Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: badBIOS malware

  1. #1
    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Not here
    Posts
    31,619
    Thanks
    3,755
    Thanked
    5,059 times in 3,911 posts
    • CAT-THE-FIFTH's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Less E-PEEN
      • CPU:
      • Massive E-PEEN
      • Memory:
      • RGB E-PEEN
      • Storage:
      • Not in any order
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVEN BIGGER E-PEEN
      • PSU:
      • OVERSIZED
      • Case:
      • UNDERSIZED
      • Operating System:
      • DOS 6.22
      • Monitor(s):
      • NOT USUALLY ON....WHEN I POST
      • Internet:
      • FUNCTIONAL
    Last edited by CAT-THE-FIFTH; 04-11-2013 at 12:50 AM.

  2. #2
    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Not here
    Posts
    31,619
    Thanks
    3,755
    Thanked
    5,059 times in 3,911 posts
    • CAT-THE-FIFTH's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Less E-PEEN
      • CPU:
      • Massive E-PEEN
      • Memory:
      • RGB E-PEEN
      • Storage:
      • Not in any order
      • Graphics card(s):
      • EVEN BIGGER E-PEEN
      • PSU:
      • OVERSIZED
      • Case:
      • UNDERSIZED
      • Operating System:
      • DOS 6.22
      • Monitor(s):
      • NOT USUALLY ON....WHEN I POST
      • Internet:
      • FUNCTIONAL

    Re: badBIOS malware


  3. #3
    SUMMONER
    Guest

    Re: badBIOS malware

    Wow, I will go and get my tinfoil hat.

    I would expect such a worm to only be able to target very specific devices, may be even just a specific revision of a device.

    Is it possible that the guy has overdosed on caffeine or is just trying to get on the front pages?

    Mind you, we live in a world in which a laser printer can be remotely re-programmed to turn itself into a incendiary device or have it monitor printed documents for text patterns and then forward them to a 3rd party via its network connection.

    The only limit to a piece of malware is the imagination and expertise of the person writing it.
    Last edited by SUMMONER; 04-11-2013 at 06:43 AM.

  4. #4
    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Looking down & checking on swearing
    Posts
    19,378
    Thanks
    2,892
    Thanked
    3,403 times in 2,693 posts

    Re: badBIOS malware

    Interesting' but I don't think I will be panicking until the findings have been peer-reviewed and independently verified by at least two labs/investigators
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    Been helped or just 'Like' a post? Use the Thanks button!
    My broadband speed - 750 Meganibbles/minute

  5. #5
    ALT0153™ Rob_B's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    6,087
    Thanks
    345
    Thanked
    699 times in 483 posts

    Re: badBIOS malware

    I voted on the Ars poll before 'plausible but unlikely' or whatever the option was.

    Sounds a bit too good to only be affecting his machines, the comments are telling and are along the lines of "you're using an infected USB stick, gee I wonder why it keeps coming back"

  6. #6
    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Gateshead
    Posts
    15,196
    Thanks
    1,230
    Thanked
    2,291 times in 1,874 posts
    • scaryjim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Dell Inspiron
      • CPU:
      • Core i5 8250U
      • Memory:
      • 2x 4GB DDR4 2666
      • Storage:
      • 128GB M.2 SSD + 1TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Radeon R5 230
      • PSU:
      • Battery/Dell brick
      • Case:
      • Dell Inspiron 5570
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 15" 1080p laptop panel

    Re: badBIOS malware

    *shrug* picked this up through TDWTF google+ page a few days ago. Seems unlikely to be a hoax, given the guys reputation. I wondered if it's a another security expert playing games (could explain why it's only infected him), but it's all going to be speculation until we get some peer reviews. it sounds like it's got too much proof of concept code in it to be anything other than experimental - perhaps one of his staff got creative and hasn't had the guts to admit it?

    Or maybe, just maybe, the internet has become sentient - and it turns out <wheaton>the internet's a dick</wheaton>....?

  7. #7
    HEXUS.Squirrel Output's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    2,083
    Thanks
    908
    Thanked
    351 times in 267 posts
    • Output's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte AORUS Master X570
      • CPU:
      • AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
      • Memory:
      • 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 Corsair Vengeance Platinum @ 3200MHz
      • Storage:
      • Sandisk Ultra 3D 2TB
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Gigabyte RX Vega 56 Gaming OC 8GB
      • PSU:
      • EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G3
      • Case:
      • bequiet Dark Base Pro 900 Rev.2
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10 Pro x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • 2 x Dell P2214H

    Re: badBIOS malware

    I have to say that I love this line, though I'd obviously assume that their meaning for the wording isn't the same as what it came across as to me.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ars
    Alex Stamos, one of the more trusted and sober security researchers
    While SUMMONER raises an interesting point, I have to agree with peterb and Rob_B on this.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •