread viruses.
Find out more: - http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_markoff/index.html?inline=nyt-per
Study Says Chips in ID Tags Are Vulnerable to Viruses
A group of European computer researchers have demonstrated that it is
possible to insert a software virus into radio frequency identification
tags, part of a microchip-based tracking technology in growing use in
commercial and security applications.
In a paper to be presented today at an academic computing conference in
Pisa, Italy, the researchers plan to demonstrate how it is possible to
infect a tiny portion of memory in the chip, which can hold as little as 128
characters of information.
- http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/1102w.html#item16
"Attack of the Quantum Worms"
Researchers say the emergence of quantum malware is an inevitability, but
only recently has serious debate about protecting computers from such
programs started, compared to the decades of research and billions of
dollars already committed to quantum computer development. Quantum ... - http://www.ft.com]
"The Computer Virus Comes of Age"
Financial Times (01/30/06) P. 6; Palmer, Maija
The appearance of the Brain virus 20 years ago touched off an age of
computer vulnerability that has advanced from a slow-moving, innocuous
virus transmitted via floppy disk to modern estimates of around 120,000
viruses, some of which are capable of bringing down corporate networks and
intercepting sensitive personal information. The roughly 1 billion
Internet users, many of whom use high-speed connections, enable viruses to
travel far more quickly today than they did in the days of Brain. MyDoom,
for instance, spread through email, infecting an estimated 250,000
computers a day in 2004. Sophos' Graham Cluley estimates that a computer
operating without anti-virus software has a 50 percent chance of being
infected by a virus if it is connected to the Internet for just 15 minutes,
even if it transmits no email and stays off of the Web. Antivirus software
is reasonably effective at keeping intruders out, but it comes at a
tremendous expense (spending on antivirus software is expected to reach
$5.9 billion by 2009) and drains a computer's processing power. Whereas
early viruses were relatively benign, often the product of a teenager
showing off for his friends, virus writers have grown more malicious,
deploying programs that erase hard drives, crash networks, and swipe
identities. Today's viruses do not make the same headlines as the infamous
Love Letter and Anna Kournikova viruses early in the decade, but they are
far more destructive, and often the product of organized criminal gangs.
"Now that the goal is for profit, we are seeing fewer big outbreaks of
viruses," said McAfee's Sal Viveros. "The virus writers don't want to make
headlines, they want to target a smaller number of people for specific
information." The U.S. Treasury advisor reports that revenue from
cybercrime now exceeds the illegal drug trade, and the trend is only likely
to accelerate should hackers turn their sites to mobile devices. - http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/02/03/1341508.htm
"Turning the Worm Secures the Computer"
New Scientist (02/04/06) Vol. 189, No. 2537, P. 32; Biever, Celeste
Experts predict that computer worms are set to become a powerful force and
that beneficial worms will quickly spread through networks and patch
machines before a malicious worm can attack. Researchers have wanted to
fight bad worms with good ones for a long time and now it appears they are
finally getting their chance. "We're talking about fighting fire with
fire," says Immunity's David Aitel. In the past, "patching worms" were
used by virus-writing gangs to try to stop the spread of worms deployed by
their competitors. Legitimate users have been cautious of releasing
patching worms because they are hard to control, raising concerns that the
originator would be responsible if one were to crash computers it was not
designed to patch. Aitel says he has fixed this problem by programming the
beneficial worms to visit only computers on a particular network. He calls
the worms "nematodes," which are programmed with a map of the network that
tells them the range of IP addresses of all the machines they have
permission to invade. The "polite" worms can be programmed to ask a
central server to grant them permission to invade. Aitel recommends using
the domain name system (DNS) server to guarantee that the infected computer
always has access to that central server. Every computer on the network
must have access to the DNS server at all times, because they contact it
every time they visit a Web page. - http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_markoff/i
Study Says Chips in ID Tags Are Vulnerable to Viruses
A group of European computer researchers have demonstrated that it is
possible to insert a software virus into radio frequency identification
tags, part of a microchip-based tracking technology in growing use in
commercial and security applications.
