Vast Spy System Loots Computers in 103 Countries

[remedy1]

Source: NYT

March 29, 2009

Vast Spy System Loots Computers in 103 Countries
By JOHN MARKOFF

TORONTO — A vast electronic spying operation has infiltrated computers and has stolen documents from hundreds of government and private offices around the world, including those of the Dalai Lama, Canadian researchers have concluded.

In a report to be issued this weekend, the researchers said that the system was being controlled from computers based almost exclusively in China, but that they could not say conclusively that the Chinese government was involved.

The researchers, who are based at the Munk Center for International Studies at the University of Toronto, had been asked by the office of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader whom China regularly denounces, to examine its computers for signs of malicious software, or malware.

Their sleuthing opened a window into a broader operation that, in less than two years, has infiltrated at least 1,295 computers in 103 countries, including many belonging to embassies, foreign ministries and other government offices, as well as the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan exile centers in India, Brussels, London and New York.






Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/technology/29spy.html?hp

[acmavm]

1. Them pesky Chinese, what will they think of next?

And we think we're the most technologically advance nation in the world. Hells bells, the Chinese have been kicking ass and taking secrets for some time now.

[ohio2007]

4. thank you bill gates . they couldn't have done it without you nt

[JudyInTheHeartland]

31. More corporate/industrial/war machine fear mongering

Just wait for next week's fabrications about Chinese human rights violations or Tonkin-esque provocations in China's economic zone.

The beast must be fed. Just because we have Democrats in charge doesn't mean the war monster has been satiated. Remember Vietnam?

[drm604]

2. I read the whole article.

Very interesting, and disturbing.

[hobbit709]

3. Always assume that nothing is secure.

Work backwards from that premise.

[glinda]

5. Would not be surprised if China's Government was very involved. Any Country that

persecutes the Tibetan people, stuffs melamine into [et food and baby formula, would attempt to get any info to bolster itself.

[pretzel4gore]

6. it's a vast entity, glinda

The PRC (Peoples' republic of China) is largest political entity on earth. In history. It deals with issues of scale and effect no one truly understands. It was born in blood only a few generations ago (1949) and the true story can never be known. The west has a relationship with China based upon exploitation, and China literally had to throw off foreign domination- Taiwan resulted from 'Nationalists' fleeing mainland and setting up separate country right off the cost; with American/western help. Taiwan's old regime claimed it had legal rights to rule- the revolution didn't really count, no matter how successful. Thus, technically, the PRC is an interim regime, and MUST eventually take over Taiwan somehow, in order for it to be legit in court of law. Why do you think the west has stepped carefully around China, including allowing Vietnamese to kick USA to the curb in mid 70's? Cuz we're nice people?
no.
It's because China is a nuclear power that is changing into a less oligarchial/communist type top down political entity, and if it ever came apart at the seams, which is possible, there'd be hell to pay...

[notadmblnd]

7. let me guess, the Promis software or a version thereof? It's been around a long time.

It wasn't the Chinese that developed it.

[vinylsolution]

8. Could be a red herring....

.... always suspect the NSA's ECHELON system first, and then work down the food chain.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

9. Raise your hand if you didn't see this coming.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

You people from the former *bush misadministration can put your hands down- we KNOW you're total fools...

[benld74]

10. China is ALWAYS knocking on your door, trying to get in, believe me

[originalpckelly]

11. Why are the computers with sensitive information connected to the internet?

I know it used to be a government thing, but it's not anymore. They need to physically segregate the networks, and only allow people to use the internet on computers without sensitive information.

[caseymoz]

17. The only problem with that is . . . .

Most of the time the governments need the information that's found only on the Internet. Remember the internet was once DARPAnet. It would mean the government would have to abandon the system they built and recreated it from scratch.

It's damn difficult and expensive, too, to have separate redundant systems. It looks like that's what they're going to have to do.

Of course, that doesn't help the rest of us who are on a contaminated system.

[No Elephants]

27. In the scheme of government spending, redundant computer systems would be a blip.

[caseymoz]

34. You'd think so, right? I don't think they're going to do it until there's a crisis.

Then we'll hear about how none of it could have been foreseen... We need to de-Reaganize our government.

