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/inject humour
Cyber1d, don't go for those penis enlargement thingies............hell, I nearly tripped over it and broke my neck the other day, running downstairs to collect the viagra that the postman delivered. :D
/end
This is a pretty serious topic..........how many of us have policies regarding the use of hand held & mobile devices? We need to get there first or we will be bitten on the bum?
Cheers
ROFL nihil:D
Unfortunately the policies wont do much because if someone is determined to commit some malicious act, they'll find a way to. I was just thinking though, In the US you could get a decent hand-held device running some sort of windows in it for about 200-400 dollars. Some of the phones that are filled with all kinds of goodies from MS sell for about the same price (u can get rebates). Also, all the major phone distributors carry some sort of PDA phone which runs on windows. Now, as for the handhelds, you can purchase a wi-fi card for them, and launch an attack from starbucks. Same Idea as carrying a laptop with you, but perhaps more discrete.
P.S. Sweeeeet, i'm a senior member now :D
Well there was something almost 4 years ago in Japan. This refers to it: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2690253.stm
That Motorola MPx200 seems to finally catch up to my 4 year old cell phone. Appart from the software and size, my cell phone still competes against it a bit.
I know that Japan has had cellphones that are capable of accessing the Internet and at least downloading and uploading files. And they pretty much all have software built into them that can make it at least a 64k Internet Connection for computers, dialup you could say. These phones are/were very common, and I guess it is just a feature that has stayed in them since. Imagine if a virus could eliminate the computer software end of it, set the cellphone into the data transfer mode, and control what is sent? My guess is that only preprogrammed-target viruses would be of use, since the attacker wouldn't be able to control the infected cellphones by connecting to them directly, as the cellphone tower prevents that I think. I never got my cellphone to act as a modem for me so I don't know for sure how IPs and ports are managed. It might be possible to set up a website for the infected phone to pick a victim, but that leaves another trail to the attacker and they might realize that. Based on that, unless the virus can morph, it might be possible to block the sending of it via SMS or something, since the code shouldn't change and having the tower look at the data for that pattern would catch it...
Of course even if the end-users all have 100% working antivirus that somehow catches everything, we still have a potential issue of a huge nation-wide wireless network...
Oh, and one more thing I want to add. Since cell-phones have to keep stuff off of the GUI to keep the screen less cluttered, we can see less information. So we can't verify things quite as easily or quickly as on a PC where tons of information is at our disposal. Namely, the URL of a link. I find it nearly impossible, and uncomfortable, to see the URL of a Link on my phone. Don't you think that leaves people open to phishing attacks if they don't pay attention? What if you get a SMS saying visit your bank's website for a phone-number you need to call with important and immediate banking details? And this website says it is the bank and you need to call xxx-xxxx...? (A common Japanese "spam" c-mail (SMS) I recieved was a phone number that was in a link. This special phone number costs tons of money to call, and the line owners (spammers) get this money somehow... At least I think that's how it works...)
-Tim_axe
Hey Hey,
Soda_Popinsky mentioned doing the same thing with a modem. It was possible and it has been done, however not to any great extent. Think back to the old Hayes Compatible modems and the AT strings you could pass them. ATH to hang up and ATH0 to hang up and go into command state. These were used a lot on IRC. You could pull it off rather simply. AFAIK you could even use a CTCP PING on IRC and never need the persons IP address, however the most common way was hex code in an ICMP PING, well now that was to hang up the modem, but there were other command as well.. ATDT would cause it to dial a number. I don't know why it never happened, maybe we were just lucky, but a virus that issued an ATDT911 command, or any other number could have be spread rather quickly, or even something coming into the computer like an ECHO REQUEST.
Anyways just wanted to add that.... I know i started this, but I don't have much to add. it was just something that was on my mind, although I'm enjoying the read.
Peace,
HT
never thought about it but yea i guess you could get a virus on your cell and then it get transmitted to everyone elses cells.
