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DOJ confirms FBI operation that mass-deleted Chinese malware from US computers
- redundantly 2y agoThis is incredible, I imagine this kind of work is being performed all of the time. I wonder how many other similar infections and botnets are being battled right now.
- snailmailstare 2y agoThe article claims this is a malware that has been used since 2012 in general and from 2014 allegedly by China.. I wonder more if innovations or obfuscations were needed in the last ten years if this malware worked the whole time? Kind of the too little too late model of security.
- hulitu 2y ago> This is incredible, Is it though ? How easy is to reinstall the malware on those computers ?
- Frederation 2y agoWinnie at it again. Someone stick him back into his honeypot and smack his fanny.
- bediger4000 2y agoWeirdly, the article fails to note this is a Windows only malware.
- lukeweston1234 2y agoI'm shocked that this occurred on Windows. What a secure and open platform with a history of prioritizing user safety.
- BobaFloutist 2y agoDo you think if Linux and Windows magically swapped their market position, there would continue to be far more malware targeting Windows than Linux, or do you think it might be possible that, much like every other kind of software, malware developers target the most common and popular platforms?
- dismalaf 2y agoLinux is definitely a target, it runs the majority of, well, everything. The DoD uses Linux, defence contractors use Linux, infrastructure, most of the internet, etc... The idea that it isn't targeted because its "obscure" is silly, it's just more secure. Also, remember when Microsoft themselves were hacked multiple times by Russia? Or when a Russian spy was hired by Microsoft? Windows has historically been insecure, it could just be that Microsoft is bad at security...
- orf 2y agoThe daily number of people who interact directly with Windows machines absolutely dwarfs the daily number of people who interact directly with Linux machines. Most malware campaigns target people.
- dismalaf 2y agoMost malware campaigns are designed to extract money. Large corporations have multiple orders of magnitude more money than the average Windows user. If large corporations could be targeted as easily as Windows users, they'd be targeted 10/10 times. The only reason there is to target individual Windows users is because it's easy.
- orf 2y agoHate to break it to ya, but those large corporations are filled with the individual Windows users that campaigns target.
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- mdhb 2y agoI know this kind of operation was totally unthinkable only just a couple of years ago precisely because Americans have been known to hold very funny ideas about “freedom” sometimes but I’m really glad they got over that fear and took this kind of action.
- redundantly 2y agohttps://www.theverge.com/2023/8/29/23851227/fbi-doj-qakbot-botnet-malware https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/29/23851227/fbi-doj-qakbot-b... https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/13/22382821/fbi-doj-hafnium-remote-access-removal-hack https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/13/22382821/fbi-doj-hafnium-... https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/gameover-zeus-botnet-disrupted https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/gameover-zeus-botnet-disrup... https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/andromeda-botnet-dismantled-in-international-cyber-operation https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/andr... And a whole lot more. Whatchoo talkin’ bout, Willis?
- mdhb 2y agoI said only just a couple of years ago, I didn’t say this was the first time this has ever happened. The pre-2020 examples you give there are NOT going into systems without authorization and modifying them. They used other techniques to disrupt the botnets.
- redundantly 2y agoThe second link was four years ago. The third link was 2014. They didn't fix the vulnerability for the computer owners, but they did take over the control of the malware on them without notifying them. Same for the fourth link. 2011, they disabled these bot net agents without notifying system owners: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/04/u-s-government-takes-down-coreflood-botnet/ https://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/04/u-s-government-takes-dow... Point being, it wasn't unthinkable a couple of years ago.
- JohnnyLarue 2y ago"Deleted" "Chinese malware" Uh huh