Iran's nuclear facilities being taken out by specially engineered botnet

[Humodour]

Iran continues to suffer problems from a meticulously and intricately engineered botnet called 'Stuxnet'. I find this brilliant. No killing, no bombing, just exploitation of the Iranian government's own stupidity and lack of internal cyber-security.

 

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/12/09/23...n-Nuclear-Sites

 

And an article from a few weeks ago explained that Stuxnet is taking out all sorts of defence and governmental systems accross Iran, including their nuclear centrifuges and aerial hardware (drones, missiles, planes, etc). Stuxnet wasn't destroying the nuclear centrifuges, either, it was deliberately making them spin incorrectly, producing useless fuel.

 

And this comment from a poster is kind of cool:

 

The columnist who writes for Asia Times On-line (www.atimes.com) under the name Spengler foresaw this situation last year. He noted that 95+% off the software that was being used in Iran was 'pirate-ware' from the West. He noted that there was an Iranian government-run file download site that held hundreds of popular Western software packages along with their kraks, passwords, and keygens. He predicted that this would allow viruses to run amok throughout Iran at some point in the future.

 

He also quotes a BBC reporter who states that almost nobody except government officials and their goon squads (and old ladies, of course) still believes in fundamental Islam in Iran. She (the BBC reporter) says that only about 2% of the population regularly go to Friday services at the mosques in Iran. And over 5% of Iranians are addicted to cheap Afghanistan heroin, the highest addiction rate in the world. Unemployment among the young is in reality over 50%. She says that Iran currently resembles the Soviet Union in the late 1980's; it's a country that will just fall apart in the next ten years if the rest of the world just leaves them alone and lets it happen.

 

At the time of the revolution in 1978, Iran's population was about 27 million (I remember the number quoted as 50 million at the time) and now it is over 70 million: a direct result of Khomeini's exortation for young people to -'get a-****in'- (in a manner of speaking) and make lots of babies. When Khomeini died that policy died also, and Iran launched a massive birth-control program. Now, the children of the revolution are having almost no babies and the birth-rate in Iran is 1.6 children per couple; one of the lowest in the world. But their remains this huge bulge in the population demographic there; all the people born in the 1980's.

 

They call themselves 'the burnt generation'.

 

If any of this is true then we shouldn't worry too much about Iran. We should never actually believe anything that they say. And we should, on an individual-to-individual basis, offer whatever assistance that we can. Nevertheless, I would recommend NOT offering any detailed technical assistance to people in Iran on any specific technological project over the web until the Iranian government stops all this 'Death To America' nonsense as offical government policy.

 

Thank you.

 

And a comment on the worm's technical specs:

 

I think this attack just shows the difference that good engineering can make. Most worms out there are relatively unsophisticated, or are developed by people with limited means to pull off quick scams.

 

Stuxnet shows what a truly determined adversary can do. One who knows your internal processes. One who understands your industry-specific software - the stuff nobody outside the industry ever touches. One who has a large team of talented programmers, carefully designing and building the attack. One who has access to government resources - the ability to tap communications lines, inject traffic, etc. One who is funded strategically - they don't want to hold your business for ransom for $1M, they want your $100B company to collapse so that one they favor can take over, or whatever.

 

The software out there that runs on intranets around the world is some of the most insecure stuff you'll ever see. It rarely gets subjected to serious attack, and the vulnerabilities aren't evident to the average corporate IT guy who is just doing basic due-diligence. Your average PHB doesn't want to pay for testing that will actually uncover serious flaws - they want the system to look good to their customers and have the right bells and whistles - and pricetag.

 

We'll see more of these attacks in the future - count on it...

 

The worm is generally presumed to be of Israeli, American, or Arab origin, however it could well be a joint collaboration as well.

[Walsingham]

I don't find the prospect of Iran falling apart the same way as the Soviet Union did as an occasion for joy.

[Enoch]

I don't find the prospect of Iran falling apart the same way as the Soviet Union did as an occasion for joy.

Agreed. The history of modern Iran is a pretty sad story. A large country, rich in history and natural resources, sitting on important trade routes, and home to some of the most beautiful women in the world, misruled alternately by dickering colonial powers, foreign-backed autocrats, domestic theocrats, and (now) an effective oligarchy composed of the leaders of the Revolutionary Guard. The fall of this particular regime wouldn't be much regretted, but the chaos and difficulty that will likely follow isn't to be eagerly anticipated.

[Rostere]

I don't find the prospect of Iran falling apart the same way as the Soviet Union did as an occasion for joy.

Agreed. The history of modern Iran is a pretty sad story. A large country, rich in history and natural resources, sitting on important trade routes, and home to some of the most beautiful women in the world, misruled alternately by dickering colonial powers, foreign-backed autocrats, domestic theocrats, and (now) an effective oligarchy composed of the leaders of the Revolutionary Guard. The fall of this particular regime wouldn't be much regretted, but the chaos and difficulty that will likely follow isn't to be eagerly anticipated.

 

Honestly, I don't think Iran is that different from the USSR in those aspects. I wonder what people might have said in 1988 though:

 

"The history of Russia is a pretty sad story. A large country, rich in history and natural resources, sitting on important trade routes, and home to some of the most beautiful women in the world, misruled alternately by autocrats and their cronies backed by the church exploiting the population to absurd lengths, and then a communist regime more than eager to murder their own or send them to labor camps, and (now) an effective oligarchy composed of the leaders of the CPSU. The fall of this particular regime wouldn't be much regretted, but the chaos and difficulty that will likely follow isn't to be eagerly anticipated."

