Sober worm spreads like wildfire

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The MS we all know....

``I first used Unix in 1981 and I agree that it is a secure system but it is not a totally secure system. In fact the first Virus(worm?) that I have heard of was set loose in Unix and took down what was then DarpaNet.''

That was I think the first UNIX worm that was using a remote debugging feature and the complete lack of any protection or authentication in the mailer. It self propagated itself and when it was discovered it was stopped. That was one of the last Unix worms.

It is true that every system needs reasonable precautions but no system is so easy to compromise in so many possible eays than ms windows.

All these sillly stupid viruses compromise a users machine by the EASE by which foreign and untrusted code can be downloaded and let execute under ms windows. Then they usally scan the user's address book and make pretend emals with people in the address book appear to be the senders. It would be very simple for a mailer to get an explicit confirmation from the owner before starting mass emails with forged source address.

Or the sending OS could intercept the open socket system call when the destination is the port for the email transfer protocol on another machine. SInce MS has seen its mailers so many times getting compromised in massive numbers they should had already done simply this: intercept the system calls, inform the user and expect some explicit ackwoledgement that these actions can go on.

This can be done very easily by MS and it would stop the email worms on their tracks.

But the MS we all know would never fix their current s/w since they need to keep the pressure on users to switch to longhorn....

-m

Posted by: michael-t   Posted on: 05/04/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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