United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 was unanimously passed by the United Nations Security Council on 23 December 2006.
119-425: Stuxnet is a malicious computer worm first uncovered in 2010 and thought to have been in development since at least 2005. Stuxnet targets supervisory control and data acquisition ( SCADA ) systems and is believed to be responsible for causing substantial damage to the nuclear program of Iran . Although neither country has openly admitted responsibility, multiple independent news organizations recognize Stuxnet to be
238-524: A control system security management program. The basic premise that all of these documents share is that prevention requires a multi-layered approach, often termed defense in depth . The layers include policies and procedures, awareness and training, network segmentation , access control measures, physical security measures, system hardening , e.g., patch management , and system monitoring, anti-virus and intrusion prevention system (IPS). The standards and best practices also all recommend starting with
357-696: A cyberweapon built jointly by the United States and Israel in a collaborative effort known as Operation Olympic Games . The program, started during the Bush administration , was rapidly expanded within the first months of Barack Obama 's presidency. Stuxnet specifically targets programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which allow the automation of electromechanical processes such as those used to control machinery and industrial processes including gas centrifuges for separating nuclear material. Exploiting four zero-day flaws, Stuxnet functions by targeting machines using
476-463: A distributed denial-of-service attack was made on the servers for two leading mailing lists on industrial-systems security. This attack, from an unknown source but likely related to Stuxnet, disabled one of the lists, thereby interrupting an important source of information for power plants and factories. On the other hand, researchers at Symantec have uncovered a version of the Stuxnet computer virus that
595-564: A trojan , worm or virus ) to bypass authentication mechanisms usually over an unsecured network such as the Internet to install the backdoor application. A backdoor can also be a side effect of a software bug in legitimate software that is exploited by an attacker to gain access to a victim's computer or network. The idea has often been suggested that computer manufacturers preinstall backdoors on their systems to provide technical support for customers, but this has never been reliably verified. It
714-680: A build timestamp from 3 February 2010. In the United Kingdom on 25 November 2010, Sky News reported that it had received information from an anonymous source at an unidentified IT security organization that Stuxnet, or a variation of the worm, had been traded on the black market . In 2015, Kaspersky Lab noted that the Equation Group had used two of the same zero-day attacks prior to their use in Stuxnet, in another malware called fanny.bmp. and commented that "the similar type of usage of both exploits together in different computer worms, at around
833-525: A common method is exploitation of a buffer overrun vulnerability, where software designed to store data in a specified region of memory does not prevent more data than the buffer can accommodate from being supplied. Malware may provide data that overflows the buffer, with malicious executable code or data after the end; when this payload is accessed it does what the attacker, not the legitimate software, determines. Malware can exploit recently discovered vulnerabilities before developers have had time to release
952-616: A complete computer, an operating system , or a computer network that is exploited by malware to bypass defences or gain privileges it requires to run. For example, TestDisk 6.4 or earlier contained a vulnerability that allowed attackers to inject code into Windows. Malware can exploit security defects ( security bugs or vulnerabilities ) in the operating system, applications (such as browsers, e.g. older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer supported by Windows XP ), or in vulnerable versions of browser plugins such as Adobe Flash Player , Adobe Acrobat or Reader , or Java SE . For example,
1071-453: A computer system without encrypting its contents, whereas crypto ransomware locks down a system and encrypts its contents. For example, programs such as CryptoLocker encrypt files securely, and only decrypt them on payment of a substantial sum of money. Lock-screens, or screen lockers is a type of "cyber police" ransomware that blocks screens on Windows or Android devices with a false accusation in harvesting illegal content, trying to scare
1190-586: A digital microscope – can be used to spread malware. Devices can be infected during manufacturing or supply if quality control is inadequate. Since the rise of widespread broadband Internet access, malicious software has more frequently been designed for profit. Since 2003, the majority of widespread viruses and worms have been designed to take control of users' computers for illicit purposes. Infected " zombie computers " can be used to send email spam , to host contraband data such as child pornography , or to engage in distributed denial-of-service attacks as
1309-458: A form of extortion . Malware is used broadly against government or corporate websites to gather sensitive information, or to disrupt their operation in general. Further, malware can be used against individuals to gain information such as personal identification numbers or details, bank or credit card numbers, and passwords. In addition to criminal money-making, malware can be used for sabotage, often for political motives. Stuxnet , for example,
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#17328448913011428-514: A freeze on those assets supporting or associated with Iran's proliferation nuclear activities and established a committee (known as the 1737 Committee) to oversee their implementation. It also provided a deadline for Iran to comply with the resolution. The sanctions would be lifted if Iran suspended the "suspect activities" within 60 days to the satisfaction of the International Atomic Energy Agency . Iran responded by condemning
1547-433: A group of hackers known as The Shadow Brokers leaked a massive trove of tools belonging to Equation Group, including new versions of both exploits compiled in 2010, showing significant code overlaps as both Stuxnet's exploits and Equation Group's exploits were developed using a set of libraries called "Exploit Development Framework" also leaked by The Shadow Brokers. A study of the spread of Stuxnet by Symantec showed that
1666-462: A key communication library of WinCC called s7otbxdx.dll . Doing so intercepts communications between the WinCC software running under Windows and the target Siemens PLC devices, when the two are connected via a data cable. The malware is able to modify the code on PLC devices unnoticed, and subsequently to mask its presence from WinCC if the control software attempts to read an infected block of memory from