[bemildred]

19. Because fear is good, and management likes cheap labor. nt

[wroberts189]

26. Because the techies say no way but the big boss says yes. nt

[bushmeister0]

12. This part is really scary.

"The malware is remarkable both for its sweep . . . It can, for example, turn on the camera and audio-recording functions of an infected computer, enabling monitors to see and hear what goes on in a room. The investigators say they do not know if this facet has been employed."

Umm . . . I thinking it's a pretty good bet it has been used.

[rcrush]

13. The Dalai Lama uses computers?

Well I guess if he does it would be a MAC. He seems like a MAC kind of guy.

[FailureToCommunicate]

20. Yah, wasn't he part of the "Think different" ads?

[bluesmail]

14. I've heard that if you have satellite tv it can reverse the view and audio

If they really want to know what's going on with a certain individual.

[caseymoz]

16. I know that they could remotely turn on a cellphone's microphone

Even if the cellphone is off.

:tinfoilhat:

Tinfoil doesn't do it these days.

[KT2000]

32. Good to know!

My tv has been acting funny lately so that must be it. I think I better make sure I am dressed well and sit like lady when watching tv now.

[caseymoz]

15. 80-90 percent of the hits I get on my firewall are from China. I like that!

It makes me feel important !!

:woohoo:

[wroberts189]

24. I've seen the same thing for the past ten years. nt

[sudopod]

18. The attack could have come from anywhere, though.

How hard would it be to set up or co-opt some systems in China to work though? It is intuitively obvious to the casual observer that anyone 1337 enough to break into so many different things would cover their tracks, and everyone is already willing to accept that the PRC has an army of cyber ninjas. They'd make the perfect scape goat.

[caseymoz]

21. It could be, but sometimes things are as simple as they look.

It seems to me that the PRC would put state security above everything: including feeding its people. It would put computer espionage and security at a very high priority. I don't think the "Great Firewall of China" only works one way, so spoofing its network is more difficult than it successfully spoofing other networks. When after security investigations are over and they've worked past the spoofs, if the arrows point to within China, than it's probably usually China. Especially when its identifiable enemies are involved.

[christx30]

22. Well,

North Korea put building a nuke over feeding their people. So for China to do the same thing is not too much of a strain on the imagination.

[sudopod]

23. But then you'd figure they'd be sneaky and route it through Israel or Russia

or someone. It's not that hard to add an extra hop.

[caseymoz]

30. As far as I could tell, they did try.

But these snoops were able to catch it and continue to follow the trail into China. As its last line of defense, China could just deny, deny, deny. What is the world supposed to do even then?

I'm thinking, though, that China is not the only player in the game. The snoops only looked at who was cracking the Dali Lama's computer and then looked for similar cracks throughout the world. That was only one modus operandi. I'm certain if you look at other cracks, you'll follow the networks back to Israel and Russia, among others.

[wroberts189]

25. I would proprose that it quite probable China has an Army of hackers working 24/7 nt

[caseymoz]

33. I think their cadets practice on the rest of us.

I mean I get so many hits on my firewall from China. It is amazing. So, either they have hackers everywhere all in cafes around China, or they have some kind of government program to train.

I think we ought to put a major firewall around China till they absolutely stop this.

[unc70]

28. Such attacks are everywhere, newsworthy because of high-value targets

I have many posts at DU warning of exactly these types of vulnerabilities, including risk of the malware enabling the microphone or camera. In June 2007, an attack of this type was spread hidden within ads at several sites, where they were then served to the visitors at sites like DU, and including DU itself. Months earlier, the Naval War College was hacked, forcing the NWC to replace all the systems.

I will add a couple more of my posts in this area to my journal.

The methods of attack require almost no special skills and are almost impossible to stop and they might not depend on any action by the user. The simplest attacks require that you open or display a SWF or PDF file that hides the malware.

Here is a link to a list of recent Flash (SWF) vulnerabilities. Do a quick Google and you find not only instructions but software products that allow you to spy on employees, spouses, or anyone -- capturing screen images, recording conversations, taking pictures -- all without being detected.

http://news.cnet.com/security/?keyword=Flash


Linux and OS X are vulnerable too.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

29. I suspect that every "advanced" country in the world does this.

Furthermore, I'd bet that we're at, or near, the top of the list.

:shrug:

[Blue_Tires]

35. i also posted it in editorial