In a paper to be presented today at an academic computing conference in
Pisa, Italy, the researchers plan to demonstrate how it is possible to
infect a tiny portion of memory in the chip, which can hold as little as 128
characters of information.
- http://www.informationweek.com/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=18370042
"RFID World Still Reacting Strongly to Virus Research"
TechWeb (03/16/06); Sullivan, Laurie
Some radio frequency identification (RFID) technology experts are taking
issue with a paper presented at the IEEE conference in Pisa, Italy, that
suggested RFID could spread computer viruses. A third-year PhD student
from Vrije Universiteti in Amsterdam, Melanie Rieback, created an
artificial virus for her paper, "Is Your Cat Infected With a Computer
Virus?" that suggested RFID tags have the potential to spread viruses
through readers into poorly written middleware applications and into
enterprise backend systems and databases. Kevin Ashton, vice president of
ThinkMagic and co-founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Auto-ID Center, says Rieback actually demonstrates a self-replicating piece
of SQL code, and not a virus, in the paper. RFID tags store numbers, and
are very unlikely to accept executable code via a virus. "The student
researchers think a database picks up the information from a tag and puts
it in the buffer, and that's not what happens," adds Gartner vice president
of research Jeff Woods. However, Woods says in theory the arguments for
buffer overflow, and software vulnerabilities could compromise RFID
systems. Moreover, some RFID experts say the industry should do a better
job of testing applications, while others say companies that deploy the
technology should make sure they secure the technology.
New Topics
New Articles for This Topic
Last Update Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 09:41:16 -0500
- http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0720w.html#item7
"Corrupted PC's Discover a Home: The Dumpster"
When faced with the contamination of their PCs by malware and other
unwanted programs, many owners are opting to toss their infected machines
and replace them with uncorrupted models, rather than go to the trouble of
repairing them. Pew Internet and American Life Project director Lee Rainie ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0805f.html#item7
"Worms Could Dodge Net Traps"
Concealed Internet sensors designed to spot malware before it becomes a
threat could be thwarted by future computer worms if preventive action is
not taken, according to two papers presented at the Usenix Security
Symposium on Aug. 4. One paper authored by University of Wisconsin ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0810w.html#item18
"Car Computer Systems at Risk as Viruses Go Mobile"
In-vehicle computer systems could be threatened by malware as hackers'
interest in authoring viruses for wireless devices grows, according to
automotive industry officials and analysts. Automakers' tweaking of
on-board computers to allow consumers to transfer data with mobile phones ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0819f.html#item4
"'War of the Worms' Spurs Latest Cyber-Attack"
The attack earlier this week that slowed systems at The New York Times, The
Associated Press, and other media outlets may have been an example of
battling worms competing for control of major computer networks. The
culprit was identified as different strains of the Zotob worm, which ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0819f.html#item6
"Computer Virus Writers Moving Faster with Attacks"
A flood of malware-based attacks against U.S. media companies and other
corporations this week has prompted security analysts to warn that the
window between the disclosure of vulnerabilities and their exploitation by
hackers is shrinking. "These guys have gotten a lot faster...they are ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0831w.html#item14
"The Future of Computer Worms"
Trend Micro research engineer David Sancho outlines possible future attack
strategies of bot worms and what steps can be taken to counter them. He
says the modular design of bot worms enables them to exploit
vulnerabilities faster, which means the interim between the disclosure of a ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0916f.html#item17
"Fleet-Footed Worm Blocker"
Microsoft Research is developing software designed to defend networks from
fast-replicating computer worms. Vigilante can spot even unknown worms in
network traffic, erect "filters" against them, and notify other machines on
the network so quickly that the worms can be impeded before humans are even ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0923f.html#item4
"Name That Worm--Plan Looks to Cut Through Chaos"
Last month, a worm with various names wreaked havoc on Windows 2000
operating systems, abetted by the chaotic and fractured attempts to
identify it. To address that issue the CME naming system has emerged,
which tags a given piece of malware with a unique identifier. The United ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/1005w.html#item18
"Are Attackers Winning the Arms Race?"
