Trends in Viruses and Worms
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Botnets, Cybercrime, and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress
Order Code RL32114 Botnets, Cybercrime, and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress Updated January 29, 2008 Clay Wilson Specialist in Technology and National Security Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Botnets, Cybercrime, and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress Summary Cybercrime is becoming more organized and established as a transnational business. High technology online skills are now available for rent to a variety of customers, possibly including nation states, or individuals and groups that could secretly represent terrorist groups. The increased use of automated attack tools by cybercriminals has overwhelmed some current methodologies used for tracking Internet cyberattacks, and vulnerabilities of the U.S. critical infrastructure, which are acknowledged openly in publications, could possibly attract cyberattacks to extort money, or damage the U.S. economy to affect national security. In April and May 2007, NATO and the United States sent computer security experts to Estonia to help that nation recover from cyberattacks directed against government computer systems, and to analyze the methods used and determine the source of the attacks.1 Some security experts suspect that political protestors may have rented the services of cybercriminals, possibly a large network of infected PCs, called a “botnet,” to help disrupt the computer systems of the Estonian government. DOD officials have also indicated that similar cyberattacks from individuals and countries targeting economic, -
A the Hacker
A The Hacker Madame Curie once said “En science, nous devons nous int´eresser aux choses, non aux personnes [In science, we should be interested in things, not in people].” Things, however, have since changed, and today we have to be interested not just in the facts of computer security and crime, but in the people who perpetrate these acts. Hence this discussion of hackers. Over the centuries, the term “hacker” has referred to various activities. We are familiar with usages such as “a carpenter hacking wood with an ax” and “a butcher hacking meat with a cleaver,” but it seems that the modern, computer-related form of this term originated in the many pranks and practi- cal jokes perpetrated by students at MIT in the 1960s. As an example of the many meanings assigned to this term, see [Schneier 04] which, among much other information, explains why Galileo was a hacker but Aristotle wasn’t. A hack is a person lacking talent or ability, as in a “hack writer.” Hack as a verb is used in contexts such as “hack the media,” “hack your brain,” and “hack your reputation.” Recently, it has also come to mean either a kludge, or the opposite of a kludge, as in a clever or elegant solution to a difficult problem. A hack also means a simple but often inelegant solution or technique. The following tentative definitions are quoted from the jargon file ([jargon 04], edited by Eric S. Raymond): 1. A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. -
Undergraduate Report
UNDERGRADUATE REPORT Attack Evolution: Identifying Attack Evolution Characteristics to Predict Future Attacks by MaryTheresa Monahan-Pendergast Advisor: UG 2006-6 IINSTITUTE FOR SYSTEMSR RESEARCH ISR develops, applies and teaches advanced methodologies of design and analysis to solve complex, hierarchical, heterogeneous and dynamic problems of engineering technology and systems for industry and government. ISR is a permanent institute of the University of Maryland, within the Glenn L. Martin Institute of Technol- ogy/A. James Clark School of Engineering. It is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. Web site http://www.isr.umd.edu Attack Evolution 1 Attack Evolution: Identifying Attack Evolution Characteristics To Predict Future Attacks MaryTheresa Monahan-Pendergast Dr. Michel Cukier Dr. Linda C. Schmidt Dr. Paige Smith Institute of Systems Research University of Maryland Attack Evolution 2 ABSTRACT Several approaches can be considered to predict the evolution of computer security attacks, such as statistical approaches and “Red Teams.” This research proposes a third and completely novel approach for predicting the evolution of an attack threat. Our goal is to move from the destructive nature and malicious intent associated with an attack to the root of what an attack creation is: having successfully solved a complex problem. By approaching attacks from the perspective of the creator, we will chart the way in which attacks are developed over time and attempt to extract evolutionary patterns. These patterns will eventually -
Jeffrey Heim, Marcel Hernandez, Maria Nunez,& Matthias Katerna Morris Worm on November 2, 1988, Robert Tappan Morris Releas
