Curse

Junato · Mar 30, 2009, 02:15 PM // 14:15

This is a discussion about the Conficker C that is supposebly going to come april 1st. I know what it does. The virus hacks all sites and computers making them produce network viral infections to all computers making them all bots. So far it has infected 9,000,000 computers. What is your take on it?

What will this mean to us as gw players?

Sjeng · Mar 30, 2009, 02:23 PM // 14:23

strange april fools joke is strange... or rather not funny.

Fril Estelin · Mar 30, 2009, 02:45 PM // 14:45

This is very serious (the "virus" bit, not the "April 1st" bit):
http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/935

The only way to prevent a (possible) catastrophy is to use the virus effect against this virus: viral propagation of the news that people need to patch their system, keep Windows fully updated and follow these professional advices:
http://extremesecurity.blogspot.com/...ke-pro-my.html

(it's so serious that the industry has set up a "Conficker Cabal" to try to fight this phenomenon; the virus uses state-of-the-art research that may make it extremely "sticky")

EDIT: a Q&A to read:
http://www.securityfocus.com/blogs/1802

jiggles · Mar 30, 2009, 03:03 PM // 15:03

I don't belive for a second its infect "over 9 million" computers. It's just like Storm, overly hyped up and in the end useless. 5k says nothing happens.

Fril Estelin · Mar 30, 2009, 04:21 PM // 16:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by jiggles

I don't belive for a second its infect "over 9 million" computers. It's just like Storm, overly hyped up and in the end useless. 5k says nothing happens.

Would you care to compare your data to the data collected by SRI (see http://mtc.sri.com/Conficker/ )? I guess that if you're right, Microsoft and the other Conficker Cabal companies can lower their bounty well below the current $250,000.

jiggles · Mar 30, 2009, 04:24 PM // 16:24

Microsoft has never done anything to earn/gain my trust, theyre not going to get it because some other company agrees with them.

Junato · Mar 30, 2009, 09:21 PM // 21:21

I would like to say right now no one cares, yet they will when they get infected.

jiggles · Mar 30, 2009, 09:28 PM // 21:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junato

I would like to say right now no one cares, yet they will when they get infected.

Which isnt going to happen, people don't care because they have windows update on, and set it to automaticly install any new updates. Anyone with half a brain anyways. And considering the update has been out since october anyone who gets infected deserves it.

Fril Estelin · Mar 30, 2009, 09:47 PM // 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanyatta

over 9 million!?!?!!!?!

Some estimates say 12millions over all the worm variants. So more conservative numbers only quote 1-2 millions for variant B.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jiggles

And considering the update has been out since october anyone who gets infected deserves it.

The problem lies with those people that are already infected and the people they can safely reach. It's the classical security problem of "perimeters", the worm is already inside "trusted" places.

You may soon start communicating via ProgramXYZ with someone infected, not knowing that behind the scene Net-Worm.Win32.Kido is installing itself silently because you have service A running but not service B (which friends told you to deactivate because it takes resources and serves no real purpose, and it makes games lag!).

Someone with half a brain like yours should have caught that! Surely if you get infected you deserve it!

(disclaimer: the scenario above is purely theoretical and only presented so that you can understand the problem is not as simple as stated; we surely won't talk 0day exploit here...)

jiggles · Mar 30, 2009, 10:17 PM // 22:17

If what you said translates into ;

I turned off service x to get better pings on online games and in the meantime compromised my computers security

Then yeah you deserve it.

Tyla · Mar 30, 2009, 10:35 PM // 22:35

Doesn't this particular virus evade most security too? To be honest I've heard that it actually got into some of the most hidden files and shit (I dunno, military information, criminal records? I forgot what the story was, I just remember)

Fril Estelin · Mar 30, 2009, 10:47 PM // 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyla

Doesn't this particular virus evade most security too?

No it doesn't. It's got into these places (including UK's MoD...) because someone inadvertently "opened the door" to the worm, which then spread inside like it's designed to do.

FYI, the current versions of the worm are purely propagating, so they don't "harm" your computer other than being present while they shouldn't be there. But the problem is that it can transform into pretty much anything by downloading a new version using various mechanisms.

If you're protected by the latest Windows, antivirus and application updates, you shouldn't be at risk at all. But spread the word, so that people at risk have the time to fix the problem:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conficker#Removal

Kanyatta · Mar 31, 2009, 12:21 AM // 00:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fril Estelin

Some estimates say 12millions over all the worm variants. So more conservative numbers only quote 1-2 millions for variant B.

Well, someone doesn't get the joke...

AidinSwiftarrow · Mar 31, 2009, 01:01 AM // 01:01

My mom heard about this on 60 minutes :P

She said it originated from some 14 yr old(s) in Russia...

Anywho...this kind of stuff scares the bejesus out of me :S

RedNova88 · Mar 31, 2009, 06:59 AM // 06:59

On topic: I pray this doesn't get any worse than it already is. It's sad knowing that shit like this will never stop. No matter how strong an anti-virus or firewall becomes, there is always some determined hacker digging a hole through your defenses.

zwei2stein · Mar 31, 2009, 07:38 AM // 07:38

Most dangerous thing about it is its ability to be updated ...

You can easily stop it by good computer hygiene now, but it can be updated with new ways to infect: network with million nodes is very effective at hunting down exploitable systems before they get patched. So much for "deserving infection".

It is harmless right now, doing nothing but breeding, but it can be updated with payload at any point. And since it is probably network for hire ... well, lots of bad stuff can be happening.

Junato · Mar 31, 2009, 03:43 PM // 15:43

Uhm.... Its not a joke... Look it up in wikipedia and in google... Look at the facts...

Glodrion · Mar 31, 2009, 10:44 PM // 22:44

I think i actually have the vir

Sir Skullcrasher · Apr 01, 2009, 02:48 AM // 02:48

I wonder once the virus hits tomorrow (4/1)

A) All the infected computers turn into spambots
B) All the computers get their information (personal kind) stolen ASAP
C) Hacker(s) use your computers as a relay for some crazy shit
D) Who ever it is... give us access to GW 2 beta! lol

E) Turn out it's the North Koreans *GASP*.. they're going to use all the computers to hijack japan's network! lol

sickle of carnage · Apr 01, 2009, 03:49 AM // 03:49

Just the fact that whoever did this is a *insert nasty word*er and put it on April 1st so nobody knew if it was a joke or real makes me angry.