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New virus

Discussion in 'Techno-Magic' started by Sydax, Aug 15, 2005.

  1. Wordplay Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


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    @ joacqin

    No, you can't get a virus "simply by being online" if you have your ports closed. From the POV of a Average Joe, port = closed means the same as no virii unless you install them yourself (by clicking execs). In your case, surf to http://www.grc.com/ and take the ShieldsUP test ASAP. If you have any 'open' ports, you are in trouble.
     
  2. joacqin

    joacqin Confused Jerk Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I dont get it Wirhe? I am pretty much a computer illiterate and that shieldsup thingy has gotten my thoroughly confused.
     
  3. Morgoth

    Morgoth La lune ne garde aucune rancune Veteran

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    You can, I am reminded of a buffer overflow in the Windows 2000 bmp-image parser used by any browser (yes Firefox too :) ), it was exploitable by setting the Offsetbits field of any bmp-fileheader to 0xFFFFFFFF (or any other negative integer) causing the bmpparser to write 4+ gb into a 4kb buffer, resulting in a buffer overflow which allows the execution of any code.

    Closing ports is not going to help against this, it is the user who loads a website and Windows that parses the bmp on that website.
    Nothing a firewall can stop

    Ever heard of the TEMPEST project and "van Eck Phreaking"? :D

    Name one, I can only think of Code Red which targetted the White House's website, the writer made one critical mistake, he hardcoded the IP address of the website in his virus, so the government easily avoided the DDOS by setting the website on another IP address.. um..duh! :D

    The reason why virii spread more easily on the networks of big companies is because they laid of the IT management and outsourced the entire task to some nonsense company in India, to save money.
    No pity for those companies: Greed begets punishment.

    [ August 20, 2005, 13:38: Message edited by: Morgoth ]
     
  4. Wordplay Gems: 29/31
    Latest gem: Glittering Beljuril


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    @ joacqin

    Well? What did the results say? You did read what the site adviced, didn't you? It's aimed for computer illiterate people, so understanding it shouldn't be a problem. (As long as you don't let Morgoth scare you with his hexes and parsers :D )

    @ Morgoth

    That's a pretty major fault, so let me correct a little; by having a firewall AND up-to-date OS. Computer illiterate should just stick to Ubuntu Linux or Mac OSX. ;)
     
  5. Arabwel

    Arabwel Screaming towards Apotheosis Veteran

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    That's what tin foil is for! :D
     
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