1785-774: A large share of the market that an exploited vulnerability concentrating on either operating system could subvert a large number of systems. It is estimated that approximately 83% of malware infections between January and March 2020 were spread via systems running Windows 10 . This risk is mitigated by segmenting the networks into different subnetworks and setting up firewalls to block traffic between them. Anti-malware (sometimes also called antivirus ) programs block and remove some or all types of malware. For example, Microsoft Security Essentials (for Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7) and Windows Defender (for Windows 8 , 10 and 11 ) provide real-time protection. The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool removes malicious software from
1904-714: A last minute call from Russian President Vladimir Putin to U.S. President George W. Bush to finalise the vote. The resolution came after Iran rejected economic incentives put forward by the permanent five members of the Security Council plus Germany for Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment programme. The resolution, enacted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter , requires Iran to suspend certain "proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities." It places several prohibitions on all states with regards to Iran's nuclear activities. The Security Council also imposed
2023-521: A loader or stager. A loader or stager will merely load an extension of the malware (for example a collection of malicious functions through reflective dynamic link library injection) into memory. The purpose is to keep the initial stage light and undetectable. A dropper merely downloads further malware to the system. Ransomware prevents a user from accessing their files until a ransom is paid. There are two variations of ransomware, being crypto ransomware and locker ransomware. Locker ransomware just locks down
2142-645: A physics professor at Tehran University , was killed in a similar bomb explosion. On 11 January 2012, a director of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan , was killed in an attack quite similar to the one that killed Shahriari. Malware Malware (a portmanteau of malicious software ) is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer , server , client , or computer network , leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with
2261-426: A program could reproduce itself. This constituted a plausibility result in computability theory . Fred Cohen experimented with computer viruses and confirmed Neumann's postulate and investigated other properties of malware such as detectability and self-obfuscation using rudimentary encryption. His 1987 doctoral dissertation was on the subject of computer viruses. The combination of cryptographic technology as part of
2380-533: A quantum physicist, was killed. Fereydoon Abbasi , a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Defense was seriously wounded. Wired speculated that the assassinations could indicate that whoever was behind Stuxnet felt that it was not sufficient to stop the nuclear program. That same Wired article suggested the Iranian government could have been behind the assassinations. In January 2010, another Iranian nuclear scientist,
2499-511: A regular, benign program or utility in order to persuade a victim to install it. A Trojan horse usually carries a hidden destructive function that is activated when the application is started. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek story of the Trojan horse used to invade the city of Troy by stealth. Trojan horses are generally spread by some form of social engineering , for example, where
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#17328448913012618-517: A report published in December 2010, that Stuxnet is a reasonable explanation for the apparent damage at Natanz, and may have destroyed up to 1,000 centrifuges (10 percent) sometime between November 2009 and late January 2010. The authors conclude: The attacks seem designed to force a change in the centrifuge’s rotor speed, first raising the speed and then lowering it, likely with the intention of inducing excessive vibrations or distortions that would destroy
2737-469: A risk analysis and a control system security assessment. Experts believe that Stuxnet required the largest and costliest development effort in malware history. Developing its many abilities would have required a team of highly capable programmers, in-depth knowledge of industrial processes , and an interest in attacking industrial infrastructure. Eric Byres, who has years of experience maintaining and troubleshooting Siemens systems, told Wired that writing
2856-465: A separate process . This same behavior is used by today's worms as well. With the rise of the Microsoft Windows platform in the 1990s, and the flexible macros of its applications, it became possible to write infectious code in the macro language of Microsoft Word and similar programs. These macro viruses infect documents and templates rather than applications ( executables ), but rely on
2975-762: A showreel that was played at a retirement party for the head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Gabi Ashkenazi , included references to Stuxnet as one of his operational successes as the IDF chief of staff. On 1 June 2012, an article in The New York Times reported that Stuxnet was part of a US and Israeli intelligence operation named Operation Olympic Games , devised by the NSA under President George W. Bush and executed under President Barack Obama . On 24 July 2012, an article by Chris Matyszczyk from CNET reported that
3094-602: A suitable patch . Even when new patches addressing the vulnerability have been released, they may not necessarily be installed immediately, allowing malware to take advantage of systems lacking patches. Sometimes even applying patches or installing new versions does not automatically uninstall the old versions. There are several ways the users can stay informed and protected from security vulnerabilities in software. Software providers often announce updates that address security issues. Common vulnerabilities are assigned unique identifiers (CVE IDs) and listed in public databases like
3213-522: A user executes code, the system allows that code all rights of that user. A credential attack occurs when a user account with administrative privileges is cracked and that account is used to provide malware with appropriate privileges. Typically, the attack succeeds because the weakest form of account security is used, which is typically a short password that can be cracked using a dictionary or brute force attack. Using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication can reduce this risk. With
3332-482: A user is duped into executing an email attachment disguised to be unsuspicious, (e.g., a routine form to be filled in), or by drive-by download . Although their payload can be anything, many modern forms act as a backdoor, contacting a controller (phoning home) which can then have unauthorized access to the affected computer, potentially installing additional software such as a keylogger to steal confidential information, cryptomining software or adware to generate revenue to