With SMS/WAP/etc all on the rise, I can see it definitely being abused in some sense, just like wireless networking was a greatfantasticoutstandingwhydidn'twethinkofthissooner idea until people found out they could hijack networks and leech off someone else's bandwidth as well as look at corporate data.
This is the consequence of thinking of a great idea and promoting it without thought of how it could be abused. Never trust user input :D :D :D...
I havn't heard anything about a self-replicating virus on cells as of yet but there has been instances of malcode written for them.
One I have came across was in the older nokia phones - there was certain code that could be sent through text msgs that would cause the screen to blink on and off....once the message was viewed the only way to stop it was to turn off the phone. Hardly a major issue.
But with the technology advancing so quickly i dont think it is to far in the future before virii similar to what has already been mentioned becomes a real life problem
v_Ln
What a wonderful sociological exercise. Imagine this. It could certainly be a reality in just a while here.
The Corporate Petri Dish
Desk attendant: Good evening sir, how can I help you?
Bob: I need to speak with Mr. D, He's expecting me.
Bob's Cellphone: Beep Beep Beep ... Beep Beep Beep.
Bob: Oh, it looks like your networks caught some sort of bug.
Attendant: Yeah, there's some virus in the air. You might want to turn your phone off. The tech guys haven't cured it yet.
Bob: No, mine blocked it.
Attendant: Still, it's a good habit to get into. Leaving it on all the time you'll never know when some little bug will crawl in and make itself at home. Just last month I got one that infected every computer I walked by almost. The tech guy said someone was trying to store child porn on my phone or something. It was a drone or droid or something like that to put pictures on.
bob: You mean a zombie?
Attendant: Yeah, something like that.
Bob: They aren't trying to store stuff on your phone, your phones just infected to spread it. They're hoping you'll walk by the server room with your phone on one time and they'll get all that to keep there trash on.
Attendant: Yeah, I heard we got this one from across the street. They said it just came out of nowhere. On systems that aren't even hooked to the internet. I guess that means it's not supposed to happen.
Bob: Well, if they're simple enough to expose sensitive stuff to the air, who knows.
Attendant: maybe....
Bob: anyways, I need to get going, is he in?
Attendant: ahhh, I don't know, his desk phones got it too I guess, It's beeping and all sorts of stuff.
Bob: let me guess? VoIP?
Attendant: Yeah, It's no good.
Bob: Alright, I'll just go see him.
Attendant: Alright, but you have to step in the Scanner Cubicle over there.
Bob: My phone, PDA, and watch all have the latest AV, they'll be fine.
Attendant: It's company policy, I'll have to insist. That or you'll need to leave them here.
Bob: What? and leave them here where they can catch whatever other bugs you've got on the network?
Attendant: If you'll just step in for the scan it'll only take about 10 minutes.
Bob: alright, man! we were just gonna plan a stupid fishing trip, never mind. I'll just go to his house tonight... sans gadgets...
Missing man
"Sure are a lot of people out today. Nice weather too" the waiter cut in too cheerily.
"Yeah, a whole lot" Responded Joe with obvious lethargy.
Joe is sitting nervously at the counter of the coffee shop surveying the airports cavernous interior. His 4 accomplices wait nearby, positioned strategically across the floor. Ignoring one another per the plan, they wait for their lead man. He has the payload, the reason for their operation. They sit in position like fighter pilots awaiting the order to scramble, though their spitfires remain impotent. They hold phones and PDA's close in anticipation. A single beep, a specific combination of rings, they all set signals to recognize his arrival. All they need is the sign.
--
"I'm going down the far left, Phil, your next, Joe down the middle. Norb you'll get the right." Commanded Jake, their leader.
"What about me?" asked Billy
"Shrimp... think about it, 5 people, all but the second to right position full... what's your position?"
"Oh, right." Billy responded.
"You've got your SONY right Will?" asked Phil.
"Yes, and I'm Billy." he blurted.
"Ok, your not using that sissy HP thing are you Joe?" demanded Jake.
