LXer: Windows worm numbers 'skyrocket'

LXer · 01-19-2009, 12:41 PM

Published at LXer:

The malicious program, known as Conficker, Downadup, or Kido was first discovered in October 2008. Anti-virus firm F-Secure estimates there are now 8.9m machines infected. Experts warn this figure could be far higher and say users should have up-to-date anti-virus software and install Microsoft's MS08-067 patch. In its security blog, F-Secure said that the number of infections based on its calculations was "skyrocketing" and that the situation was "getting worse".

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Randux · 01-19-2009, 01:30 PM

H_TeXMeX_H · 01-19-2009, 02:14 PM

You know there is a side of me that derives great joy from this kind of news ... call me evil, it's just a part of me.

brianL · 01-20-2009, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H

You know there is a side of me that derives great joy from this kind of news ... call me evil, it's just a part of me.

There's a word for that: schadenfreude.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude

H_TeXMeX_H · 01-20-2009, 06:22 AM

And take a look at this:
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/01/20/025223

Quote:

"The worm that's supposedly infected almost nine million PCs running Windows, dubbed Cornficker or Downadup, could lead to a massive botnet, security researchers have said. The worm initially spread to systems unpatched against MS08-067, but has since 'evolved and is now able to spread to patched computers through portable USB drives through brute-force password-guessing.'"

Awesome, just awesome. An evolving worm ... I bet whoever made it must be proud of themselves.

@ brianL

What gets me is not really the taking pleasure from other people suffering ... but rather the magnitude of the event. For example, although they scare me, I like violent storms. I miss them, because where I'm at there aren't too many. This is like a storm, a huge unstoppable force wreaking havok, just awesome, I can almost feel its power (probably much more so if I were running Window$). So, really I like impressive displays of raw power ... it's almost like I can taste the power, there is so much of it that it infuses me too.

(I bet you think I'm mad

)

I'd be a stormchaser any day. Probably wouldn't live too long tho.

brianL · 01-20-2009, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H

@ brianL

What gets me is not really the taking pleasure from other people suffering ... but rather the magnitude of the event. For example, although they scare me, I like violent storms. I miss them, because where I'm at there aren't too many. This is like a storm, a huge unstoppable force wreaking havok, just awesome, I can almost feel its power (probably much more so if I were running Window$). So, really I like impressive displays of raw power ... it's almost like I can taste the power, there is so much of it that it infuses me too.

(I bet you think I'm mad

)

Yeah, I know what you mean. I think those must be the feelings believers get when they say they "feel the presence of god".
I think everybody's mad (including me) in one way or another.

H_TeXMeX_H · 01-20-2009, 06:47 AM

lol, maybe ... maybe that's what keeps them believing. I don't know because I've never felt it in that context, only in the context of being close to something so immensely powerful that it could obliterate you. I guess most humans must be mad .. other animals would run like hell, I would stay and watch in awe

brianL · 01-20-2009, 08:09 AM

There was a similar giant netbot in the news a while ago: Storm worm, or whatever. Infecting over millions of computers, and no one knew where it originated or what its ultimate purpose was. Reminded me of Terminator, the machines taking over. We're all doomed!!!

Only GNU/Linux and BSD can save the human race from extinction now (that's if it's worth saving).

H_TeXMeX_H · 01-20-2009, 12:28 PM

There was actually a skynet worm at one point, but I guess it failed in its purpose.

brianL · 01-20-2009, 01:28 PM

So skynet worm failed, and I haven't noticed anything about Storm worm for a while - maybe that failed too. So now whoever it is trying again. Could be the same people behind it. Third time lucky?

brianL · 01-20-2009, 01:54 PM

I got it the wrong way around in #8 - putting 'netbot' instead of 'botnet'.

slackhack · 01-23-2009, 08:21 AM

Looks like it's only going to get worse.

Quote:

A new digital plague has hit the Internet, infecting millions of personal and business computers in what seems to be the first step of a multistage attack. The world’s leading computer security experts do not yet know who programmed the infection, [bi]or what the next stage will be.[/b]

Randux · 01-24-2009, 12:10 PM

Dump microslop

3vra · 04-01-2009, 04:35 PM

The magnitude is like Y2K happening all over again

Quote:

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H

And take a look at this:
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/01/20/025223

Awesome, just awesome. An evolving worm ... I bet whoever made it must be proud of themselves.

@ brianL

What gets me is not really the taking pleasure from other people suffering ... but rather the magnitude of the event. For example, although they scare me, I like violent storms. I miss them, because where I'm at there aren't too many. This is like a storm, a huge unstoppable force wreaking havok, just awesome, I can almost feel its power (probably much more so if I were running Window$). So, really I like impressive displays of raw power ... it's almost like I can taste the power, there is so much of it that it infuses me too.

(I bet you think I'm mad

)

I'd be a stormchaser any day. Probably wouldn't live too long tho.

H_TeXMeX_H · 04-02-2009, 10:37 AM

Yeah, but Y2K sucked. Nothing happened, I was disappointed. I remember we were even told to take flashlights in case the power went out. I felt like a fool