Shamoon Malware Linked To Saudi Aramco Attack

angry tapir writes "A timer found in the Shamoon cyber-sabotage malware discovered last week matches the exact time and date when a hacktivist group claims to have disabled thousands of computers from the network of Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia. 'We penetrated a system of Aramco company by using the hacked systems in several countries and then sent a malicious virus to destroy thirty thousand computers networked in this company,' a group called the 'Cutting Sword of Justice' said in a Pastebin post on Aug. 15. 'The destruction operations began on Wednesday, Aug 15, 2012 at 11:08 AM (Local time in Saudi Arabia) and will be completed within a few hours.' That same day, Saudi Aramco confirmed that some sectors of its computer network were affected by a computer virus that infected workstations used by its employees."

Aramco's computer network?

[turbidostato]

...or Aramco's *windows* computer network?

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Never forget: where 15 of the 19 "9-1-1" terrorists were from: Saudi Arabia.

Re:

[cheaphomemadeacid]

nope, you make it cross platform

Dept. of Redundancy Department

[Anonymous Coward]

'We penetrated a system of Aramco company by using the hacked systems in several countries and then sent a malicious virus to destroy thirty thousand computers networked in this company,'
As opposed to all the benevolent viruses meant to create computers?

Re:

[couchslug]

Bendix? You an avionics/radar kinda guy?

The USAF quit letting us spectate at those public punishments around 1992 due to "security reasons". Figures it happened just before I deployed to Khobar Towers and could have gone. Pissed me off as I'd like to see how old-time religion does business without being the "guest of honor".

"If only these arab antics were shown on CNN."

They sometimes make it to Liveleak...

Re:

[__aaltlg1547]

Great, you don't like them. So lets infect their computers with destructive viruses that can also damage the computers of other people we have no problem with. This is not like spraying Aramco Sux on a wall. It affects innocent third parties.

Re:

[__aaltlg1547]

It only affects the fossile fuel trade. That is a side effect, but a positive one.

Great. So everybody's fuel is more expensive. This is supposed by stupid little shit "hacktivists" to be a benefit. And you may get a copy of their shitty little virus on your computer or it may affect a computer with which you do business, interfering with your life and possibly compromising your data security.

Let these little asswipes come out of the closet, grow something useful on top of their brainstems and if they still feel like Aramco has something that needs to be dealt with, deal with it in a r

Re:

[M1FCJ]

You can stop buying petrol from them right now. Oh wait, you can't, entire American economy depends on cheap oil from Arabia.

Terrorism or counter-terrorism

[KublaKhan1797]

Is this terrorism or counter-terrorism? So difficult to tell these days when both sides act the same.

Re:

[couchslug]

Refineries have leaks, fires, explosions, and other malfunctions fairly often. It's the nature of the petroleum beast. While the Iranian incident could be sabotage of one sort or another, it could also be an ordinary fuckup. A wise Iranian would blame sabotage.

Here's a "quiet" accident which caused massive damage:

"Insight: In hours, caustic vapors wreaked quiet ruin on biggest U.S. refinery"

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/25/us-usa-refinery-motiva-idUSBRE85O02720120625 [reuters.com]