CIA, others, attacked by Pushdo botnet

According to security researcher Steven Adair, hundreds of prominent websites including those run by the CIA and FBI are currently being attacked by the Pushdo botnet, which floods the sites with junk data.

Other sites being hit include Twitter, Paypal, Google and Microsoft's homepages.

"It seems the Pushdo botnet recently made changes to its code to cause infected nodes to create junk SSL connections to approximately 315 different websites," says Adair. "The bots seem to start to initiate an SSL connection and a bit of junk to the websites and then disconnect. They do not actually request an resources from the website or do anything else other than repeat the cycle periodically."

Pushdo, otherwise known as Pandex or Cutwail, had been around since 2007, and also distributes rootkits and trojans.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 2 Feb 2010 12:06

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10 comments

slickwill

This might be a false flag attack to convince the citizens to go along with having to log-in to get on the internet, which means the government will be able to monitor what websites you are visiting, and if you speak out against the government they will just ban you form the internet.

They will integrate this into society under the pretenses that it is "for your security."

Remember when Obama stated he created a new department to cover internet security to protect from "Internet Terrorism" from abroad. What they are actually doing to planning to create a system like China's where the citizen has to login to use the internet.

This will pretty much eliminate any anonymity that we have on the internet today and further suppress the freedom of speech.

A false flag attack is where an entity (government) attacks itself to use as a pretext to justify an action that would not normally be allowed.

"If you give up freedom for security, you will get neither."

2.2.2010 14:47 #1

themind

Quote:*****************WARNING*****************

1. You are accessing a U.S. Government information system, which includes (1) this computer, (2) this computer network, (3) all computers connected to this network, and (4) all devices and storage media attached to this network or to a computer on this network. This information system is provided for U.S. Government-authorized use only.

2. Unauthorized or improper use of this system may result in disciplinary action, as well as civil and criminal penalties.

3. By using this information system, you understand and consent to the following:

1. You have no reasonable expectation of privacy regarding any communications or data transiting or stored on this information system. At any time, the government may for any lawful government purpose monitor, intercept, search and seize any communication or data transiting or stored on this information system.

2. Any communications or data transiting or stored on this information system may be disclosed or used for any lawful government purpose.

3. Your consent is final and irrevocable. You may not rely on any statements or informal policies purporting to provide you with any expectation of privacy regarding communications on this system, whether oral or written, by your supervisor or any other official, except USDA's Chief Information Officer.

*****************WARNING*****************
my.usda.gov

One of the pages this thing is hitting.....

3.2.2010 00:19 #2

xboxdvl2

CIA,FBI, google and microsoft have some of the best computer personal in the world and billions of dollars so they should be able to stop this rather than complain about it.Maybe they should be taking hackers out of jail cells and employing them.

PS2 with 12 games.

3.2.2010 00:38 #3

creaky

Originally posted by slickwill: This might be a false flag attack to convince the citizens to go along with having to log-in to get on the internet, which means the government will be able to monitor what websites you are visiting, and if you speak out against the government they will just ban you form the internet.

They will integrate this into society under the pretenses that it is "for your security."

Remember when Obama stated he created a new department to cover internet security to protect from "Internet Terrorism" from abroad. What they are actually doing to planning to create a system like China's where the citizen has to login to use the internet.

This will pretty much eliminate any anonymity that we have on the internet today and further suppress the freedom of speech.

A false flag attack is where an entity (government) attacks itself to use as a pretext to justify an action that would not normally be allowed.

"If you give up freedom for security, you will get neither." Indeed, we can expect to see much more of this, typical in your face blatant rubbish that an idiot should see, however the dumbed down TV and iPhone obsessed in the general public won't see the clues right in front of them as usual.

UN agency calls for global cyberwarfare treaty, �driver�s license� for Web users Quote:Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer for Microsoft - "We need a kind of World Health Organization for the Internet," he said.

"When there is a pandemic, it organizes the quarantine of cases. We are not allowed to organize the systematic quarantine of machines that are compromised."

He also called for a "driver's license" for internet users.

Andre Kudelski, chairman of Kudelski Group, said that a new internet might have to be created forcing people to have two computers that cannot connect and pass on viruses. "One internet for secure operations and one internet for freedom."

Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS/WPA ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 3node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G2 v1. *** Forum Rules ***

3.2.2010 02:05 #4

juventini

This is the next cold war.

3.2.2010 16:46 #5

scum101

yeah.. governments vs their own employers (well we used to be.. now we are seen as slaves to be used and exploited by big business owned states)

One day this will all end.. and we will have a new dark ages..

Yes, we give you 100% free, no strings attached email! Just send us your address and we will send you as much free email as you could ever wish for

4.2.2010 04:44 #6

lubricant

Originally posted by scum101: One day this will all end.. and we will have a new dark ages..yessir.

4.2.2010 13:47 #7

Mez

Well I have a way different opinion...

I have worked as a government contractor for decades and have had the opportunity to talk with thousands of others like me. I can assure you are all giving the government, any government, WAY too much credit. What you suggest requires ingenuity, resourcefulness and creativity. These are attributes of a tiny lean and mean company like M$, Apple and other software companies in the first 5 years. At this first level all employees are cleaver risk takers. They discuss ideas along technical merits. They like shooting down ideas and pointing out the weak points. Because they are all techies they alter the plan to eliminate all the known weak points. Eventually you get persons in the group who are ore political. They gain power because that is what they do and eliminate those techies whose bones they are standing on. That is step 2. Microsoft and Apple are maybe at step 5 but any government is at least at step 10. They are so far from creativity it is laughable. In the US you can see how ineffective the Homeland Security is. No one will think out side the box and they do not even what to hire persons like that. They think they do but do not like them when they meet one. Political persons despise techies more than techies despise the suits. The suit knows it is not whether your project is successful but how your played the game. In the government that is true.

5.2.2010 11:01 #8

creaky

I for one know it's not government pulling all the 'strings', i just generalise it as government as the site's rules don't allow discussions much past that point, suffice it to say that government is something used as a tool by a very small group of maladjusted people that somehow still get classified as 'human beings'. I'll leave it there as AD is very specific on political type subjects.

5.2.2010 11:47 #9

zax808

Originally posted by creaky: I for one know it's not government pulling all the 'strings', i just generalise it as government as the site's rules don't allow discussions much past that point, suffice it to say that government is something used as a tool by a very small group of maladjusted people that somehow still get classified as 'human beings'. I'll leave it there as AD is very specific on political type subjects.creaky have you been playing Metal Gear Solid? lol... No but really, i feel yuh on that.

6.2.2010 17:08 #10

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