3451-413: A user to access all rights of that user, which is known as over-privileged code. This was also standard operating procedure for early microcomputer and home computer systems. Malware, running as over-privileged code, can use this privilege to subvert the system. Almost all currently popular operating systems, and also many scripting applications allow code too many privileges, usually in the sense that when
3570-603: A virus causes itself to be run whenever the program is run or the disk is booted. Early computer viruses were written for the Apple II and Mac , but they became more widespread with the dominance of the IBM PC and MS-DOS . The first IBM PC virus in the wild was a boot sector virus dubbed (c)Brain , created in 1986 by the Farooq Alvi brothers in Pakistan. Malware distributors would trick
3689-480: Is a cooperative umbrella that includes the Equation Group , Flame , Duqu , and Flowershop (also known as 'Cheshire Cat'). In 2020, researcher Facundo Muñoz found evidence suggesting that Equation Group collaborated with Stuxnet developers in 2009 by lending them at least one zero-day exploit, and one exploit from 2008 that was being actively used in-the-wild by the Conficker computer worm and Chinese hackers. In 2017,
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3808-476: Is a technique known as LotL, or Living off the Land. This reduces the amount of forensic artifacts available to analyze. Recently these types of attacks have become more frequent with a 432% increase in 2017 and makeup 35% of the attacks in 2018. Such attacks are not easy to perform but are becoming more prevalent with the help of exploit-kits. A vulnerability is a weakness, flaw or software bug in an application ,
3927-635: Is designed to target only Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems that are configured to control and monitor specific industrial processes. Stuxnet infects PLCs by subverting the Step-7 software application that is used to reprogram these devices. Different variants of Stuxnet targeted five Iranian organizations, with the probable target widely suspected to be uranium enrichment infrastructure in Iran ; Symantec noted in August 2010 that 60 percent of
4046-475: Is detected and advises installing Microsoft updates for security vulnerabilities and prohibiting the use of third-party USB flash drives . Siemens also advises immediately upgrading password access codes. The worm's ability to reprogram external PLCs may complicate the removal procedure. Symantec's Liam O'Murchu warns that fixing Windows systems may not fully solve the infection; a thorough audit of PLCs may be necessary. Despite speculation that incorrect removal of
4165-413: Is difficult for two reasons. The first is that it is difficult to determine if software is malicious. The second is that malware uses technical measures to make it more difficult to detect it. An estimated 33% of malware is not detected by antivirus software. The most commonly employed anti-detection technique involves encrypting the malware payload in order to prevent antivirus software from recognizing
4284-497: Is insufficient consensus or data to classify them as malware. Types of greyware typically includes spyware , adware , fraudulent dialers , joke programs ("jokeware") and remote access tools . For example, at one point, Sony BMG compact discs silently installed a rootkit on purchasers' computers with the intention of preventing illicit copying. Potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are applications that would be considered unwanted despite often being intentionally downloaded by
4403-412: Is not the first time that hackers have targeted industrial systems, nor the first publicly known intentional act of cyberwarfare to be implemented, it is the first discovered malware that spies on and subverts industrial systems, and the first to include a programmable logic controller (PLC) rootkit . The worm initially spreads indiscriminately, but includes a highly specialized malware payload that
4522-429: Is software that embeds itself in some other executable software (including the operating system itself) on the target system without the user's knowledge and consent and when it is run, the virus is spread to other executable files. A worm is a stand-alone malware software that actively transmits itself over a network to infect other computers and can copy itself without infecting files. These definitions lead to
4641-448: Is software usually hidden within another seemingly innocuous program that can produce copies of itself and insert them into other programs or files, and that usually performs a harmful action (such as destroying data). They have been likened to biological viruses . An example of this is a portable execution infection, a technique, usually used to spread malware, that inserts extra data or executable code into PE files . A computer virus
4760-576: Is still ongoing and new versions of this virus are spreading." He reported that his company had begun the cleanup process at Iran's "sensitive centres and organizations." "We had anticipated that we could root out the virus within one to two months, but the virus is not stable, and since we started the cleanup process three new versions of it have been spreading", he told the Islamic Republic News Agency on 27 September 2010. On 29 November 2010, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated for
4879-402: Is then used to compare scanned files by an antivirus program. Because this approach is not useful for malware that has not yet been studied, antivirus software can use dynamic analysis to monitor how the program runs on a computer and block it if it performs unexpected activity. The aim of any malware is to conceal itself from detection by users or antivirus software. Detecting potential malware
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4998-455: Is twice as many malware variants as in 2016. Cybercrime , which includes malware attacks as well as other crimes committed by computer, was predicted to cost the world economy US$ 6 trillion in 2021, and is increasing at a rate of 15% per year. Since 2021, malware has been designed to target computer systems that run critical infrastructure such as the electricity distribution network . The defense strategies against malware differ according to
5117-447: Is used to generate money by click fraud , making it appear that the computer user has clicked an advertising link on a site, generating a payment from the advertiser. It was estimated in 2012 that about 60 to 70% of all active malware used some kind of click fraud, and 22% of all ad-clicks were fraudulent. Grayware is any unwanted application or file that can worsen the performance of computers and may cause security risks but which there
5236-714: Is very unusual for malware . The worm consists of a layered attack against three different systems: Stuxnet attacked Windows systems using an unprecedented four zero-day attacks (plus the CPLINK vulnerability and a vulnerability used by the Conficker worm). It is initially spread using infected removable drives such as USB flash drives , which contain Windows shortcut files to initiate executable code. The worm then uses other exploits and techniques such as peer-to-peer remote procedure call (RPC) to infect and update other computers inside private networks that are not directly connected to
