431 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
431 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
|
|
|
|
#######################################
|
|
# #
|
|
# #
|
|
# ======== =\ = ====== #
|
|
# == = \ = = #
|
|
# == = \ = ====== #
|
|
# == = \ = = #
|
|
# == = \= ====== #
|
|
# #
|
|
# #
|
|
# <Tolmes News Service> #
|
|
# ''''''''''''''''''''' #
|
|
# #
|
|
# #
|
|
# > Written by Dr. Hugo P. Tolmes < #
|
|
# #
|
|
# #
|
|
#######################################
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue Number: 28
|
|
Release Date: February 27, 1988
|
|
|
|
|
|
TITLE: Viruses Threatening Era of Computer Freedom
|
|
FROM: The Chicago Tribune
|
|
DATE: February 21, 1988
|
|
|
|
By Christine Winter
|
|
|
|
|
|
At George Washington University, students were complaining about data
|
|
disappearing from their floppy disks. One day it was there; the next it
|
|
wasn't.
|
|
Computer programmers in the lab took one of the damaged disks and
|
|
delved into the complex lines of computer code used to write the programs
|
|
on it. Translated, the message read: "Welcome to the Dungeon... Beware of
|
|
this VIRUS. Contact us for vaccination...." Included were two names, an
|
|
address and three telephone numbers in Lahore, Pakistan.
|
|
Six months ago, a half dozen small businesses in California started using
|
|
an accounting software package they got free from an electronic bulletin board
|
|
sponsored by a local computer store. Everything went smoothly until each of
|
|
them hit a certain total in accounts receivable; at that point, all their
|
|
hard disk drives mysteriously erased all their accounting records.
|
|
In recent weeks in Silicon Valley, several employees at a small company
|
|
reportedly had their video monitors catch fire while they worked at their
|
|
PCs. Investigators speculate that the diskettes they were using contained
|
|
buried commands that changed the cycle speed of certain video functions,
|
|
causing the monitors to overheat and ignite.
|
|
Behold the arrival of the computer virus- an electronic scourge that could
|
|
have the same chilling effect on the free flow of data that AIDS has had on
|
|
the sexual revolution.
|
|
A computer virus is simply a small computer program. However, it is
|
|
designed not to process words or crunch numbers, but to do some kind of damage:
|
|
to delete data, alter information or destroy hardware. Viruses are written
|
|
in a computer programming language, a type of code made up of numbers and
|
|
symbols that gives instructions to the computer "behind the screen."
|
|
What differentiates a computer virus from any other program, or even
|
|
any other form of computer sabotage, is this: It gives instruction to attach
|
|
itself to other, innocent programs and to reproduce itself.
|
|
The average user would not see these extra characters or lines of
|
|
programming code on the screen, or understand them if he did. Even a
|
|
sophisticated programmer would have to go looking for a virus to find it.
|
|
Another devious feature of a virus is that it is a time bomb. It is
|
|
designed to do its dirty work later, when some data or even triggers it.
|
|
A virus recently found at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, for example,
|
|
was dles on the university's massive network, which
|
|
included government and military installations, on May 13. It has been
|
|
decoded and dismantled.
|
|
Because of those delayed "logic bombs" that are built into most viruses,
|
|
they are likely to spread among a given user group before they do anything to make their presence known.
|
|
Today's trend toward connecting computers and sharing information over
|
|
electronic bulletin boards make viruses more contagious. These electronic
|
|
bulletin boards are forums where computer users can communicate and trade
|
|
"public domain" or free software via telephone linkups to commercial public
|
|
networks.
|
|
One of the biggest threats to corporations comes from the trend to
|
|
bring computer work home- where diskettes could be infected by programs that
|
|
children bring home from school or get from bulletin boards.
|
|
A virus spreads by burying itself deep within the computer's operating
|
|
system, which is the set of instructions that tells the computer how to do
|
|
specific housekeeping tasks. This system must run every time the computer is
|
|
turned on.
|
|
The virus then gives commands to make room for a copy of itself on every
|
|
data diskette, or every program stored on the bard disk in the infected
|
|
computer. Every time a new diskette is used to store data or copy a program,
|
|
the virus goes along. When that diskette is introduced into a clean computer,
|
|
it spreads the virus there too, and so on. Just like a common cold or the flu.
|
|
"Let's face it, hackers have been breaking into government and university
|
|
computers for years," said Peter Roll, vice president of information services
|
|
at Northwestern University [see notes on the article]. "The concept that this
|
|
is new with viruses is their ability to propagate."
|
|
There seems to be no such thing as a harmless virus. The virus that hit
|
|
George Washington University and at least four other East Coast schools is
|
|
generally described as passive. It was apparently intended to do nothing more
|
|
harmful than duplicating itself, said Michael Peckman, a programmer-analyst
|
|
there. But it wreaked unintentional havoc by deleting or damaging data
|
|
when it made room for itself on student diskettes.
|
|
"The creator apparently intended just t have some fun, and look at the
|
|
harm he did," he said. "We had people lose their theses."
