Rebirth of the Tech Madman

Darkness and light always follow the shape.

While personal computers have popularized IT to everyone's reach, computer viruses have also become widely known.

But there was no computer virus before that could be as fierce and devastating as the Chernobyl virus. In just one day on April 26, it was estimated that hundreds of thousands of computers around the world were recruited-even if they were not connected to the Internet. It may not be avoided 100%.

Symantec's report pointed out that the Chernobyl virus is the latest computer virus that is ingenious in design, pervasive in spread, and destroys the top film.

Its size is about 1KB, and it can infect various files including executable programs on various platforms and office software documents without changing the file size, so it is extremely concealed.

The currently known ways of spreading the Chernobyl virus, including file copying and downloading, and e-mail, etc., almost cover the most common operations of users.

When the Chernobyl virus broke out, the damages that have been observed include: part of the computer system hardware damage, mainstream office documents damage, network paralysis, etc.

At the Symantec press conference at 9 pm on April 26, the company’s CEO Gordon Eubanks said with a serious face: “From the current summary, in order to prevent Chel With the further spread of the Nobel virus, mainstream free public e-mail systems including AOL, Yahoo, Zheru Software, and Microsoft have all suspended their services."

"The Symantec customer service department has received hundreds of feedbacks saying that its computer system cannot start at all."

"Because today is Sunday, it is still unclear how many office and business computers will be infected."

"Since the Chernobyl virus can damage certain types of personal computers, I suggest that on the first working day of next week, employees of various companies and organizations should not rush to turn on the computers, but wait for the IT department engineers. Take some protective measures first."

...

Finally, at the interactive session, a reporter hurriedly asked: "It's too bad, my computer can't start today! A computer virus destroys files in the hard disk. It's easy to understand why the hardware is in Chernobyl. In the face of the virus, you will not be spared?"

Gordon Eubanks held up his glasses and replied deliberately: "The computer hardware we know well, such as the most typical motherboards, are actually equipped with read-only memory to store the software microcode that controls the underlying operations. It is the BIOS-the Chernobyl virus destructively rewrites the contents of the BIOS, which makes the hardware unable to start and run normally."

The reporter asked questioningly: "Since it is a read-only memory, why can the Chernobyl virus rewrite the contents of the BIOS?"

Gordon Eubanks explained patiently: "In the early days of read-only memory, ultraviolet light was needed to erase and write the contents, so it could be called a real "read-only memory."

"But as computer systems become more and more complex and more powerful, in order to facilitate upgrades and maintenance, motherboards have begun to adopt new types of read-only memory that can be erased and written only by changing the voltage. In comparison, It's not an absolute'read-only memory' anymore."

"The targets of the Chernobyl virus destroying hardware are these motherboards that use new types of read-only memory. However, because the specific operating voltages are still different, only some models of motherboards are affected."

Seeing that the other party looked like a concubine, Gordon Eubanks comforted: "You can after-sell the manufacturer of the computer that can't start, and see if they can replace the BIOS."

Another reporter asked hopefully: "My computer can start normally, but many documents can't be opened-can Symantec fix it?"

Gordon Eubanks gave a wry smile and replied vaguely: "At present, our main energy is on **** the Chernobyl virus and possible variants."

A female reporter asked curiously: "Is the origin of the Chernobyl virus figured out now?"

Gordon Eubanks said cautiously: "We only saw a string of'we should not forget this day in history' from the copyright statement part of the parsed Chernobyl virus code fragment. Therefore, it is judged that his creative motive may be related to the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Other circumstances are unclear."

An older reporter noticed what Gordon Eubanks said in the previous words: Symantec is currently mainly engaged in how to detect and kill Chernobyl virus, and nothing else. , So he asked in depth: "Is it difficult to detect and kill Chernobyl virus? Is it related to what you have just emphasized, its concealment is extremely high, and it has a great relationship? Then Chernobyl How does the virus do this?"

"As you said, Chernobyl virus is not easy to deal with." Gordon Eubanks nodded gravely, "As for you want to know, how Chernobyl virus hides itself To do so well, you first need to understand a little trick for processing data in the computer world."

"As we all know, modern electronic computer systems are essentially a device that manipulates binary numbers-0 and 1, but in specific implementation, the basic unit is the combination of 8-bit 0 and 1, that is, a byte."

"In modern times, 32-bit computer systems have become popular. In order to improve performance and other purposes, this basic unit has become 4 bytes."

"It's like, in the process of making coffee and drinking, you will use a series of units that you take for granted, such as spoons, cups, etc., for convenience and efficiency."

"In this way, in a 32-bit system, even if you only use an integer that is 2 bytes long, the computer system actually uses 4 bytes for processing."

"Put this data processing technique, or the principle of ‘byte alignment’, on the file storage structure in the hard disk, and there will be many ‘gap’ outside the ‘effective data’.”

"Especially when software vendors are designing a file structure, they will reserve some additional empty bytes that are temporarily unused for future upgrades, thereby further increasing the ‘gap’."

"The Chernobyl virus uses these "gap" to encrypt and compress itself, and then divide it into several fragments. While hiding in it, the infected file does not show any abnormality in size. "

...

The reporters looked at each other, and an idea came to mind—the man who designed the Chernobyl virus is really amazing!

...

After spending a long time spitting out, Gordon Eubanks finally had to help his company feel alive.

