...more recent posts
Worm:
[from `tapeworm' in John Brunner's novel "The Shockwave Rider", via XEROX PARC] A program that propagates itself over a network, reproducing itself as it goes. Compare virus. Nowadays the term has negative connotations, as it is assumed that only crackers write worms. Perhaps the best-known example was Robert T. Morris's Great Worm of 1988, a `benign' one that got out of control and hogged hundreds of Suns and VAXen across the U.S. See also cracker, RTM, Trojan horse, ice.Recently we've seen some big examples. The Code-Red Worm (CRv2) exploits a hole in Microsoft's IIS server software. This is software that turns a computer into a webserver (in other words, this won't infect your home computer.) IIS is installed on roughly 20% of web servers (although there are various reasons why that number may be misleadingly low.) This page has an interesting technical look at the rapid spread of the worm:
On July 19, 2001 more than 359,000 computers were infected with the Code-Red (CRv2) worm in less than 14 hours. At the peak of the infection frenzy, more than 2,000 new hosts were infected each minute. 43% of all infected hosts were in the United States, while 11% originated in Korea followed by 5% in China and 4% in Taiwan. The .NET Top Level Domain (TLD) accounted for 19% of all compromised machines, followed by .COM with 14% and .EDU with 2%. We also observed 136 (0.04%) .MIL and 213 (0.05%) .GOV hosts infected by the worm. A QuickTime animation of the geographic expansion of the worm is available.If you've got a fast connection don't miss the QuickTime animation. Nice/scary.
But it's not just web servers that have to be careful. The SirCam worm is making even more of a nuisance of itself in the Windows world (although not Windows NT or Windows 2000.) I've yet to get a single copy of it (anyone might get it, but it will only infect Windows machines,) but evidently it is very widespread, and not exactly going away. Ev thinks we may need to "create a disinfectant virus and release it the same way" in order to stop it.
From the symantec page linked above:
- Payload:
- Large scale e-mailing: The worm appends a random document from the infected PC to itself and sends this new file via email
- Deletes files: 1 in 20 chance of deleting all files and directories on C:. Only occurs on systems where the date is October 16 and which are using D/M/Y as the date format. Always occurs if attached file contains "FS2" not followed by "sc".
- Degrades performance: 1 in 50 chance of filling all remaining space on the C: drive by adding text to the file c:\recycled\sircam.sys
- Releases confidential info: It will export a random document from the hard drive by appending it to the body of the worm
The interesting thing about these worms (as Ev seems to suggest above) is that they are becoming sophisticated enough that it is very difficult to wipe them out. Maybe even they are coming alive. Here's Robert Cringely on the subject (try to ignore all the lame inline advertising for MessageLabs products if you click through.)
It will be beautifully organic, this hacking organism that can only be stopped by being utterly destroyed. And because it can live on any insecure system anywhere on the Net, and replicate from there, the chances of taking it down are very low indeed.... It will be a living electronic hack, an organism that lives on the Web.Is this the start? Are these things really becoming "Borg code, the creation of e-life"? I guess the process of deciding will run parallel to (or be the flip side of) the process of deciding exactly what this word "life" means. We've never really had to think too hard about it before.
Now I've done it. Once again I've met someone who I think would be a good match with what we are doing here. I gave him the URL, but now of course I'm worried that it's hard to grasp at first. I guess that's a nice way of saying there's a lot of chaff with the wheat. And we don't seem too intent on seperating these things out. I tend to call that "context" and I like to think it helps people connect with the person behind the words. Still, I can't really expect someone to wade through everything just to find the good stuff. Usually I don't care too much about this (I like the fact that we don't have any about this site sort of explanatory text) but then this can be a problem in the rare case that you want someone to connect and maybe stick around.
For instance, I think this thread is a good glimpse into what Bill is doing, but a quick look at his page probably wouldn't turn it up. Drat Fink has popularity far beyond our shores and clearly stands on his own in the world of blogdom. There's good links there right off the bat, but how long would you have to look before you found this Frank poem tucked away on the comments page? That's sounding pretty concise in the wake of all the G8 michegas. I've pointed to the Wheel's mini manifesto before as a good example of a from-the-heart type of journalism which we may or may not be involved with. I'm definitely not sure how to define it, but I know it works because I've learned so much about wine and food from him that I almost know something now.
Nola often completely freaks me out with stuff like this. Sometimes you get more than you bargain for. Sometimes the words really stick with you. Sometimes they even change you. Strong stuff. Same goes for Mr. Wilson in his arboretum. I know he never planned on writing anything specifically personal, but maybe the medium encourages a little of that. Clearly it works when he does it.
And then there's the feedback aspect. Even an unwanted guest can start a good thread (doesn't take much, does it?) And look out if the conversation turns to trees.
But pictures (hold tight: > 700k) can really say a lot too. We're still ramping up to speed in that area, but Steve is leading the way. He's got tons more goodies, but bandwidth is a little constraining at this point. Soon there will be more.
O.K. I've done a post like this once before, and even though I'm doing it again I'm not sure it's a good idea. It's just that sometimes you need a place to start. If you're a regular, feel free to suggest different entry points below. And if you're new here, welcome to our little part of the forest called Internet. Have a look around.
Whoa, hey buddy, watch where you're swinging those antlers. I don't think my landlord allows animals in the building, so maybe you could wear a hat or something when you drop by. Thanks.