Jeffrey Heim, Marcel Hernandez, Maria Nunez,& Matthias Katerna Morris Worm On November 2, 1988, Robert Tappan Morris released a worm into the internet. The experimental worm was the first of its kind. It replicated itself and programmed itself, so it ended up spreading much faster than Morris expected. It self-programmed and self-replicated at an exponential rate in a manner that had never been seen before. Morris knew this worm was not necessarily ethical, for he released it out of MIT instead of his own Cornell University. In due course, many computers across the United States had crashed because of Morris. Once he discovered how much damage the worm had been causing, he reached out to a friend at Harvard looking for a solution to stop it. They attempted in sending an anonymous message to the network with directions that could kill the worm, but the message came through too late since they system was clogged. Many significant computers at colleges, businesses and the military became infected. The cost to fix each computer ranged from $200 to over $53,000. The worm exploited vulnerabilities in computer systems and in the UNIX email software. Within 24 hours of releasing the worm, thousands of people were aware something was unusual. Eventually, it would infect ten percent of all computers using the internet. The Morris Worm was the largest malware case ever to reach this percentage. However, the percentage was so high due to the fact that the number of computers was much less than today. The computers it impacted included significant systems, such as Stanford’s, Berkley’s and NASA’s. -
GQ: Practical Containment for Measuring Modern Malware Systems
GQ: Practical Containment for Measuring Modern Malware Systems Christian Kreibich Nicholas Weaver Chris Kanich ICSI & UC Berkeley ICSI & UC Berkeley UC San Diego [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Weidong Cui Vern Paxson Microsoft Research ICSI & UC Berkeley [email protected] [email protected] Abstract their behavior, sometimes only for seconds at a time (e.g., to un- Measurement and analysis of modern malware systems such as bot- derstand the bootstrapping behavior of a binary, perhaps in tandem nets relies crucially on execution of specimens in a setting that en- with static analysis), but potentially also for weeks on end (e.g., to ables them to communicate with other systems across the Internet. conduct long-term botnet measurement via “infiltration” [13]). Ethical, legal, and technical constraints however demand contain- This need to execute malware samples in a laboratory setting ex- ment of resulting network activity in order to prevent the malware poses a dilemma. On the one hand, unconstrained execution of the from harming others while still ensuring that it exhibits its inher- malware under study will likely enable it to operate fully as in- ent behavior. Current best practices in this space are sorely lack- tended, including embarking on a large array of possible malicious ing: measurement researchers often treat containment superficially, activities, such as pumping out spam, contributing to denial-of- sometimes ignoring it altogether. In this paper we present GQ, service floods, conducting click fraud, or obscuring other attacks a malware execution “farm” that uses explicit containment prim- by proxying malicious traffic. -
Strategies of Computer Worms
304543_ch09.qxd 1/7/05 9:05 AM Page 313 CHAPTER 9 Strategies of Computer Worms “Worm: n., A self-replicating program able to propagate itself across network, typically having a detrimental effect.” —Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Revised Tenth Edition 313 304543_ch09.qxd 1/7/05 9:05 AM Page 314 Chapter 9—Strategies of Computer Worms 9.1 Introduction This chapter discusses the generic (or at least “typical”) structure of advanced computer worms and the common strategies that computer worms use to invade new target systems. Computer worms primarily replicate on networks, but they represent a subclass of computer viruses. Interestingly enough, even in security research communities, many people imply that computer worms are dramatically different from computer viruses. In fact, even within CARO (Computer Antivirus Researchers Organization), researchers do not share a common view about what exactly can be classified as a “worm.” We wish to share a common view, but well, at least a few of us agree that all computer worms are ultimately viruses1. Let me explain. The network-oriented infection strategy is indeed a primary difference between viruses and computer worms. Moreover, worms usually do not need to infect files but propagate as standalone programs. Additionally, several worms can take con- trol of remote systems without any help from the users, usually exploiting a vul- nerability or set of vulnerabilities. These usual characteristics of computer worms, however, do not always hold. Table 9.1 shows several well-known threats. Table -
Paradise Lost , Book III, Line 18