|
|
"The people who write these programs are not pranksters, they're
|
|
vandals," said Denis Director, president of Evanston-based Director
|
|
Technologies Inc. His Disk Defender is one of several security products,
|
|
originally designed to prevent accidental data loss, that are being
|
|
seen in a different light today.
|
|
There are some who think the viruses have been overdramatized by the
|
|
media. Phillip McKinney, a manager at OakBrook-based Thumbscan Inc., a
|
|
security products company, said there are probably only seven or eight
|
|
viruses in active circulation in this country.
|
|
"There's never really been a documented case of industrial sabotage,"
|
|
he said. "This isn't something that is a serious threat to the average
|
|
corporation on a yearly basiss."
|
|
en, a University of Cincinnati professor of computer
|
|
sceince, does not agree that the recent media hype has blown the problem out
|
|
of proportion.
|
|
The best known virus episodes have a lot of flash but not much substance,
|
|
he said. The more successful a virus is, the less likely anyone is to know
|
|
about it.
|
|
Cohen, who is generally credited with develping the first computer virus
|
|
as part of research on computer security for his doctoral thesis in
|
|
1983, suspects we are only seeing the tip of the phenomenon. There could be
|
|
viruses at work in corporate America that may never be discovered, he said.
|
|
these viruses are much more subtle, and dangerous than "the gross and vulgar
|
|
ones" that give themselves away by destroying everything.
|
|
|
|
|
|
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
|
|
|
|
The article went on and discussed such things as:
|
|
|
|
- a virus at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania
|
|
|
|
- the virus at IBM's electronic mail service
|
|
|
|
- various programs to protect users against viruses
|
|
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
"Let's face it, hackers have been breaking into government and university
|
|
computers for years," said Peter Roll, vice president of information services
|
|
at Northwestern University-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northwestern's computers are at:
|
|
|
|
- (312) 491-7110/3055/3469/3070
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
|
|
For more information on compuer viruses, see previous issues of TNS.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following series of busts was covered by the news in detail. Here it is from a newspaper article.
|
|
|
|
|
|
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taken from the TULSA WORLD, February 9,1988:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tulsa police and the U.S. Secret Service served search warrants on three
|
|
Tulsa residents, including two juveniles, suspected of illegally obtaining
|
|
long-distance access codes, officials said Monday (Feb. 8). The names of the
|
|
suspects were not released and none were arrested, but criminal charges may
|
|
be filed after further investitgation, said Tulsa detective Cpl. Ed Jackson.
|
|
Officials confiscated the computer equipment of the two juveniles, Jackson
|
|
said. A 17-page list of what is suspected to be MCI Telecommunicatons
|
|
Corp. access codes was confiscated from the third suspect, he said.
|
|
A search warrent filed Friday stated the list was in the possession
|
|
of Shane Gozlou at O.K. Motors, 2901 E. 11th St.
|
|
Authorities aren't quite sure the list is of access codes yet, since it
|
|
is written in a Middle Eastern language.
|
|
After the list is translated with the help of University of Tulsa
|
|
language experts, it will be sent to MCI officials to determine if the
|
|
numbers are access codes, Jackson said.
|
|
The investigation began in January after MCI noticed outside computers
|
|
were attempting to infiltrate the Tulsa MCI computer to obtain access codes,
|
|
Jackson said.
|
|
The warrant states police tdes to O.K. Motors by tracing
|
|
calls to MCI telephone lines with the help of Southwestern Bell personnel.
|
|
Computer hackers use illegally obtained access codes to contact
|
|
computers across the nation without having to pay for the long-distance
|
|
telephone usage, Jackson said.
|
|
Computer hacking is a growing problem, officials said. Long-
|
|
distance telephone companies lose about $500 million annually because of
|
|
illegally used access codes, said Jerry Slaughter, senior investigator with
|
|
MCI.
|
|
The loss incurred because of the three suspected Tulsa hackers has not
|
|
yet been determined, he said.
|
|
Most computer hackers are juveniles who are very bright, but usually
|
|
make below average grades in school, Jackson said.
|
|
"They're bored with their homework, so they spend all their time on
|
|
their computer at home," he said.
|
|
They attempt to obtain access codes because "their parents might
|
|
get a little upset when they find out they have a $2,000 phone bill,"
|
|
Jackson said.
|
|
The two Tulsa teens had compiled some unusual information on computer
|
|
disk, he said. Found in one teen's computer were recipes for Napalm and a
|
|
Molotov cocktail, he said.
|
|
Also found during the searches were several credit card numbers,
|
|
including one to a credit card reported stolen in Tulsa, he said.
|
|
One of the teens had made 1,650 attempts via computer in a 12-hour
|
|
period to obtain more access codes, Jackson said. He obtained five
|
|
working codes.
|
|
None of the suspected computer hackers knew each other, Jackson said,
|
|
although two had communicated via computer, using "handles," like citizen's
|
|
band radio operators.
|
|
Suspects can face federal charges if caught with 15 or more access codes
|
|
or one illegal code used to spend more than $1,000, Jackson said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
|
|
|
|
.........and another three bite the dust.