5355-557: Is viewed in Windows Explorer, negating the need for user interaction. Stuxnet is unusually large at half a megabyte in size, and written in several different programming languages (including C and C++ ) which is also irregular for malware. The Windows component of the malware is promiscuous in that it spreads relatively quickly and indiscriminately. The malware has both user mode and kernel mode rootkit ability under Windows, and its device drivers have been digitally signed with
5474-478: The Android platform can be a major source of malware infection but one solution is to use third-party software to detect apps that have been assigned excessive privileges. Some systems allow all users to make changes to the core components or settings of the system, which is considered over-privileged access today. This was the standard operating procedure for early microcomputer and home computer systems, where there
5593-567: The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran e-mailed F-Secure 's chief research officer Mikko Hyppönen to report a new instance of malware. On 25 December 2012, an Iranian semi-official news agency announced there was a cyberattack by Stuxnet, this time on the industries in the southern area of the country. The malware targeted a power plant and some other industries in Hormozgan province in recent months. According to Eugene Kaspersky ,
5712-498: The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran met in the previous week to discuss how Stuxnet could be removed from their systems. According to analysts, such as David Albright , Western intelligence agencies had been attempting to sabotage the Iranian nuclear program for some time. The head of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant told Reuters that only the personal computers of staff at the plant had been infected by Stuxnet and
5831-814: The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant or the Natanz nuclear facility . Langner called the malware "a one-shot weapon" and said that the intended target was probably hit, although he admitted this was speculation. Another German researcher and spokesman of the German-based Chaos Computer Club , Frank Rieger, was the first to speculate that Natanz was the target. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz , in September 2010 experts on Iran and computer security specialists were increasingly convinced that Stuxnet
5950-575: The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) worked with Siemens to identify security holes in the company's widely used Process Control System 7 (PCS 7) and its software Step 7. In July 2008, INL and Siemens publicly announced flaws in the control system at a Chicago conference; Stuxnet exploited these holes in 2009. Several industry organizations and professional societies have published standards and best practice guidelines providing direction and guidance for control system end-users on how to establish
6069-537: The Microsoft Windows operating system and networks, then seeking out Siemens Step7 software. Stuxnet reportedly compromised Iranian PLCs, collecting information on industrial systems and causing the fast-spinning centrifuges to tear themselves apart. Stuxnet's design and architecture are not domain-specific and it could be tailored as a platform for attacking modern SCADA and PLC systems (e.g., in factory assembly lines or power plants), most of which are in Europe, Japan , and
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#17328448913016188-627: The National Vulnerability Database . Tools like Secunia PSI, free for personal use, can scan a computer for outdated software with known vulnerabilities and attempt to update them. Firewalls and intrusion prevention systems can monitor the network traffic for suspicious activity that might indicate an attack. Users and programs can be assigned more privileges than they require, and malware can take advantage of this. For example, of 940 Android apps sampled, one third of them asked for more privileges than they required. Apps targeting
6307-533: The United Kingdom , imposed sanctions against Iran for failing to stop its uranium enrichment program following resolution 1696 . It banned the supply of nuclear-related technology and materials and froze the assets of key individuals and companies related to the enrichment program. It took place two months after the creation of a draft-resolution, which was amended several times after objections from Russia and China . These objections were evident, as it took
6426-605: The Control System Security Program (CSSP). The program operates a specialized computer emergency response team called the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT), conducts a biannual conference ( ICSJWG ), provides training, publishes recommended practices, and provides a self-assessment tool. As part of a Department of Homeland Security plan to improve American computer security, in 2008 it and
6545-458: The Internet. The number of zero-day exploits used is unusual, as they are highly valued and malware creators do not typically make use of (and thus simultaneously make visible) four different zero-day exploits in the same worm. Amongst these exploits were remote code execution on a computer with Printer Sharing enabled, and the LNK/PIF vulnerability, in which file execution is accomplished when an icon
6664-446: The Natanz nuclear enrichment lab in Iran". In January 2024, de Volkskrant reported that Dutch engineer Erik van Sabben was the saboteur who had infiltrated the underground nuclear complex in the city of Natanz and installed equipment infected with Stuxnet. Ralph Langner, the researcher who identified that Stuxnet infected PLCs, first speculated publicly in September 2010 that the malware
6783-498: The Natanz plant. Iran likely cleaned the malware from its control systems. To prevent re-infection, Iran will have to exercise special caution since so many computers in Iran contain Stuxnet. Although Stuxnet appears to be designed to destroy centrifuges at the Natanz facility, destruction was by no means total. Moreover, Stuxnet did not lower the production of low enriched uranium (LEU) during 2010. LEU quantities could have certainly been greater, and Stuxnet could be an important part of
6902-571: The PBS program Need To Know cited a statement by Gary Samore , White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction, in which he said, "we're glad they [the Iranians] are having trouble with their centrifuge machine and that we — the U.S. and its allies — are doing everything we can to make sure that we complicate matters for them," offering "winking acknowledgement" of United States involvement in Stuxnet. According to The Daily Telegraph ,
7021-760: The PLC system. The malware furthermore used a zero-day exploit in the WinCC/SCADA database software in the form of a hard-coded database password. Stuxnet's payload targets only those SCADA configurations that meet criteria that it is programmed to identify. Stuxnet requires specific slave variable-frequency drives (frequency converter drives) to be attached to the targeted Siemens S7-300 system and its associated modules. It only attacks those PLC systems with variable-frequency drives from two specific vendors: Vacon based in Finland and Fararo Paya based in Iran. Furthermore, it monitors