The severity and speed of malware attacks as well the skill of those who
orchestrate them is increasing as hacking becomes more professional and
profit-oriented. Forty-nine percent of 474 individuals surveyed in this
year's InfoWorld Security Research Report said increasingly sophisticated ...
New Topics
New Articles for This Topic
Last Update Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 15:56:34 -0500
- http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2004-6/1006w.html#item6
"Hacking 101: It's For Your Own Good"
UNC Charlotte (UNCC) professors such as Bill Chu believe the best way to
cultivate network security professionals is to "expose our students to dark
side techniques so they gain insight on how bad guys can penetrate systems
and how to effectively protect them." Chu teaches Vulnerability Assessment ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2004-6/1006w.html#item10
"Cyber Center Targets Internet Plagues"
Much like the Centers for Disease Control study how to prevent and contain
human sicknesses, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding a new
Center for Internet Epidemiology and Defenses (CIED) that will study
computer viruses and worms. The Internet's openness and efficiency may ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2004-6/1006w.html#item14
"The Search for Computer Security"
Greg Morrisett, a professor at Harvard University's Division of Engineering
and Applied Sciences (DEAS), believes the burden of trusting an incoming
program to be free of bugs or malware should be transferred from the
computer user to the program itself. "What we're aiming for is a day when ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2004-6/1027w.html#item13
"Fighting Fire With Fire: Designing a "Good" Computer Virus"
Modeling anti-malware measures after biological vaccines may be an
effective strategy, argues Cyrus Peikari, who offers suggestions for
designing and testing a live, attenuated computer virus vaccine using
real-world simulation. The network worm simulation system employed by the ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2004-6/1115m.html#item12
"Mydoom Worm Renews Debate on Cyber-Ethics"
The new Mydoom worm variant takes advantage of a security vulnerability
that does not yet have a patch. Many programmers hunt for bugs in
software, with most of them trying to help users by disclosing the flaws so
they can be fixed. But the disclosures can help malicious hackers as well ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2004-6/1222w.html#item14
"Online Dangers Likely to Continue Growing in 2005"
Although the current year has been a bad one for cybersecurity, security
experts are predicting that cyberspace will grow progressively more
dangerous in 2005. Statistics from online security firm Symantec show that
new Internet worm variants increased 400 percent from the first half of ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0124m.html#item7
"A Virus Writer Tests the Limits in Cellphones"
Brazilian software developer Marcos Velasco has launched the cell phone
virus age with a worm that passes itself from device to device via
Bluetooth connections and other uploads. Security researchers disapprove
of Velasco's efforts because he offers the virus code for free download ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0314m.html#item4
"Can a Virus Hitch a Ride in Your Car?"
Online message boards recently buzzed with a rumor that Lexus cars and SUVs
were vulnerable to a virus that spread via built-in Bluetooth networking,
and though the claim has been investigated by parent company Toyota Motors
and found unsubstantiated, it has generated scrutiny about whether--or how ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0325f.html#item11
"Does IM Stand for Insecure Messaging?"
The threat of instant messaging (IM) worms is growing, and a key factor in
their spread is the obliviousness of users and IT administrators. "A
person unaware of the IM threat is the biggest risk that exists for these
viruses to have some success," warns McAfee research fellow Jimmy Kuo. ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0422f.html#item4
"Researchers Propose Early Warning System for Worms"
Professors Shigang Chen and Sanjay Ranka of the University of Florida's
Computer and Information Science and Engineering department have written a
paper proposing an early warning system for TCP-based Internet worms that
promises to eliminate known vulnerabilities in current early warning ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0610f.html#item1
"Computer Viruses Become Hacker Informants"
Security experts have discovered an emerging class of malware called
vulnerability assessment worms that keep hackers apprised of the latest
computer-network vulnerabilities so they can refine their cyberattack
strategies or even target individual machines. Once the worms contaminate ... - http://www.acm.org/technews/articles/2005-7/0627m.html#item1
"Viruses, Security Issues Undermine Internet"
The Internet is falling prey to a growing body of security threats, as the
network with a billion users but no owner still relies essentially on a
global honor system. "The Internet is stuck in the flower-power days of
the '60s during which people thought the world would be beautiful if you ...