Worm Creator Wanted: Dead Or Alive

Logan Westbrook

Transform, Roll Out, Etc
Feb 21, 2008
17,672
0
0
Worm Creator Wanted: Dead Or Alive


Fancy yourself as the next Boba Fett? Well here's a chance to cut your teeth, as Microsoft offer a cool quarter of a mil for the creator of the Conficker virus.

The software giant is offering the $250,000 reward in exchange for information on the creators of the Conficker virus, which it views as a criminal attack. Speaking to BBC News [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7887577.stm], George Stathakopulos, of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group said: "People who write this malware have to be held accountable... Our message is very clear - whoever wrote this caused significant pain to our customers and we are sending a message that we will do everything we can to help with your arrest."

The virus, also known as Downadup or Kido, infects computers by guessing usernames and passwords and once inside, sets up defenses making it very hard to remove. The virus could allow its creator to take control of infected machines, either to steal data or to turn the machines into 'botnets', which malicious hackers could use as launching pads for spam mail or attacks on other computers, or dead-drops for pirated material.

Conficker is currently dormant, and security experts are unsure of the ultimate goals of its creators, but it has already caused a lot of work for network administrators dealing with users locked out of their accounts.

Microsoft recommend installing the KB958644 security update [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=0D5F9B6E-9265-44B9-A376-2067B73D6A03&displaylang=en], if you haven't already, to protect yourself from the worm's effects.

PS: The 'Dead' part of 'Dead or Alive' isn't actually true.

Image courtesy of the Official Star Wars Blog [http://www.flickr.com/photos/starwarsblog/512401485/]


Permalink
 

CAPPINJACK

New member
Dec 4, 2008
88
0
0
nilcypher said:
PS: The 'Dead' part of 'Dead or Alive' isn't actually true.
Too bad. I would have preferred dead. And a slow, lingering, painful death at that.
 

Bob_F_It

It stands for several things
May 7, 2008
711
0
0
This is probably one of the better things to be doing with god-sized piles of cash. It should serve as a deterent to other would-be virus writers, especially stupid school kids thinking they're doing it for fun. I wonder how many private investigators would give it a shot.

Although how far companies as big as Microsoft would go with such bounties? It might be piracy operators next. I'd not be all too pleased if free speech is haunted by such bounties.
CAPPINJACK said:
nilcypher said:
PS: The 'Dead' part of 'Dead or Alive' isn't actually true.
Too bad. I would have preferred dead. And a slow, lingering, painful death at that.
Save it for after Microsoft has weeded out how to remedy the worm.
 

scotth266

Wait when did I get a sub
Jan 10, 2009
5,202
0
0
Heh, another new amazing virus freakin' up programmer's days. Hope that this is just a joke or something (like trying to rickroll a lotta people at the same time).
 

Space Monkey

New member
Feb 12, 2009
8
0
0
mrfft said:
Wow, money for turning in virus programmers....good way to recruit.
Yes for Microsoft's secret army of Hackers and Programmers. Ohhh no! now they will come after me, Noooo!
 

Mariena

New member
Sep 25, 2008
930
0
0
Bretty said:
Awesome! FIRST!
Enjoy it while you can.

Ontopic: I noticed that the security update has been released back in October 2008.. Surely anyone who bothers with Windows Update, even if it is only monthly, would be protected by now?
 

Asehujiko

New member
Feb 25, 2008
2,119
0
0
thedrop2zer0 said:
Bob_F_It said:
Although how far companies as big as Microsoft would go with such bounties? It might be piracy operators next. I'd not be all too pleased if free speech is haunted by such bounties.
I'm not sure what you mean by this, but...ah, piracy isn't an act of free speech. It's illegal. And it's probably well within Microsoft's bounds to put bounties out on pirates as well. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised EA has never done it before.
First of all it's less illegal then destruction of property(starforce) or breaching the first sale doctrine(securom). Second, operating a torrent tracker =/= being a pirate. Those sites also function as prime sources for linux variants and freeware games/aplications.
 

xhable

New member
Oct 17, 2008
18
0
0
These guys work in teams, the creator will be either russian or german. I know where I'd put my money if I was a betting man.
 

Svenparty

New member
Jan 13, 2009
1,346
0
0
I thought it would be some message to kill the creators of Worms......

Probs some Angry German Kid in a trench listening to KMFDM* XD

*Better than the best!