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Re: Hard data on network impact of the "Code Red" worm?

  • From: Christian Kuhtz
  • Date: Mon Jul 30 19:45:50 2001

On Mon, Jul 30, 2001 at 04:29:53PM -0700, Sean Donelan wrote:
> On Mon, 30 July 2001, Christian Kuhtz wrote:
> > Your logic is flawed.  If this was true, zombie networks would be largely 
> > ineffective.  The current mutation is nothing more than an automated zombie
> > distribution network, with all fun options of current zombie networks such as
> > remote control, remote upgrades etc...
> > 
> > You may want to read up on the details of this one, like the presentation at
> > the bottom of http://www.digitalisland.net/codered/
> 
> If "code red" is nothing more than what we've been seeing for years,
> why the special CNN reports every half-hour, and the joint press
> conference with our fearless leaders today?  

I never said that the hype is justified.. Let's see here, commercial fear 
mongering, gov't orgs fighting for funding, add your own favorite.

Besides, it's the summer hole, a monkey farting in the zoo gets front page
coverage.

> What makes "code red"
> so extrodinary it merits this special response, when previous
> "zombie" networks didn't?  

Zombie gatherings in the 100k's haven't been seen before, as far as I know. On
the upside, a simple reboot is all it takes to purge it.

> I have a hard time seeing how "Code Red"
> will ever live up to the advance hype on August 1.  Is Don King
> managing the pay-per-view for this event?  Michelangelo Vs. Code Red.

Yup.

> I think its a bit premature to predict the end of the Internet on
> August 1.

Oh, Sean, I think you have it all wrong.  First, the riders of the apocalypse
will be riding thru your bedroom, then it'll hail fire and brimstone from
the heavens right in the middle of breakfast.. bla bla bla..

Hopefully, we won't see the activation of the entire or portions of this
zombie network with this massive hype.  (I suppose, in a way, the hype may 
just have achieved its goal).

The problem of massive amounts of systems in desperate need of competent 
administration, which is what cause the problem in the first place, won't go
away.  In fact, I'd guess it will probably only get worse.  So, it'll be just
a matter of time before we see somebody do real damage (or maybe they already
are, just so sophisticated that they're hard to detect?).

Cheers,
Chris

-- 
Christian Kuhtz <[email protected]> -wk, <[email protected]> -hm
Sr. Architect, Engineering & Architecture, BellSouth.net, Atlanta, GA, U.S.
"I speak for myself only.""