 

Also, I think Iran would be more likely to use nuclear arms than the USSR ever was.

[Kaftan Barlast]

If I am to be opressed, I would rather be opressed by a bunch of corrupt Junta-types than a bunch of bloodthirsty theocrats.

[Enoch]

I don't find the prospect of Iran falling apart the same way as the Soviet Union did as an occasion for joy.

Agreed. The history of modern Iran is a pretty sad story. A large country, rich in history and natural resources, sitting on important trade routes, and home to some of the most beautiful women in the world, misruled alternately by dickering colonial powers, foreign-backed autocrats, domestic theocrats, and (now) an effective oligarchy composed of the leaders of the Revolutionary Guard. The fall of this particular regime wouldn't be much regretted, but the chaos and difficulty that will likely follow isn't to be eagerly anticipated.

 

Honestly, I don't think Iran is that different from the USSR in those aspects. I wonder what people might have said in 1988 though:

 

"The history of Russia is a pretty sad story. A large country, rich in history and natural resources, sitting on important trade routes, and home to some of the most beautiful women in the world, misruled alternately by autocrats and their cronies backed by the church exploiting the population to absurd lengths, and then a communist regime more than eager to murder their own or send them to labor camps, and (now) an effective oligarchy composed of the leaders of the CPSU. The fall of this particular regime wouldn't be much regretted, but the chaos and difficulty that will likely follow isn't to be eagerly anticipated."

 

Also, I think Iran would be more likely to use nuclear arms than the USSR ever was.

The point wasn't really that Iran is all that different from the USSR-- more that the path into pseudo-democratic kleptocracy that the former Soviet states took post-1991 isn't something to look forward to happening in Iran.

[Hildegard]

So let the US and Brits somehow remove the current regime and put someone who backs their own interests.

 

Oh no, they already did that and it didn't work out well.

[Walsingham]

I for one think the world would be much better and safer if the various democracies simply ignored every dictatorship. After all, they're only ***s and even if they got it into their heads to hurt us we can shoot them with maxim guns or something*. In the meantime we should restrict ourselves to asking very politely if they'd mind not being so frightful.

 

*Although obviously we shouldn't build maxim guns for fear of putting ideas in their heads.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Walsingham

[Rostere]

The point wasn't really that Iran is all that different from the USSR-- more that the path into pseudo-democratic kleptocracy that the former Soviet states took post-1991 isn't something to look forward to happening in Iran.

 

Well, as I see it, it's a question of what you'd rather have - and what eventually leads to a stable democracy...

[Humodour]

The point wasn't really that Iran is all that different from the USSR-- more that the path into pseudo-democratic kleptocracy that the former Soviet states took post-1991 isn't something to look forward to happening in Iran.

 

Well, as I see it, it's a question of what you'd rather have - and what eventually leads to a stable democracy...

 

Agreed. The world is safer with modern-day Russia than Soviet Russia. And the Soviet Union split up to give many countries their freedom - countries which have now become democracies or are on their way. It's fall has ended, perhaps not well, but certainly not badly.

 

The Iranian people thirst for an alternative. If given the chance they would likely embrace it. Certainly whatever resulted would likely be better than the status quo.

 

I don't think Iran has any options. They are not bloody ****ing bedouin so they will always be different from those oily bastards. Despite or thanks to all of the blunders west make, they are extremely aware of how capitalist system would like to work them over. And ironically, they do have the basis of a self-sufficient production capability.

 

Even if they get rid of the Rev.Guard today and became a modern western society overnight, the west would still do everything in it's power to turn them into another banana republic.

 

Wow, way to be a huge racist bastard. Do you even want people to take you seriously?

[Zoraptor]

Hmm.

 

Just out of interest, can anyone remind me what the primary exports of the Bedouin Arab nations (SA, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, UAE) is? I'm having a bit of a blank.

[Orogun01]

Hmm.

 

Just out of interest, can anyone remind me what the primary exports of the Bedouin Arab nations (SA, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, UAE) is? I'm having a bit of a blank.

Rocket Propelled Grenades

[cronicler]

Krezack: I am not an eloquent speaker that can wrap an audience with whitewash. Blunt I am.

 

Iran (Fars) has always been separate from the middle east. After the events of the last century (the moderate and civilized Arabian population, (ie the traders and the coastal pops) came under the rule of Beduin Chefs thanks to the idiotic after Ottoman policies of Churchill.) the classic "crusades era" Arabian culture all but vanished and the chasm between Beduin and the non beduin in the region increased immensely. Today there is only feudal and theocratic states that rival current day China (that you so passionately and correctly oppose) that .

 

The BAs are the supporting pillar for nearly every terrorist organisation on the planet, while at the same time, they provide fat positions for the decision makers when they go into the civilian sector. They are profiting from the deaths and no one even want's to talk about it.

 

It is quite hard for me to speak about BAs without swearing like a US soldier talking about Taliban so if you think it is immature, there isn't much I can do.

 

 

 

 

Zoraptor: the ruling families make a huge profit from oil then use their earnings to "invest" in western corps. They own a lot. The funny thing is, according to Islam, you are not supposed to coast on "interest" but instead work your own money. It is technically illegal in SA, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, UAE to earn from bank interest if you are an average Joe but every bigwig has a fat offshore account.

 

 

Their other biggest income sources are Tourism (Haj in particular), Certain regional exports like dates and spices, foreign base rents, fees from western pharmacological companies, black markets, limited scale weapon production.

Edited December 11, 2010 by cronicler