7140-456: The United States. Stuxnet reportedly destroyed almost one-fifth of Iran's nuclear centrifuges . Targeting industrial control systems, the worm infected over 200,000 computers and caused 1,000 machines to physically degrade. Stuxnet has three modules: a worm that executes all routines related to the main payload of the attack; a link file that automatically executes the propagated copies of
7259-424: The breakdown by installing new centrifuges on a large scale. The worm worked by first causing an infected Iranian IR-1 centrifuge to increase from its normal operating speed of 1,064 hertz to 1,410 hertz for 15 minutes before returning to its normal frequency. Twenty-seven days later, the worm went back into action, slowing the infected centrifuges down to a few hundred hertz for a full 50 minutes. The stresses from
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#17328448913017378-501: The centrifuge. If its goal was to quickly destroy all the centrifuges in the FEP [Fuel Enrichment Plant], Stuxnet failed. But if the goal was to destroy a more limited number of centrifuges and set back Iran’s progress in operating the FEP, while making detection difficult, it may have succeeded, at least temporarily. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) report further notes that Iranian authorities have attempted to conceal
7497-408: The code implied that a Western government was responsible, or at least is responsible for its development. However, software security expert Bruce Schneier initially condemned the 2010 news coverage of Stuxnet as hype, stating that it was almost entirely based on speculation. But after subsequent research, Schneier stated in 2012 that "we can now conclusively link Stuxnet to the centrifuge structure at
7616-518: The code would have taken many man-months, if not man-years. Symantec estimates that the group developing Stuxnet would have consisted of between five and thirty people, and would have taken six months to prepare. The Guardian , the BBC and The New York Times all claimed that (unnamed) experts studying Stuxnet believe the complexity of the code indicates that only a nation-state would have the abilities to produce it. The self-destruct and other safeguards within
7735-453: The computer. If both the conditions are fulfilled, Stuxnet introduces the infected rootkit onto the PLC and Step7 software, modifying the code and giving unexpected commands to the PLC while returning a loop of normal operation system values back to the users. Stuxnet, discovered by Sergey Ulasen from a Belarussian antivirus company VirusBlokAda , initially spread via Microsoft Windows, and targeted Siemens industrial control systems . While it
7854-405: The differences in its signatures. This is known as polymorphic malware. Other common techniques used to evade detection include, from common to uncommon: (1) evasion of analysis and detection by fingerprinting the environment when executed; (2) confusing automated tools' detection methods. This allows malware to avoid detection by technologies such as signature-based antivirus software by changing
7973-481: The disambiguation of Israel's suspected nuclear arsenal . In reaction to the resolution, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated "I am sorry for you who lost the opportunity for friendship with the nation of Iran. You yourself know that you cannot damage the nation of Iran an iota." Hosseini, the foreign ministry spokesman, vowed that Iran's relationship with the UN nuclear watchdog would change. The resolution lists
8092-402: The excessive, then slower, speeds caused the aluminium centrifugal tubes to expand, often forcing parts of the centrifuges into sufficient contact with each other to destroy the machine. According to The Washington Post , International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cameras installed in the Natanz facility recorded the sudden dismantling and removal of approximately 900–1,000 centrifuges during
8211-483: The fact that macros in a Word document are a form of executable code. Many early infectious programs, including the Morris Worm , the first internet worm, were written as experiments or pranks. Today, malware is used by both black hat hackers and governments to steal personal, financial, or business information. Today, any device that plugs into a USB port – even lights, fans, speakers, toys, or peripherals such as
8330-467: The fact that the other had been killed, and would start a new copy of the recently stopped program within a few milliseconds. The only way to kill both ghosts was to kill them simultaneously (very difficult) or to deliberately crash the system. A backdoor is a broad term for a computer program that allows an attacker persistent unauthorised remote access to a victim's machine often without their knowledge. The attacker typically uses another attack (such as
8449-561: The first half of 2009, which is speculated to have forced Gholam Reza Aghazadeh , the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), to resign. Statistics published by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) show that the number of enrichment centrifuges operational in Iran mysteriously declined from about 4,700 to about 3,900 beginning around the time the nuclear incident WikiLeaks mentioned would have occurred. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) suggests, in
8568-565: The first time that a computer virus had caused problems with the controller handling the centrifuges at its Natanz facilities. According to Reuters, he told reporters at a news conference in Tehran, "They succeeded in creating problems for a limited number of our centrifuges with the software they had installed in electronic parts." On the same day two Iranian nuclear scientists were targeted in separate, but nearly simultaneous car bomb attacks near Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran. Majid Shahriari ,
8687-529: The following individuals and organizations in an annex, as the initial list of people and organizations whose assets are asked to be frozen: In addition to the above, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi , Commander in Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps , is listed in a separate group and is claimed to be involved in both the nuclear and ballistic missile programs. After
8806-484: The frequency of the attached motors, and only attacks systems that spin between 807 Hz and 1,210 Hz. This is a much higher frequency than motors typically operate at in most industrial applications, with the notable exception of gas centrifuges . Stuxnet installs malware into memory block DB890 of the PLC that monitors the Profibus messaging bus of the system. When certain criteria are met, it periodically modifies
8925-481: The frequency to 1,410 Hz and then to 2 Hz and then to 1,064 Hz, and thus affects the operation of the connected motors by changing their rotational speed. It also installs a rootkit – the first such documented case on this platform – that hides the malware on the system and masks the changes in rotational speed from monitoring systems. Siemens has released a detection and removal tool for Stuxnet. Siemens recommends contacting customer support if an infection
