Virus + XP = A Big Pile of BS!

[nujinini]

Well, there are some of us who are of the opinion that WIndows itself is a virus. It (Windows) installs unwanted software on your system, sucks up all its (your computer's) resources, degrades its performance, infects your other devices, spies on you, and then reports back to an unknown/unknowable entity. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, then it may not be Daffy to say it's a duck!

YES! This is a good one! I read this early this morning and must admit gave me a good laugh!


I miss my laptop

[nujinini]

It is possible to install a rootkit into the BIOS, yes. Whether you've been infected with such a thing...well, to my knowledge this has so far been a proof-of-concept thing, and there haven't been any documented cases in the wild.

Here's some more info on why it's hard to do.
BIOS-level rootkit attack scary, but hard to pull off - Ars Technica

Good article! So I guess it was not a BIOS virus after all. I am now more inclined to believe that it was really a hardware issue.

As dangerous of a problem as an attack of this nature presents, however, there's one overriding factor that makes it unlikely that we'll ever see an attack of this sort in the wild. The duo's BIOS hack isn't a bug you can catch by opening the wrong e-mail—it must be installed, either by someone with physical access to the system, or remotely by a person with root-level access.

[Rubberman]

In my experience, the only way I've seen a computer infested with viruses like that is if it was used for porn, software piracy, or music piracy. I asked half-jokingly, and hopefully what can be taken as non-judgmentally. I have yet to see a computer in my control bring up more than eight or ten viruses on a single scan, scanning every one to four months. I'm still trying to find out what I'm doing right. Maybe it's the fact that I only go on well-known sites (flash games, java games, Google, Wikipedia, etc), and have Avast! Home Edition monitoring every network connection, and Windows Firewall activated, set on the strongest setting (Oddly enough, so-called "techies" I've met who bash Windows Firewall have had computers ruined, too). Honestly, I can't be sure.

Bogus! I've seen plenty of systems that have been infected by:
1. Opening email and/or attachments that were infected.
2. Accessing legitimate web sites that were infected by "drive by" malware.
3. Phishing sites.
and any number of other vectors.

[Galraedia]

I think I have to learn how to change the writable to disable. For better security.

Can somebody please share? Thank you!

You can do this in two ways depending on what your motherboard supports.

If your motherboard supports it (it should) you can enter the BIOS and under either "BIOS update" or "BIOS writable" choose disable. Some boards also have a jumper that allows you to disable any writing to the systems BIOS, check your manual on how to do this.

[D-cat]

I remember when flashable BIOS first came out, the only way to do it was with a special boot disk and you had to set a jumper.

That was the right way, for several reasons. Flashing a BIOS should only be done if absolutely necessary because of the risks involved. It's not supposed to be too easy. Now it can be done inside Windows, and if you hadn't set a certain bit inside CMOS, without user intervention? Even if the user realizes what's happening and yanks the power cord, the system will at best be bricked.

Still, I feel it is not likely as the attack vector is complicated. The almost AI nature of the attack would suggest that the system would already need to be compromised by remote in order to pull off in a payload that wouldn't be immediately detected by a half alert user before ever opening. Further, the system would have to remain accessible from remote in order continue evolving new ways to hide itself with no regard to changed hardware. I say the brains of the payload has to be remote because there's only so much room for instructions in a flash rom or firmware chip; you can only dedicate so much to extra (malicious) code and still have the device function period.

The notes I've seen on the "subversion hack" are insistent on this remote interaction, though clearly written by someone with a "tinfoil hat." All of the manors of unauthorized remote control described are easily interrupted by anyone with some hardware experience, and some (like power lines) only apply in maybe 1% of the world last I knew, and require special equipment to even be plausible. The author of the SH notes is seriously inexperienced (though detailed) and gullible, or is adapt at spreading FUD.

Far more common (and what your friend may have been thinking) are CMOS viruses. These are not really that dangerous though, since they can't execute/reproduce or hide from within the CMOS; the worst they can do is mess up your boot settings.

[nujinini]

Just got my laptop from the shop. They confirmed it was really a hardware problem and I get to have a free replacement of my motherboard. YES! I guess I get to WIN the game afterall!

Have to run on a crippled XP for the meantime.