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Title: Flame Steals Data Even When Computers Are Not Connected to the Internet
Source:
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URL Source: http://www.activistpost.com/2012/06 ... -data-even-when-computers.html
Published: Jun 13, 2012
Author: Susanne Posel,
Post Date: 2012-06-13 19:06:09 by Capitalist Eric
Keywords: None
Views: 5334
Comments: 10
Experts specializing in malware from Bitdefender have uncovered a special capability in Flame’s code that allows the virus to steal data from computers that are not connected to the Internet or networked machines. Flame can move stolen data to a USB memory stick plugged into an infected harddrive. Bitdefender asserts that this ability has never been witnessed before. This cyber-espionage virus will move stolen information to an USB outlet, then seemingly wait for the chance to upload it to the malware controllers once the infected computer links to the Internet. Bogdan Botezatu, malware analyst from Bitdefeder, said: It turns users into data mules. Chances are, at some point, a user with an infected flash drive will plug it into a secure computer in a contained environment, and Flame will carry the target’s information from the protected environment to the outside world…It uses its ability to infect to ensure an escape route for the data. This is is somewhat revolutionary for a piece of malware. Eugene Kaspersky, of the Russian Kaspersky Lab, uncovered Flame under orders from the UN. At the Global Media and Technology Summit, Kaspersky’s team made the connection between Flame and Stuxnet and the cyberattack on Iran by the US and Israel. The US and Israel came together to attack Iran; along with the European Union and a wide range of employed experts to guarantee that the worm would perform as planned. This virus attacked and damaged Iranian centrifuges used to enrich uranium at the Natanz facility. The Obama administration claims to be “launching an investigation into Flame, which is a highly classified project. Independent researchers have long attributed Stuxnet and Flame to the same cyberattacks and even claimed they are the same virus. Kaspersky’s lab has hard evidence of this fact. The Pentagon, through a report in 2011, assessed that the US is involved in cyberespionage, but claims it is a defense to the thefts of industrial and defense secrets of other cyberspies. Roel Schouwenberg, a senior researcher at Kaspersky Lab, commented: We are now 100 percent sure that the Flame and Stuxnet groups worked together. The fact that the Flame group shared their source code with the Stuxnet group shows they cooperated at least once. These two viruses share the same pieces of code at their based developmental stage, making them virtually identical; and most likely created by the same entity. Alexander Gostev, Kaspersky Lab’s Chief Security Expert, says: What we have found is very strong evidence that the Stuxnet/Duqu and Flame cyberweapons are connected. Hypocritically, the US government complained about the Chinese government’s cyberattack of their citizens dating back to 1999 after the UN’s NATO bombed the Chinese Embassy. Just last week, the Obama administration admitted to teaming up with Israel to create Stuxnet which attempts to extend “full spectrum dominance” in the Internet. While continuing the cyberattacks begun with former President Bush. The same virus was called Olympic Games back then. President Obama, trying to displace responsibility and blame, has suggested that the New York Times made-up their stories on Flame, Stuxnet and his administration’s involvement. This journalistic propaganda, designed to admit through confusion, will allow the White House to not acknowledge their responsibility with the blanket of plausible deniability. Israel has not publicly admitted nor denied involvement with Obama’s cyberattacks, Flame or Stuxnet.
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#1. To: Capitalist Eric (#0)
An old fashioned spy could have just stolen the code and passed it between the projects. Not seeing 100% certainty here.
Obama's watch stopped on 24 May 2008, but he's been too busy smoking crack to notice.
They lost me right there.
I've got to give you a shout out man. That ass whupping you and infowarrior are lying on the posse is a thing of beauty. You catching tater fabricating a post was a special moment for me. Once again, the lying sack of crap has been exposed.
(Edited) Goldi, (hondo68TTOR) is just wallpapering this site with his Paultarding. www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=322564 It's all Paultarding with him, 24/7/365. Can't you give him a month timeout on posting articles here so he doesn't completely destroy LP's credibility as a news site? His Paultardy articles crowd out real news that conservatives do want to read and comment on. TooConservative posted on 2012-06-13 7:45:23 ET Reply Trace Gatlin posted on 2012-06-13 I stated that thread just to screw with them. I stuck a big spin comment in, about how all the delegates would go to the PaulFest and get brainwashed into dropping Mitt. Predictably they went ballistic and started making up all kinds of stuff.
Obama's watch stopped on 24 May 2008, but he's been too busy smoking crack to notice.
Umm...about 25% of all virus infections now are caused by USB sticks. So the Stux/Flame authors took this another step. The virus will attempt to find a path to the outside world and connect to the Stux/Flame control network, operated by Israel/America paid gun hackers. It can then deliver data, execute commands and programs via internet. However, it can also save the data back to the USB stick that was used to originally infect the machine. So if a particular machine does not have a network connection to "phone home" with, it saves the data back to the stick. Then when the stick is plugged into a machine with a network connection, it will phone home with its data. As a third method of retrieval, let's say an Iranian tech carries a USB stick around to update computers controlling industrial machinery (like centrifuges) that are not on the internet. The USB stick keeps getting plugged in and capturing info from each machine and saving it on the stick. Then he takes it home and moves a few files to/from his machine and Stux/Flame "phones home" from there. And if nothing else, the Israeli/American intel agencies can buy a secretary at the techies' office or his hot new "girlfriend" and they drain the info off the USB stick when he's busy or asleep or out of town or what not. It is clever enough but, as usual, no more than the next obvious step in virus development for industrial espionage.
Dangled some red meat, did you? LOL. They're so easy.
I want to see someone plug a USB memory stick into a hard drive.
The USB memory stick is configured as a hard drive. And it can silently run code when you first plug it in. This is why, as I mentioned, 25% of all viruses are now traceable to people using these sticks at home, work, school and the infection travels with them.
You are not understanding what I wrote. You can't no way, no how, plug a USB memory stick into a hard drive.
I'm saying that you don't need to. Technically, your point is moot.
Roel Schouwenberg, a senior researcher at Kaspersky Lab, commented: We are now 100 percent sure that the Flame and Stuxnet groups worked together. The fact that the Flame group shared their source code with the Stuxnet group shows they cooperated at least once.
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#2. To: Capitalist Eric (#0)
Flame can move stolen data to a USB memory stick plugged into an infected harddrive.
#3. To: hondo68, buckeroo (#1)
#4. To: calcon, Too Conservative (#3)
#20. To: Goldi-Lox, Gatlin (#17)
libertypost.org/cgi-bin/r...ArtNum=322564&Disp=20#C20
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#5. To: Abcdefg (#2)
Flame can move stolen data to a USB memory stick plugged into an infected harddrive.
They lost me right there.
#6. To: hondo68 (#4)
I started that thread just to screw with them. I stuck a big spin comment in, about how all the delegates would go to the PaulFest and get brainwashed into dropping Mitt. Predictably they went ballistic and started making up all kinds of stuff.
#7. To: TooConservative (#5)
Flame can move stolen data to a USB memory stick plugged into an infected harddrive.
#8. To: Abcdefg (#7)
I want to see someone plug a USB memory stick into a hard drive.
#9. To: TooConservative (#8)
The USB memory stick is configured as a hard drive.
#10. To: Abcdefg (#9)
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