9044-408: The host. It also limits access to system resources like memory and the file system to maintain isolation. Browser sandboxing is a security measure that isolates web browser processes and tabs from the operating system to prevent malicious code from exploiting vulnerabilities. It helps protect against malware, zero-day exploits , and unintentional data leaks by trapping potentially harmful code within
9163-511: The infected computers worldwide were in Iran. Siemens stated that the worm caused no damage to its customers, but the Iran nuclear program, which uses embargoed Siemens equipment procured secretly, was damaged by Stuxnet. Kaspersky Lab concluded that the sophisticated attack could only have been conducted "with nation-state support." F-Secure 's chief researcher Mikko Hyppönen , when asked if possible nation-state support were involved, agreed: "That's what it would look like, yes." In May 2011,
9282-625: The infection, Iran assembled a team to combat it. With more than 30,000 IP addresses affected in Iran, an official said that the infection was fast spreading in Iran and the problem had been compounded by the ability of Stuxnet to mutate. Iran had set up its own systems to clean up infections and had advised against using the Siemens SCADA antivirus since it is suspected that the antivirus contains embedded code which updates Stuxnet instead of removing it. According to Hamid Alipour, deputy head of Iran's government Information Technology Company, "The attack
9401-467: The intention to prevent irreversible system damage. Most AVs allow users to override this behaviour. This can have a considerable performance impact on the operating system, though the degree of impact is dependent on how many pages it creates in virtual memory . Sandboxing is a security model that confines applications within a controlled environment, restricting their operations to authorized "safe" actions and isolating them from other applications on
9520-401: The latter enabled, even if an attacker can crack the password, they cannot use the account without also having the token possessed by the legitimate user of that account. Homogeneity can be a vulnerability. For example, when all computers in a network run the same operating system, upon exploiting one, one worm can exploit them all: In particular, Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X have such
9639-568: The main affected countries in the early days of the infection were Iran, Indonesia and India: Iran was reported to have fortified its cyberwar abilities following the Stuxnet attack, and has been suspected of retaliatory attacks against United States banks in Operation Ababil . Unlike most malware, Stuxnet does little harm to computers and networks that do not meet specific configuration requirements; "The attackers took great care to make sure that only their designated targets were hit ... It
9758-467: The malware, allowing it to be updated, and for industrial espionage to be conducted by uploading information. Both of these domain names have subsequently been redirected by their DNS service provider to Dynadot as part of a global effort to disable the malware. According to researcher Ralph Langner, once installed on a Windows system, Stuxnet infects project files belonging to Siemens' WinCC / PCS 7 SCADA control software (Step 7), and subverts
9877-460: The new version of Proton Remote Access Trojan (RAT) trained to extract password data from various sources, such as browser auto-fill data, the Mac-OS keychain, and password vaults. Droppers are a sub-type of Trojans that solely aim to deliver malware upon the system that they infect with the desire to subvert detection through stealth and a light payload. It is important not to confuse a dropper with
9996-402: The observation that a virus requires the user to run an infected software or operating system for the virus to spread, whereas a worm spreads itself. Once malicious software is installed on a system, it is essential that it stays concealed, to avoid detection. Software packages known as rootkits allow this concealment, by modifying the host's operating system so that the malware is hidden from
10115-432: The operating system's core or kernel and functions in a manner similar to how certain malware itself would attempt to operate, though with the user's informed permission for protecting the system. Any time the operating system accesses a file, the on-access scanner checks if the file is infected or not. Typically, when an infected file is found, execution is stopped and the file is quarantined to prevent further damage with
10234-558: The operator of the trojan. While Trojan horses and backdoors are not easily detectable by themselves, computers may appear to run slower, emit more heat or fan noise due to heavy processor or network usage, as may occur when cryptomining software is installed. Cryptominers may limit resource usage and/or only run during idle times in an attempt to evade detection. Unlike computer viruses and worms, Trojan horses generally do not attempt to inject themselves into other files or otherwise propagate themselves. In spring 2017, Mac users were hit by
10353-419: The payload of the virus, exploiting it for attack purposes was initialized and investigated from the mid-1990s, and includes initial ransomware and evasion ideas. Before Internet access became widespread, viruses spread on personal computers by infecting executable programs or boot sectors of floppy disks. By inserting a copy of itself into the machine code instructions in these programs or boot sectors ,
10472-566: The primary method of malware delivery, accounting for 96% of malware delivery around the world. The first worms, network -borne infectious programs, originated not on personal computers, but on multitasking Unix systems. The first well-known worm was the Morris worm of 1988, which infected SunOS and VAX BSD systems. Unlike a virus, this worm did not insert itself into other programs. Instead, it exploited security holes ( vulnerabilities ) in network server programs and started itself running as
10591-615: The private keys of two public key certificates that were stolen from separate well-known companies, JMicron and Realtek , both located at Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan. The driver signing helped it install kernel mode rootkit drivers successfully without users being notified, and thus it remained undetected for a relatively long period of time. Both compromised certificates have been revoked by Verisign . Two websites in Denmark and Malaysia were configured as command and control servers for
10710-413: The reason why they did not increase significantly. Nonetheless, there remain important questions about why Stuxnet destroyed only 1,000 centrifuges. One observation is that it may be harder to destroy centrifuges by use of cyber attacks than often believed. The Associated Press reported that the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency released a statement on 24 September 2010 stating that experts from
