Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Iran Under Cyber-Attack by Data-Mining Virus



The data-mining virus called Flame has reportedly penetrated important computers in Iran in what is described as the most malicious program ever discovered. Iran’s Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (CERTCC) also warned that the virus was extremely dangerous. Iranian computer experts discovered Flame, which could reportedly be as much as five years old.

“The complexity and functionality of the newly discovered malicious program exceed those of all other cyber menaces known to date,” reported Kaspersky Lab, a Russian producer of antivirus software [International Herald Tribune, 30 May].
Experts believe that the virus bears special encryption hallmarks with similarities to previous Israeli malware. In an interview with Radio Israel, the country’s vice prime minister and strategic affairs minister, Moshe Yaalon, all but took responsibility for the attack.
“Anyone who sees the Iranian threat as a significant threat — it’s reasonable that he will take various steps, including these, to harm it,” said Yaalon in response to a question on Flame virus.
Flame seems to be designed to mine data from personal computers and that it was distributed through USB sticks rather than the Internet, meaning that a USB has to be inserted manually into at least one computer in a network.

“This virus copies what you enter on your keyboard; it monitors what you see on your computer screen,” said a spokesman for Iran’s CRTCC. That includes collecting passwords, recording sounds if the computer is connected to a microphone, scanning disks for specific files and monitoring Skype.
“Those controlling the virus can direct it from a distance,” said the CRTCC spokesman. “Flame is no ordinary product. This was designed to monitor selected computers.”


Source: International Herald Tribune, 30 May 2012
Photo Source: The computer virus known as Flame as shown by the Russian computer security firm Kaspersky Lab. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

7 comments:

mat said...

Iran produces software to detect and neutralize Flame virus
Wed May 30, 2012 12:24PM GMT


Wed May 30, 2012 12:24PM GMT
Share Share | Email | Print
The head of Information Technology Organization of Iran says the country’s experts have managed to produce antivirus software that can spot and remove the newly detected computer virus Flame.

Ali Hakim Javadi said Wednesday that the antivirus defense was produced by the MAHER center, the Iranian national computer emergency response team.

Javadi said the indigenous antivirus software is capable of detecting the virus and cleaning up the infected computers.

He rejected reports that a top Russian virus-hunting agency was the one that detected the malware, saying it was first spotted by the MAHER center.

He said that the malware was different from other viruses and was more destructive than Stuxnet.

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon strongly hinted Tuesday that Israel was involved in creating the computer virus to sabotage Iran’s nuclear activities.

Ya'alon expressed support for the creation of the virus and similar tools, arguing that it was reasonable for anyone who sees Iran as a threat to take such steps.

Anonymous said...

As always, Israel proves to the world their terrorist nature...

Anonymous said...

Actually the whole story is as follows;

The Flame has been around for quite a while and has been a busy little bee spying its guts out.

In case it gets discovered... Iran it is !!
Iran is aparantley the patsy here, in order to avoid legal repercussions or any backlash, It is claimed Iran to have been the aim.

Its exactly the same case as the Missile shields in Eastern Europe and Turkey... everyone knows its the for the Russians but insisted is, that it is for Iran.

Iran seems the best scapegoat for all special out of the norm actions of West against its rivals.. Russia and China.

Lets not be so Naive and fall for this apparant goof of .. "Its for Iran" thing... or at least we can pretend we believe them as the Chinese and Russians do to save face.

Azari by Fortune and Iranian by Grace of God.
Dariush London

Anonymous said...

Looks like some of you forgot to take your medicine today.

Anonymous said...

I also doubt Iran to be using unsafe windows pc's for important matters.
This is a typical windows virus and could be found anywhere. Its more a citizen Virus than some kind of wishful thinkers weapons of mass destruction on Iran.

Anonymous said...

What goes around comes around !

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:18 AM....I hope so.I really hope the mullahs and their minions receive what they have been giving to the Iranian people all these years.