When Hacked PCs Self-Destruct 418
An anonymous reader writes "From The Washington Post's Security Fix blog comes a tale that should make any Windows home user or system admin cringe. It seems the latest version of the Zeus Trojan ships with a command that will tell all infected systems to self-destruct. From the piece: 'Most security experts will tell you that while this so-called "nuclear option" is an available feature in some malware, it is hardly ever used. Disabling infected systems is counterproductive for attackers, who generally focus on hoovering as much personal and financial data as they can from the PCs they control. But try telling that to Roman Hüssy, a 21-year-old Swiss information technology expert, who last month witnessed a collection of more than 100,000 hacked Microsoft Windows systems tearing themselves apart at the command of their cyber criminal overlords.'"
I witnessed it too! (Score:5, Funny)
Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
All Versions of Windows affected (Score:3, Funny)
All versions of windows are affected by this self-destruct bug,
BY DEFAULT!!!!
There are many series of commands that can make your machine unwillingly self destruct...
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
The article is slashdotted right now: are these malware authors calling the Windows self-destruct function, or did they roll their own?
Re:All Versions of Windows affected (Score:5, Funny)
I can't wait to see.... (Score:5, Funny)
The next "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercial is gonna rule!
Mac: Umm... PC.... why are you stabbing yourself repeatedly with that pen...
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
Upgrading the hard way (Score:5, Funny)
The things Microsoft will do to make you upgrade to Vista :)
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
Hackers can turn your home computer INTO A BOMB
Yeah, let's see MacGyver do THAT!
Re:Is physical destruction even possible? (Score:3, Funny)
If windows controls the fans, you could possibly make the system work really quiet :-] ...
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Remember... (Score:4, Funny)
C'mon, they'll never use that feature, that would destrNO CARRIER
Re:Auto destruct (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Is physical destruction even possible? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:WTF (Score:5, Funny)
Do we cheer for destroying 100000 infested Windows installations, or do rage at the crapware producers who make this possible...
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I hate to say it but... (Score:5, Funny)
And this was no idiot - she was a well trained, college/university graduated professional!
Just pointing out that these two things are not mutually exclusive.
Cheers!
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
OMG, that looks exactly like my wifi router back home! and my gf is working from home today!
noes!
Re:Leave Windows Alone (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
thats easy to code (Score:2, Funny)
Just stop all the fans on cpu and gfx cards.
Use 100% cpu, and tax the GFX core.
Send some hardcore full power commands to all USB devices, or use full IO in usb devices.
Make the HD seek from end to end for as long as possible.
Send power save on / off commands real fast to the LCD until it dies.
Spin the dvdrom up too, or turn on its laser, without a CD in it.
That baby will melt in minutes.
I know what it means to have a 1.6 diesel! (Score:4, Funny)
It means you go everywhere reeaaaalllllyyy slloooooowllly...
Re:Remember... (Score:3, Funny)
OMG, that looks exactly like my wifi router back home! and my gf is working from home today!
noes!
It's ok... now you'll finally fit in with the /. crowd!
Re: unresolvable (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I hate to say it but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:All Versions of Windows affected (Score:2, Funny)
Apparently there's also a set of commands on a special CD-ROM [ubuntu.com] that once inserted can close all these vulnerabilities.
Re:Remember... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:WTF (Score:3, Funny)
The problem is the slashdotters are in an unresolvable emotional deadlock.
Do we cheer for destroying 100000 infested Windows installations, or do rage at the crapware producers who make this possible...
Dude, Obama's in office -- we can have it all.
Re:Hardly self-destruct (Score:2, Funny)
Re:WTF (Score:2, Funny)
Re:WTF (Score:5, Funny)
Cheer that the Windows Malware has escalated to the point that MAYBE, just MAYBE the average joe will pay attention.
Hey, Joe! yeah you! Windows machine can be destroyed by viruses.
Nahhh. I doubt it. These morons will still click on every pop-up and run every attachment sent to them.
"it told me my virus definitions was out of date in a shaking windows box. The computer must have been scared! so I clicked on it!"
Re:Remember... (Score:5, Funny)
Only if you piss on it. You really need that urea to finish the explosives.
how many people will stand up and piss all over the computer just because a pop-up tells them to?
"Stand up and pee into your computer and enter to win $1,000,000!!!!!!"
Re:Remember... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Remember... (Score:4, Funny)
KDE of course. Gnome is slick but it tends to do what it wants instead of what you want. As a fine Linux user named Linus once said, Gnome eventually treats you like an idiot.
So it's KDE of course. You might miss on the looks a little but at least you can convince her to do some things she wouldn't normally want to do. And if the looks are really that bad, just install a theme (boob job) and don't look back.
Re:Remember... (Score:3, Funny)
The caps and the burning circuit board do not meet mydefinition of bomb
You've obviously never had to "clean out the confetti" in a computer or power supply...
Re:I witnessed it too! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Remember... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Remember... (Score:4, Funny)
I did that once, with a journaling file system, and now, my girlfriend never goes down on me ... ever! I like the stability of the relationship, but I seem to miss something.
I think I'm going to get one of those Windows Girlfriends.
Re:WTF (Score:3, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)