10829-473: The resolution and criticizing the Security Council. Mohammad Ali Hosseini , a spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry , said the resolution "cannot affect or limit Iran's peaceful nuclear activities but will discredit the decisions of the Security Council, whose power is deteriorating." Because the resolution is under Article 41 of Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter , it cannot be enforced through
10948-573: The resolution was passed, Russia sold an unspecified number of surface-to-air missiles of the Tor-M1 type to Iran. In September 2012, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates confiscated various equipment headed to Iran which may have been sought for the Iranian nuclear program, including carbon fibre, which experts said would be vital if Iran wanted to develop more advanced nuclear enrichment centrifuge technology. In addition, diplomats said that
11067-529: The same time, indicates that the Equation Group and the Stuxnet developers are either the same or working closely together". In 2019, Chronicle researchers Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade and Silas Cutler presented evidence of at least four distinct threat actor malware platforms collaborating to create the different versions of Stuxnet. The collaboration was dubbed 'GOSSIP GIRL' after a threat group leaked from classified CSE slides that included Flame. GOSSIP GIRL
11186-516: The sandbox. It involves creating separate processes, limiting access to system resources, running web content in isolated processes, monitoring system calls, and memory constraints. Inter-process communication (IPC) is used for secure communication between processes. Escaping the sandbox involves targeting vulnerabilities in the sandbox mechanism or the operating system's sandboxing features. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 The resolution, sponsored by France , Germany and
11305-621: The server used by the malware; (3) timing-based evasion. This is when malware runs at certain times or following certain actions taken by the user, so it executes during certain vulnerable periods, such as during the boot process, while remaining dormant the rest of the time; (4) obfuscating internal data so that automated tools do not detect the malware; (v) information hiding techniques, namely stegomalware ; and (5) fileless malware which runs within memory instead of using files and utilizes existing system tools to carry out malicious acts. The use of existing binaries to carry out malicious activities
11424-412: The signature. Tools such as crypters come with an encrypted blob of malicious code and a decryption stub. The stub decrypts the blob and loads it into memory. Because antivirus does not typically scan memory and only scans files on the drive, this allows the malware to evade detection. Advanced malware has the ability to transform itself into different variations, making it less likely to be detected due to
11543-552: The state-run newspaper Iran Daily quoted Reza Taghipour , Iran's telecommunications minister, as saying that it had not caused "serious damage to government systems". The Director of Information Technology Council at the Iranian Ministry of Industries and Mines, Mahmud Liaii, has said that: "An electronic war has been launched against Iran... This computer worm is designed to transfer data about production lines from our industrial plants to locations outside Iran." In response to
11662-437: The system. Additionally, several capable antivirus software programs are available for free download from the Internet (usually restricted to non-commercial use). Tests found some free programs to be competitive with commercial ones. Typically, antivirus software can combat malware in the following ways: A specific component of anti-malware software, commonly referred to as an on-access or real-time scanner, hooks deep into
11781-470: The time the Stuxnet worm was reportedly active at the plant. Iranian technicians, however, were able to quickly replace the centrifuges and the report concluded that uranium enrichment was likely only briefly disrupted. On 15 February 2011, the Institute for Science and International Security released a report concluding that: Assuming Iran exercises caution, Stuxnet is unlikely to destroy more centrifuges at
11900-465: The type of malware but most can be thwarted by installing antivirus software , firewalls , applying regular patches , securing networks from intrusion, having regular backups and isolating infected systems . Malware can be designed to evade antivirus software detection algorithms. The notion of a self-reproducing computer program can be traced back to initial theories about the operation of complex automata. John von Neumann showed that in theory
12019-410: The use of military means. The Iranian Ambassador to the U.N, M. Javad Zarif , also replied to the resolution, “A nation is being punished for exercising its inalienable rights ,” accusing the council of acting at the “behest of a dangerous regime with aggression and war crimes as its signature brand of behaviour,” referring to Israel , whose Prime Minister , Ehud Olmert , allegedly took steps towards
12138-615: The user into booting or running from an infected device or medium. For example, a virus could make an infected computer add autorunnable code to any USB stick plugged into it. Anyone who then attached the stick to another computer set to autorun from USB would in turn become infected, and also pass on the infection in the same way. Older email software would automatically open HTML email containing potentially malicious JavaScript code. Users may also execute disguised malicious email attachments. The 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon , cited by CSO Online , states that emails are
12257-469: The user's computer security and privacy . Researchers tend to classify malware into one or more sub-types (i.e. computer viruses , worms , Trojan horses , ransomware , spyware , adware , rogue software , wipers and keyloggers ). Malware poses serious problems to individuals and businesses on the Internet. According to Symantec 's 2018 Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), malware variants number has increased to 669,947,865 in 2017, which
12376-894: The user. PUPs include spyware, adware, and fraudulent dialers. Many security products classify unauthorised key generators as PUPs, although they frequently carry true malware in addition to their ostensible purpose. In fact, Kammerstetter et al. (2012) estimated that as much as 55% of key generators could contain malware and that about 36% malicious key generators were not detected by antivirus software. Some types of adware turn off anti-malware and virus protection; technical remedies are available. Programs designed to monitor users' web browsing, display unsolicited advertisements , or redirect affiliate marketing revenues are called spyware . Spyware programs do not spread like viruses; instead they are generally installed by exploiting security holes. They can also be hidden and packaged together with unrelated user-installed software. The Sony BMG rootkit