|
|
|
|
This is a fairly typical bust. I've seen it played over a hundred times.
|
|
|
|
Now for some things on the article:
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
"Tulsa police and the U.S. Secret Service"-
|
|
|
|
|
|
The USSS (United States Secret Service) are usually involved in these busts in
|
|
some way... as in this case.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
"A 17-page list of what is suspected to be MCI Telecommunicatons Corp.
|
|
access codes was confiscated from the third suspect"-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Seventeen pages is quite a long list. I've heard of people having such lists
|
|
from constant scanning in the past. I've even heard of people having Sprint
|
|
"bibles" of codes. This isn't very helpful since there is evidence of all the
|
|
old codes that have been used. It's not wise to have evidence of every code
|
|
that you every abused.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
"The investigation began in January after MCI noticed outside computers
|
|
were attempting to infiltrate the Tulsa MCI computer"-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Again, I've seen this happen over and over again notices that
|
|
someone has been dialing them over and over again and traces tha call. The time
|
|
when most scanning is detected is after midnight.. when there usually aren't as
|
|
many calls.. and suddenly there is one every minute.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
"Found in one teen's computer were recipes for Napalm and a Molotov
|
|
cocktail"-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most hackers (even r0dents) have a few g-files on bombs and such. These files
|
|
have been going around for about four years and are still popular. Most
|
|
likely, the files that were confiscated were sections from "The Poor Man's
|
|
James Bond" or maybe an old g-file from Grey Wolf.
|
|
|
|
It's more likely that it is from "The Poor Man's James Bond" because I
|
|
remember the files and it contained both napalm and molatov cocktails.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
"Also found during the searches were several credit card numbers"-
|
|
|
|
|
|
This probably came from a buffered message containing cards from either a
|
|
card-scan or some trashing.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
|
|
|
|
TNS Quick/\/otes:
|
|
-----------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Mafia Dude and the rest of TAU has been proceeding with "Operation NightScan".
|
|
NightScan is a wardialing/scanning operation. Most of it is going on in
|
|
the 202 NPA (Washington, DC). The results of all this scanning will come out
|
|
in the form of a g-file.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Some other things on Mafia Dude:
|
|
|
|
Currently, all his mail is being scanned by his parents. All his news is
|
|
coming in from the modem world. Also, Bellcore Systems might be going back up.
|
|
All of this is uncertain.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Prime Anarchist was arrested for a protest at a CIA recruiting office. They
|
|
were given three warnings and then arrested.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
A company called Mutual Telecommunications Network is just a scam that
|
|
people should stay away from. It also goes by the name of MTN Communications.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
End of the QuickNotes!
|
|
|
|
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
|
|
|
|
Board List
|
|
----------
|
|
|
|
The following is a list of bulletin boards around the country. The ones with
|
|
a "*" next to them is where you can find the TNS files.
|
|
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Digital Logic's Data Service.......(305) 395-6906
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Digital Logic
|
|
Others There: The Ronz, Lex Luthor
|
|
Baud: 300/1200
|
|
Notes: A Homebase for the LOD/H Technical Journal, phreak/hack, etc.
|
|
All of the LOD/H TJ files availiable
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
*Pirate-80 Information Systems.....(304) 744-2253
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Scan Man
|
|
Baud: 300/1200
|
|
Notes: one of the oldest phreak/hack boards around
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
*Ripco International...............(312) 528-5020
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Dr. Ripco
|
|
Baud: 1200/2400
|
|
Notes: 96 megs of storage
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Pirate Communications..............(206) 362-4008
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Black Manta
|
|
Baud: 300/1200
|
|
Notes: basic phreak/hack
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
*Executive Inn.....................(915) 581-5145
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Argos
|
|
Co-Sysops: many
|
|
Baud: 300/1200/2400
|
|
Notes: Many different sub-boards
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
The Works..........................(914) 238-8195
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Unknown
|
|
Notes: None
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Forgotten Realm....................(618) 943-2399
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Crimson Death
|
|
Co-Sysops: Phrozen Ghost & Epsion
|
|
Baud: 300/1200/2400
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Chaos Shoppe.......................(914) 478-0838
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Who knows
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Phreak Klass Room 2600.............(806) 799-0016
|
|
|
|
Sysop: The Egyptian Lover (TEL)
|
|
Co-sysop: Carrier Culprit
|
|
Baud: 300
|
|
Notes: A bbs for phreak/hack -ducation
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Celestrial Woodlands...............(713) 580-8213
|
|
|
|
Sysop: The Ranger
|
|
Baud: 300/1200/2400
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Inner Sanctum......................(914) 683-6926
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
OSUNY..............................(914) 725-4060
|
|
|
|
Sysop: Tom Roberts (whatever)
|
|
Baud: 1200
|
|
Notes: OSUNY= Ohio Scientific Users of New York
|
|
- a very old phreak/hack bbs ... mentioned in Newsweek a lot
|
|
- homebase for 2600 magazine
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
|
|
|