He solemnly stated: "As a leading international computer security company, Symantec has joined forces with important vendors such as Philosophy Software, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, etc., to discuss solutions to the Chernobyl virus, and closely Pay attention to possible virus variants."

...

The reporters rolled their eyes at hearing-after talking for a long time, there was still no effective way to deal with Chernobyl virus.

...

Because of the ravages of the Chernobyl virus, too many people have rolled their eyes.

On the East Coast of the United States, Joel Klein, the prosecutor of the Department of Justice in charge of the United States of America v. Zheru Software Corporation’s monopoly case, rolled his eyes at the document in front of him.

Although many important materials have been sorted out early and printed into a book, some of the latest evidence is still in the paralyzed computer.

The Ministry of Justice is asking professional technicians to try to recover the precious data in the hard drive.

Even if these documents can be retrieved in their entirety, today is the opening time of the United States of America v. Zheru Software Corporation's monopoly case, which is obviously useless.

...

After arriving at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the District of Columbia, Joel Klein noticed that the people here also looked bad.

He inquired again, even the judge in the United States of America v. Philosopher Software Corporation monopoly-Thomas Penfield Jackson, the computer in his office was also stricken by the raging Chernobyl virus!

Joel Klein's heart suddenly sank, and Gein knew that Thomas Penfield Jackson was actually inclined to philosophical software company's alleged monopoly in the industry.

But even the judge’s office computer was recruited, and some important information was unavoidable, and it was temporarily impossible to transfer it out.

What makes Joel Klein feel a little psychologically balanced is that everyone at the lawyer team of the rival Zheru Software Company does not look easy. The chief attorney David Boyce still takes time from time to time and takes a look. material.

In this way, the United States of America v. Zheru Software Company Monopoly Case opened for the first time in a subtle atmosphere that was supposed to be ready but suddenly caught off guard.

...

On the west coast, the richest man is business as usual-do what you should do!

Looking at the huge headline on the "New York Times"-"This Monday, Don't Turn On Your Computer", Tang Huan couldn't help but chuckle.

This situation of Gein is too similar to the extortion virus derived from "Eternal Blue" more than ten years later!

The richest man then read the "Wall Street Journal", which reads-the Chernobyl nuclear accident twelve years ago caused US$18 billion in economic losses to the Soviet Union at that time; the Chernobyl computer today The virus has caused an estimated US$10 billion in economic losses to the world today.

Tang Huan picked up his mobile phone and took a look at the U.S. stock market-because of the time difference, the New York stock market had already opened.

As for the result, it naturally fell in response-this is really too rare.

You know, since late October last year, due to the Asian financial turmoil, the New York stock market has undergone a so-called drastic adjustment, and it has entered an invincible mode of rising steadily.

...

When the richest man came to the headquarters of Zheru Software Company, he happened to see his staff impatiently driving off the investigators of the Ministry of Justice-asking for Mao’s files, our network was paralyzed by the Chernobyl virus. , The printer has also gone on strike, and can’t pull out “shit” for you!

Tang Huan ignored the push and shoving, quarrels, etc., and went straight to the office of the chairman of the board of directors that he set up here.

Just after making a pot of tea, Brad Svolberg, CEO of Zheru Software, rushed over and talked about the United States of America v. Zheru, which is being conducted in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the District of Columbia. The live trial of the software company monopoly case.

"Debates in court can only be described by clichés." Brad Svolberg showed a pleasant smile on his face, with a somewhat ironic smile. "It is said that some of the so-called strong latest evidence, the Ministry of Justice I can't tune it out for now."

The richest man nodded noncommitantly, and turned the subject away: "The harm of Chernobyl virus is still at the peak of its spread-how are we responding?"

"It is divided into two aspects-one is internal and the other is external." Brad Svolberg replied methodically.

"As a user, the internal system of Zheru Software has also been affected by the Chernobyl virus~www.wuxiaspot.com~ For example, services such as mail servers have been temporarily suspended."

"Fortunately, although losses have occurred, they are still under control."

"The real trouble is the outside-as a producer, Zheru Software Company, its operating system and office software, two major categories of products, are the hardest hit areas, and the operation of the customer service system is already at full capacity."

"From the current summary, the Chernobyl virus is the hardware damage caused by the old version of the consumer-level operating system that is a mixture of 16-bit and 32-bit underlying architecture; and it runs the latest pure 32-bit StudiOS. The computer system in China has not been found to be damaged; as for the server-oriented high-level operating system, Vientiane, it is even more invincible."

"The prerequisite for the destruction of office software documents is that the macro switch of the running script language is in an active state."

"How to guide our customers to master these key points is a very tricky project."

The two people were discussing the mystery of "crisis is also an opportunity", and the assistant sent an update.

Symantec has just announced that after security experts and language experts, the analysis of the strings contained in the Chernobyl virus should come from a native Russian speaker.

In addition, from the current Internet tracking results, the earliest infectious website of Chernobyl virus was located in Russia.

Although Symantec did not elaborate further, the implication is already obvious-the Chernobyl virus, which is estimated to reach tens of billions of dollars in global economic losses, was carried out by Russian hackers.

A meaningful smile appeared on Tang Huan's face-this pot should have belonged to a Russian hacker. Anyway, in the original time and space, the United States gave you the hat no matter what happened!