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Assault Andy

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20th April, 2007 at 08:43:48 -

Here's another question that I've been wondering about for a little while. How is it that organisations like the FBI are able to find out exactly who created a virus and released it into the wild? You often read articles like "Melissa virus creator sentenced" and things like that. Do they somehow traceback through all the computers and find the source? I find it strange how they would be able to find the one place that a virus originates from, once it has infected thousands of computers.

 
Creator of Faerie Solitaire:
http://www.create-games.com/download.asp?id=7792
Also creator of ZDay20 and Dungeon Dash.
http://www.Jigxor.com
http://twitter.com/JigxorAndy

DaVince

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20th April, 2007 at 08:55:42 -

A traceback is very well possible, especially because emails contain all this extra data you normally don't see.

 
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Radix

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20th April, 2007 at 09:33:40 -

Yes, that's exactly it. When it comes to email viruses, the sheer volume sent means there's always at least one addressee (often many many more) they can trace back to the previous generation by way of the header information. When the trail runs out they've either found the originator, or more likely, an aquaintence. At that point they just have to find someone in the neighbourhood who has been boasting about it.

That only works for email viruses though. For other types it's very nearly impossible unless a public admission is made.

 
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DaVince

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20th April, 2007 at 12:01:31 -

Smart virus distributors manage to mask the email with false information.

 
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Joe.H

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20th April, 2007 at 12:27:32 -

They probably work with ISPs when they have some information, look at logs etc of sent data.

Maybe.

 
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Joshtek

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20th April, 2007 at 13:11:17 -

Well, I know they got to the hacker MafiaBoy mostly because he was bragging about his accomplishments on IRC.

Image Edited by the Author.

 
:: Joshtek ::


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DaVince

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20th April, 2007 at 14:55:02 -

lol, the idiot

 
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Assault Andy

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Game of the Week WinnerVIP Member360 OwnerGOTM JUNE - 2009 - WINNER!GOTM FEB - 2010 - WINNER!	I donated an open source project
20th April, 2007 at 18:07:20 -

That's pretty much how I suspected it would happen. But as for those "Smart Virus Distributors", what about this situation:

You invent a virus that spreads by email, msn, file sharing programs and by copying itself onto USB devices connected. You're the only one with the virus, because you created it. Now imagine you have already comprimised a system somewhere on the internet that you have root access to. Then you go to a random internet cafe and do this:

Access your comprimised system via a proxy at the internet cafe, send it the virus, then give it a command to execute it and distribute it. How would they find you then?

 
Creator of Faerie Solitaire:
http://www.create-games.com/download.asp?id=7792
Also creator of ZDay20 and Dungeon Dash.
http://www.Jigxor.com
http://twitter.com/JigxorAndy

Tim

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20th April, 2007 at 18:11:47 -

Is it just me, or is Andy sounding rather suspicious?!

 
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Assault Andy

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I make other people create vaporware

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Game of the Week WinnerVIP Member360 OwnerGOTM JUNE - 2009 - WINNER!GOTM FEB - 2010 - WINNER!	I donated an open source project
20th April, 2007 at 18:18:12 -

Lmao, while I was writing that I was like... err this is going to sound really bad, especially after that last post I made. I just thought since you guys answered the last question really well that you could answer this one too. I'm just really interested in both parties involved in malicious activities. I mean, you have to give credit to virus writers who are able to infect millions of computers, and you also have to give credit to people who are able to trace them back aswell. I'm just curious how they all do it.

 
Creator of Faerie Solitaire:
http://www.create-games.com/download.asp?id=7792
Also creator of ZDay20 and Dungeon Dash.
http://www.Jigxor.com
http://twitter.com/JigxorAndy

Joe.H

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21st April, 2007 at 04:36:32 -

I'm sure the FBI have ways of tracing a proxy ip back to it's location, i.e the internet cafe. And if they get the date that the proxy was accessed, they can work out who was at the cafe at the time, by getting a list of names from the internet cafe.

Obviously this doesn't help if they use fake names/addresses whatever, but i'm sure there's logs of what goes on on computers on the server somewhere, and no doubt they could use CCTV footage to see who it was.

But obviously, there will be those that manage to get away with it because they hide their tracks so well, and there will be those that go up to people from the FBI and go "O HAY I MAEK A VIRUS AND IT DESTROYED THE WURLD OLOLOL O NOES, HANDCUFFS I BIN CAUGHT"

 
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Del Duio

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21st April, 2007 at 07:22:43 -

Andy just doesn't want to get caught because they take TDC rights away in the slammer.

 
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Assault Andy

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I make other people create vaporware

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Game of the Week WinnerVIP Member360 OwnerGOTM JUNE - 2009 - WINNER!GOTM FEB - 2010 - WINNER!	I donated an open source project
21st April, 2007 at 07:35:41 -

As if they do, I'll still be logging on and talking to you guys from the other side of the bars .

 
Creator of Faerie Solitaire:
http://www.create-games.com/download.asp?id=7792
Also creator of ZDay20 and Dungeon Dash.
http://www.Jigxor.com
http://twitter.com/JigxorAndy

Liquixcat

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21st April, 2007 at 08:30:43 -

The only reason people get caught is because they have too much pride to just release a virus and shut up. It's all about bragging rights anyway. I'm pretty sure if people get away with murder, then they could get away with virus crap.

They just need to shut up and lay low.

 
thinking is like pong, it's easy, but you miss sometimes.

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23rd April, 2007 at 05:43:40 -

yea i your gonna make viruses send them from public computers in fake email accounts

i was considering making on for macs

smug virus free bastards

 
check out my site

liamquirke.co.nr
   

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