The Script-To-Macro Viral Concept
The Script-To-Macro Viral Concept
The Script-To-Macro Viral Concept unifies script and macro viral programming in one platform, increasing the proficiency of script viral forms to wreak havoc in cyberspace.
A two-edged sword like phenomenon, script viruses based on the concept; tend to be much more malicious than their other script viral counterparts, based on older technologies such as file-infection routines via Windows FileSystem Object automation, mass-mailing routines via MS-Outlook, and wormish functionalities via IRC clients like mIRC and pIRCh.
Script viruses in this guise, not only proliferate virulent script codes, but could also initiate virulent macro processes, thereby creating an edge over conventional script viruses. The concept not only identifies with script or macro viral programming, but also identifies with the script and macro virus programmer alike. Macro viral programmers need not initiate what i refer to as a one-sided attack, when considering the proficiency of incorporating both script and macro viral programming in one single platform. The same applies to the script-only virus programmers.
The concept marks yet-another beginning of a more dangerous computing environment, a scenario where viral programming boundaries will be extended, cyberspace will be termed as unsafe, and anti-virus organizations will have to put up their best, in order to assure end-users of a more secure environment. Script viral technologies have come and gone, majority of them falling into disuse as a result of increased sophistication in anti-viral technology. However the introduction of what i refer to as a proof of concept, is one viral technology that has come to stay, at least for a pretty long time, a technology virus programmers will love, one that will interest anti-virus firms, and will blow the mind of virtually every security-conscious netizen in cyberspace.
So Ladies and gentlemen, men and women, boys and girls, PCs and PC-Cillins, allow me to introduce to you, one of the latest script viral technologies that have just come on board, I present to you the Script-To-Macro Viral Concept.
In a nutshell, what then is the Script-To-Macro Viral Concept?
The concept involves the whole idea of manipulating a macro-bound application (application that supports macro-programming), from a script program that supports ActiveX or Automation, into perpetrating malicious scripting and macro activities alike. It embraces the possibility of script programs to compromise a macro-capable application into perpetrating malicious activities on a system, by either manipulating macro functions hosted by a macro-bound application in a covert manner, directly or indirectly on a system.
There are quite a number of script languages that support automation, the commonest of them being Visual Basic Script and JavaScript. Taking a look at applications that support programming of macros, quite a number of platforms support macros, the most popular of them being the Microsoft Office suite of applications, as well as the Corel suite of applications. My research has being centered basically on Microsoft Office applications, although I wish to extend my research to Corel applications, as well as other applications that support macros and automation.
Operating system platforms have been practically Windows but with the diversification of macros-programming across variety of operating system platforms, my research will also extend to most especially the Macintosh, as well as other operating platforms that support the phenomenon.
My research into this form of malicious computing, a project that have been on since September, 2003, reveals to a very large extent the possibility of malicious programmers, to spawn script-based attacks, based on security holes and flaws in one or more macro-bound applications residing on a victim's machine. The concept introduces to cyberspace, a new way of perpetrating script-based threats, a phenomenon malware authors will love, end-users will hate and anti-virus buddies will just have to fight out. This research reveals a new method of malicious computing, as it takes it's roots from the generic (old-school) WordBasic macro language down to the present day VBA macro language, a macro utility running in variety of applications i.e. Office and Corel suite of applications.
Each and every of these macro languages could be automated via their parent applications from a script program that supports automation, and these applications could be compromised to perpetrate malicious activities on a victim's machine, either locally or remotely. This and many more form the basis of this proof of concept, the Script-To-Macro Viral Concept.
This concept was discovered and is being researched by a 19yr old independent security researcher based in Edo State, Nigeria codenamed "Sain2rion of Z1on". He is presently a final year student of Madonna University, Nigeria. Want to know more about his newly found concept, you can reach him on cyberspace through the following email addresses:
eseleojeabulu@yahoo.com or sain2rion@hotmail.com.
Spread the news and not the virus,
Enhancing Computer Security is my major priority.
Yours in Cyberspace,
Sain2rion of Z1on.