"No, No, I've got my uncles Sharp with linux" Joe defended.
"Alright, at least you've *borrowed* a real palm box"
"Yeah."
"So it's on for this Saturday. It'll be like the most crowded travel day for months. It'll be great" explained Jake.
"Yeah!"
"You know it!"
"We leet!"
"..."
"..."
"Shut up Norb."
"Dude, I'm so just kidding."
--
Before anyone sees Jake, his gadgets make themselves known to his companions. This is how it's supposed to go down. No one is to know the whereabouts of the others. If nothing else, the sheer size of the structure and masses of people should save them. Jake began the uploads. He had tailored three strains of the infection. They were to be known as xmlbocf.CF, xmlbo_14.W32, and xmlbopda.LZ. Known to Jake and his team as Red White and Blue respectively. All three were crafted for the same purpose, though they relied on slightly different exploits, XML parser buffer overflows. They were to target Certain cell phones, Windows PC’s and certain PDA’s respectively.
Jake sent the white to Norb, and intended to use it himself. He sent the red to Phil and Billy, and the blue to Joe. This pattern will efficiently target intended victims. With PC’s along the walls in shops, cell phones largely among the crowd, and Joe’s Sharp putting out a stronger signal to the lesser number of active PDA’s on the floor. All they needed to do now was take a walk.
--
“So… why are we walking that way? Me and Norb will be walking uphill most of the way.”
“Do you want to be walking directly into the sun for like, ten minutes?”
“No, never mind. You really did think of everything didn’t you Jake?”
“Yeah, I try.”
--
Joe gets up and heads east as instructed. White knuckled hands quivering with excitement, though he is only taking a stroll. He struggles to look calm as feelings of dread and romance fill his mind. The picture of the group heading off like the Blue Angels leaving colored smoke in their wake. The patriotic pattern betrayed by Jakes randomly directed anarchist motivations. Though all he had to do was walk. He can’t remember a time when he couldn’t do that. A far cry from flying a hornet.
That’s it, they’ve completed about half of their constitutional, and the realization that there shouldn’t be anything in existence that can catch them or trace them is setting in. There’s something wrong though. Norb and Joe notice at about the same time. Joe notices too much commotion toward the south wall of the terminal. There’s shouting and a crowd gathering. He decides it’s probably a pick pocket or something. The plan goes ahead. All they have to do is make it to the east end and they’ve done all they can to propagate the fruits of Jakes labor.
It’s become apparent now that the subject of the commotion has been silenced. Shortly thereafter several security guards and the apparent perpetrator can be seen gliding along a moving elevated walkway. It’s immediately clear to both Joe and Norb that Billy is being carted off above and between them both.
Their only choice is to proceed as planned.
They reach the east end and prepare to depart. They planned to leave at that point after waiting at different intervals to avoid suspicion. This time it was Jake who broke procedure.
“What the **** happened?” Jake demanded as he gathered them.
“I have no idea.” Joe answered,
“He just got caught I don’t know what for.” Confirmed Norb.
“I’d be I know.” Phil Proposed.
“You don’t think…”
“Billy’s a whiz at looking harmless. He didn’t get caught for looking suspicious, and he’d never nab a purse, I’ll tell you that.”
“I thought that kind of scanner was just theoretical” Pleaded Jake.
“Guess not.” Phil added solemly.
Joe’s mind again faded to the vision of F-15’s flying overhead. Jake, Phil, Joe and Norb flying straight ahead, and then Billy. Where’s Billy?
Cell Phones are the new target of spammers. I see it as a whole new place to get junk email.
--PuRe
That'd be crazy. especially if small devices start using either blue tooth or 802.11x even more. Just make a prog on a PDA or PalmTop that simulates being a phone or something, send out your bug wirelessly with a spoofed/random phone id type thing (assuming such ids do or will exist) and catch all little boxes around you. How can that be traced, if for example, you drive by people with phones and such. Talk about WAR driving in a more literal sense...
edit:added the word 'more' to line 1