Is Conflicker a DAEMON?

Hi all,

I read a book by Daniel Suarez called, "DAEMON ". The basic plot is about a guy whom plants a kind of computer process that has taken over millions of the world's computer systems. The "DAEMON" (a computer program that runs in the background, rather than under the direct control of a user; they are usually initiated as background processes: DiskAndExecutionMONitor) scans internet news articles for keywords that trigger world changing events: Stock market manipulation; financial market manipulation; possible government collapse; individual ruin; etc. And the key is that millions of people have this "virus\worm" on their computers and don't know it, nor can they find it, nor do they know what it's doing or when.

The Conflicker worm is supposed to do four things: It attacks a vulnerability in the Microsoft Server service; it can attempt to guess or 'brute force' Administrator passwords used by local networks and spread through network shares; it infects removable devices and network shares with an autorun file that executes as soon as a USB drive or other infected device is connected to a victim PC; and it turns off all security on the target system, as well as block all security sites.

Then (from what I understand) it doesn't seem to do anything, really.

Was Confliker designed to misdirect everyone with all the above and then simply wait for instructions to do something else that hasn't been detected: Such as launching DOS attacks or drain your bank account or . . .??? Do you think the "author" of Conflicker read Suarez' book and is attempting to do the same?

I may be paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?

 

If he hadn't read it, you just gave them the idea. Thanks a lot. (LOL)
Next gen of malware writers are going to be better educated.

 

Hi geothom31,

I didn't think anyone read this blog.

Anyway, you wrote: "Next gen of malware writers are going to be better educated. "

They already are and are probably working for the Gummint.

IMNSHO, I wish the malware writers would get a life. Although, like parasites, they're needed. Just think of the billions of $ the anti-virus\anti-malware\anti-adware\anti-spyware industry has generated. And don't forget about the jobs these idiot-malware writers have created, too, trying to catch them.

If they'd farm it out to the government, though, it would get so bogged down in committees and red tape we wouldn't have anything to worry about!

 

OK. Admit they do have to have some education to do what they do.
Maybe I should have said that they would have a larger reading base. More fiction and less technical.

 

I think the 'bad guys' are seriously professional & competent about this. That is what is so scary !

http://www.confickerworkinggroup.org/wiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage

You can read about the group that is trying to combat Conficker on the above link. It also contains a visual check so you can tell if you are infected or not. I believe that once detected, Conficker can be removed without much of a problem.

These guys (link below) seem to know what is going on (as much as anyone can anyway) as well.

http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/