_Paradise Lost_, book III, line 18 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ++++++++++Hacker's Encyclopedia++++++++ ===========by Logik Bomb (FOA)======== <http://www.xmission.com/~ryder/hack.html> ---------------(1997- Revised Second Edition)-------- ##################V2.5################## %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% "[W]atch where you go once you have entered here, and to whom you turn! Do not be misled by that wide and easy passage!" And my Guide [said] to him: "That is not your concern; it is his fate to enter every door. This has been willed where what is willed must be, and is not yours to question. Say no more." -Dante Alighieri _The Inferno_, 1321 Translated by John Ciardi Acknowledgments ---------------------------- Dedicated to all those who disseminate information, forbidden or otherwise. Also, I should note that a few of these entries are taken from "A Complete List of Hacker Slang and Other Things," Version 1C, by Casual, Bloodwing and Crusader; this doc started out as an unofficial update. However, I've updated, altered, expanded, re-written and otherwise torn apart the original document, so I'd be surprised if you could find any vestiges of the original file left. I think the list is very informative; it came out in 1990, though, which makes it somewhat outdated. I also got a lot of information from the works listed in my bibliography, (it's at the end, after all the quotes) as well as many miscellaneous back issues of such e-zines as _Cheap Truth _, _40Hex_, the _LOD/H Technical Journals_ and _Phrack Magazine_; and print magazines such as _Internet Underground_, _Macworld_, _Mondo 2000_, _Newsweek_, _2600: The Hacker Quarterly_, _U.S. News & World Report_, _Time_, and _Wired_; in addition to various people I've consulted. -
Wannacry Ransomware
KNOW THE UNKNOWN® Success Story: WannaCry Ransomware WHITE PAPER Challenge Stopping a Worm & Saving Millions Worms like WannaCry and Petya operate as essentially Even the most recent of these attacks like WannaCry and zero-day attacks: they can lie dormant on our networks Petya still echo the basic principles of past-worms, and as and then rapidly spread between devices upon waking up. such, they are both preventable and stoppable. During The consequences of being hit by one is dramatic: precious the Code Red, Nimda, and ILOVEYOU attacks of the early- data is either ransom-locked or wiped and thus often 2000s, businesses that had invested in a NIKSUN-like irrecoverable. This means millions in lost data, restoration solution were able to run a rapid report to get a list of fees, public relations, and stock-holder confidence. all infected devices and cut them off from their network. Instead of thousands of machines being affected, they When FedEx was hit by Petya, for example, their subsidiary were able to resolve the incident with minor losses of TNT Express experienced “widespread service delays” and hundreds or less. This process takes a mere few minutes were unable to “fully restore all of the affected systems and thus could have saved Reckitt Benckiser from their and recover all of the critical business data that was hour-long attack. encrypted by the virus.”1 Shares in the company dropped 3.4% in the wake of the attack.2 Total, 100% visibility is simply the only way to stop these worms from becoming too damaging. -
The Blaster Worm: Then and Now
Worms The Blaster Worm: Then and Now The Blaster worm of 2003 infected at least 100,000 Microsoft Windows systems and cost millions in damage. In spite of cleanup efforts, an antiworm, and a removal tool from Microsoft, the worm persists. Observing the worm’s activity can provide insight into the evolution of Internet worms. MICHAEL n Wednesday, 16 July 2003, Microsoft and continued to BAILEY, EVAN Security Bulletin MS03-026 (www. infect new hosts COOKE, microsoft.com/security/incident/blast.mspx) more than a year later. By using a wide area network- FARNAM O announced a buffer overrun in the Windows monitoring technique that observes worm infection at- JAHANIAN, AND Remote Procedure Call (RPC) interface that could let tempts, we collected observations of the Blaster worm DAVID WATSON attackers execute arbitrary code. The flaw, which the during its onset in August 2003 and again in August 2004. University of Last Stage of Delirium (LSD) security group initially This let us study worm evolution and provides an excel- Michigan uncovered (http://lsd-pl.net/special.html), affected lent illustration of a worm’s four-phase life cycle, lending many Windows operating system versions, including insight into its latency, growth, decay, and persistence. JOSE NAZARIO NT 4.0, 2000, and XP. Arbor When the vulnerability was disclosed, no known How the Blaster worm attacks Networks public exploit existed, and Microsoft made a patch avail- The initial Blaster variant’s decompiled source code re- able through their Web site. The CERT Coordination veals its unique behavior (http://robertgraham.com/ Center and other security organizations issued advisories journal/030815-blaster.c). -
Tangled Web : Tales of Digital Crime from the Shadows of Cyberspace
TANGLED WEB Tales of Digital Crime from the Shadows of Cyberspace RICHARD POWER A Division of Macmillan USA 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46290 Tangled Web: Tales of Digital Crime Associate Publisher from the Shadows of Cyberspace Tracy Dunkelberger Copyright 2000 by Que Corporation Acquisitions Editor All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a Kathryn Purdum retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, pho- Development Editor tocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Hugh Vandivier publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the infor- mation contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the Managing Editor preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility Thomas Hayes for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Project Editor International Standard Book Number: 0-7897-2443-x Tonya Simpson Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-106209 Copy Editor Printed in the United States of America Michael Dietsch First Printing: September 2000 Indexer 02 01 00 4 3 2 Erika Millen Trademarks Proofreader Benjamin Berg All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or ser- vice marks have been appropriately capitalized. Que Corporation cannot Team Coordinator attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should Vicki Harding not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Design Manager Warning and Disclaimer Sandra Schroeder Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate Cover Designer as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. -
Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
DICTIONARY OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY Dr. David Edward Marcinko, MBA , CFP© Certifi ed Medical Planner© Editor-in-Chief Hope Rachel Hetico, RN, MSHA, CPHQ Certifi ed Medical Planner© Managing Editor NEW YORK 33021009_FM1.indd021009_FM1.indd i 003/17/20073/17/2007 116:48:506:48:50 Copyright © 2007 Springer Publishing Company, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmit- ted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Springer Publishing Company, LLC 11 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036 www.springerpub.com Acquisitions Editor: Sheri W. Sussman Production Editor: Carol Cain Cover design: Mimi Flow Composition: Apex Publishing, LLC 07 08 09 10/ 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dictionary of health information technology and security / David Edward Marcinko, editor-in-chief, Hope Rachel Hetico, managing editor. p. ; cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN-13: 978-0-8261-4995-4 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8261-4995-2 (alk. paper) 1. Medical informatics—Dictionaries. 2. Medicine—Information technology—Dictionaries. 3. Medical informatics—Security measures— Dictionaries. I. Marcinko, David E. (David Edward) II. Hetico, Hope R. [DNLM: 1. Informatics—Dictionary—English. 2. Medical Informatics— Dictionary—English. 3. Computer Communication Networks—Dictionary— English. 4. Computer Security—Dictionary—English. W 13 D557165 2007] R858.D53 2007 610.3—dc22 2007005879 Printed in the United States of America by RR Donnelley. 33021009_FM1.indd021009_FM1.indd iiii 003/17/20073/17/2007 116:48:516:48:51 Th e Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security is dedicated to Edward Anthony Marcinko Sr., and Edward Anthony Marcinko Jr., of Fell’s Point, Maryland. -
Flexible Infections: Computer Viruses, Human Bodies, Nation-States, Evolutionary Capitalism
Science,Helmreich Technology, / Flexible Infections& Human Values Flexible Infections: Computer Viruses, Human Bodies, Nation-States, Evolutionary Capitalism Stefan Helmreich New York University This article analyzes computer security rhetoric, particularly in the United States, argu- ing that dominant cultural understandings of immunology, sexuality, legality, citizen- ship, and capitalism powerfully shape the way computer viruses are construed and com- bated. Drawing on popular and technical handbooks, articles, and Web sites, as well as on e-mail interviews with security professionals, the author explores how discussions of computer viruses lean on analogies from immunology and in the process often encode popular anxieties about AIDS. Computer security rhetoric about compromised networks also uses language reminiscent of that used to describe the “bodies” of nation-states under military threat from without and within. Such language portrays viruses using images of foreignness, illegality, and otherness. The security response to viruses advo- cates the virtues of the flexible and adaptive response—a rhetoric that depends on evolu- tionary language but also on the ideological idiom of advanced capitalism. As networked computing becomes increasingly essential to the operations of corporations, banks, government, the military, and academia, worries about computer security and about computer viruses are intensifying among the people who manage and use these networks. The end of the 1990s saw the emergence of a small industry dedicated to antivirus protection software, and one can now find on the World Wide Web a great deal of information about how viruses work, how they can be combated, and how computer users might keep up with ever-changing inventories and taxonomies of the latest viruses.