12495-495: The user. Rootkits can prevent a harmful process from being visible in the system's list of processes , or keep its files from being read. Some types of harmful software contain routines to evade identification and/or removal attempts, not merely to hide themselves. An early example of this behavior is recorded in the Jargon File tale of a pair of programs infesting a Xerox CP-V time sharing system: Each ghost-job would detect
12614-618: The victims into paying up a fee. Jisut and SLocker impact Android devices more than other lock-screens, with Jisut making up nearly 60 percent of all Android ransomware detections. Encryption-based ransomware, like the name suggests, is a type of ransomware that encrypts all files on an infected machine. These types of malware then display a pop-up informing the user that their files have been encrypted and that they must pay (usually in Bitcoin) to recover them. Some examples of encryption-based ransomware are CryptoLocker and WannaCry . Some malware
12733-460: The worm also infected a nuclear power plant in Russia. Kaspersky noted, however, that since the power plant is not connected to the public Internet, the system should remain safe. The worm was first identified by the security company VirusBlokAda in mid-June 2010. Journalist Brian Krebs 's blog posting on 15 July 2010 was the first widely read report on the worm. The original name given by VirusBlokAda
12852-455: The worm could cause damage, Siemens reports that in the first four months since discovery, the malware was successfully removed from the systems of 22 customers without any adverse effects. Prevention of control system security incidents, such as from viral infections like Stuxnet, is a topic that is being addressed in both the public and the private sector. The US Department of Homeland Security National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) operates
12971-458: The worm spreading to an engineer's computer that had been connected to the centrifuges and spreading further when the engineer returned home and connected his computer to the internet. Kaspersky Lab experts at first estimated that Stuxnet started spreading around March or April 2010, but the first variant of the worm appeared in June 2009. On 15 July 2010, the day the worm's existence became widely known,
13090-425: The worm; and a rootkit component responsible for hiding all malicious files and processes, to prevent detection of Stuxnet. It is typically introduced to the target environment via an infected USB flash drive , thus crossing any air gap . The worm then propagates across the network, scanning for Siemens Step7 software on computers controlling a PLC. In the absence of either criterion, Stuxnet becomes dormant inside
13209-412: Was "Rootkit.Tmphider;" Symantec, however, called it "W32.Temphid," later changing to "W32.Stuxnet." Its current name is derived from a combination of some keywords in the software (".stub" and "mrxnet.sys"). The reason for the discovery at this time is attributed to the virus accidentally spreading beyond its intended target (the Natanz plant) due to a programming error introduced in an update; this led to
13328-517: Was a marksman's job." While the worm is promiscuous, it makes itself inert if Siemens software is not found on infected computers, and contains safeguards to prevent each infected computer from spreading the worm to more than three others, and to erase itself on 24 June 2012. For its targets, Stuxnet contains, among other things, code for a man-in-the-middle attack that fakes industrial process control sensor signals so an infected system does not shut down due to detected abnormal behavior. Such complexity
13447-680: Was designed to disrupt very specific industrial equipment. There have been politically motivated attacks which spread over and shut down large computer networks, including massive deletion of files and corruption of master boot records , described as "computer killing." Such attacks were made on Sony Pictures Entertainment (25 November 2014, using malware known as Shamoon or W32.Disttrack) and Saudi Aramco (August 2012). Malware can be classified in numerous ways, and certain malicious programs may fall into two or more categories simultaneously. Broadly, software can categorised into three types: (i) goodware; (ii) greyware and (iii) malware. A computer virus
13566-422: Was intended to prevent illicit copying; but also reported on users' listening habits, and unintentionally created extra security vulnerabilities. Antivirus software typically uses two techniques to detect malware: (i) static analysis and (ii) dynamic/heuristic analysis. Static analysis involves studying the software code of a potentially malicious program and producing a signature of that program. This information
13685-408: Was meant "to sabotage the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz – where the centrifuge operational capacity had dropped over the past year by 30 percent." On 23 November 2010 it was announced that uranium enrichment at Natanz had ceased several times because of a series of major technical problems. A "serious nuclear accident" (supposedly the shutdown of some of its centrifuges) occurred at the site in
13804-543: Was no distinction between an administrator or root , and a regular user of the system. In some systems, non-administrator users are over-privileged by design, in the sense that they are allowed to modify internal structures of the system. In some environments, users are over-privileged because they have been inappropriately granted administrator or equivalent status. This can be because users tend to demand more privileges than they need, so often end up being assigned unnecessary privileges. Some systems allow code executed by
13923-763: Was of Israeli origin, and that it targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. However Langner more recently, at a TED conference, recorded in February 2011, stated that, "My opinion is that the Mossad is involved, but that the leading force is not Israel. The leading force behind Stuxnet is the cyber superpower – there is only one; and that's the United States." Kevin Hogan, Senior Director of Security Response at Symantec, reported that most infected systems were in Iran (about 60%), which has led to speculation that it may have been deliberately targeting "high-value infrastructure" in Iran including either
14042-461: Was reported in 2014 that US government agencies had been diverting computers purchased by those considered "targets" to secret workshops where software or hardware permitting remote access by the agency was installed, considered to be among the most productive operations to obtain access to networks around the world. Backdoors may be installed by Trojan horses, worms , implants , or other methods. A Trojan horse misrepresents itself to masquerade as
14161-558: Was used to attack Iran's nuclear program in November 2007, being developed as early as 2005, when Iran was still setting up its uranium enrichment facility. The second variant, with substantial improvements, appeared in March 2010, apparently because its authors believed that Stuxnet was not spreading fast enough; a third, with minor improvements, appeared in April 2010. The worm contains a component with
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