Rebirth of the Tech Madman

Darkness and light always go hand in hand.

At the same time that personal computers popularized IT to everyone's fingertips, computer viruses also became widely known.

But there has never been any computer virus before that can be as fierce and devastating as the Chernobyl virus. On April 26 alone, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of computers around the world were infected—even if they are not connected to the Internet. It may not be 100% dodged.

Symantec's report pointed out that the Chernobyl virus is the latest computer virus with ingenious design, pervasive transmission, and damage to the computer.

Its size is about 1KB, and it can infect various files including executable programs on various platforms and office software documents without changing the file size, so it is highly concealed.

Currently known transmission methods of the Chernobyl virus, including file copying and downloading, and e-mail, etc., almost cover the most common operations of users.

When the Chernobyl virus broke out, the observed damage included: damage to some computer system hardware, damage to mainstream office documents, and network paralysis.

At the Symantec press conference at 9 pm on April 26, the company's CEO Gordon Eubanks said with a serious face: From the current situation, in order to prevent Che With the further spread of the Nobel virus, mainstream free public e-mail systems, including AOL, Yahoo, Zheru Software, and Microsoft, have all suspended their services.”

Symantec Customer Service has received hundreds of reports that their computer systems are completely unbootable.

Because it's Sunday, it's uncertain how many office and business computers will be infected.

Since the Chernobyl virus can damage certain models of personal computers, I advise employees of various companies and institutions not to rush to turn on their computers on the first working day of next week, but to wait for the engineers of the IT department, Take some precautions first.

...

After finally reaching the interactive session, a reporter rushed to ask: It's too bad, my computer won't start today! It's easy to understand that computer viruses destroy files on the hard disk, but why is the hardware in Chernobyl In the face of the virus, will you not be spared?

Gordon Eubanks adjusted his glasses, and answered after deliberation: The computer hardware we are familiar with, such as the most typical motherboard, is actually equipped with a read-only memory, which is used to store software microcodes that control the underlying operations. That is, the BIOS—the Chernobyl virus destructively rewrites the contents of the BIOS, thereby making the hardware unable to start and run normally.

The reporter asked suspiciously: Since it is a read-only memory, why can the Chernobyl virus rewrite the contents of the BIOS?

Gordon Eubanks patiently explained: In the early read-only memory, ultraviolet light was needed to erase and write the contents inside, so it can be called a real 'read-only memory'.

However, as computer systems become more and more complex and powerful, for the convenience of upgrades and maintenance, motherboards begin to adopt new types of read-only memories that can be erased and written only by changing the voltage. Not exactly 'ROM' anymore.

The target of the Chernobyl virus to destroy hardware is these motherboards that use a new type of read-only memory. However, because there are still differences in specific operating voltages, only some models of motherboards are affected.

Seeing the other party's mournful look, Gordon Eubanks comforted him: You can sell the computer that cannot be started to the manufacturer and see if they can replace the BIOS.

Another reporter asked with hopeful eyes: My computer can start normally, but many files cannot be opened - can Symantec fix it?

Gordon Eubanks smiled wryly, and replied vaguely: At present, our main focus is,

On how to kill the Chernobyl virus, and possible variants.

A female reporter asked curiously: Have you figured out the origin of the Chernobyl virus now?

Gordon Eubanks said cautiously: We only saw a line of strings of 'we should not forget this day in history' from the copyright statement part of the analyzed Chernobyl virus code fragment. , so it is judged that its creation motive may be related to the Chernobyl nuclear accident, and other circumstances are unclear.”

An older reporter noticed that what Gordon Eubanks said before meant that Symantec is currently busy with how to kill the Chernobyl virus, and it doesn’t care about other things , So he asked in depth: Is it very difficult to detect and kill the Chernobyl virus? Is it related to the extremely high concealment you just emphasized? The Chernobyl virus How does the virus do this?

As you said, the Chernobyl virus is not easy to deal with. Gordon Eubanks nodded with a heavy face, As for what you want to know, how the Chernobyl virus hides itself To do so well, you first need to understand a little skill in data processing in the computer world.”

As we all know, a modern electronic computer system is essentially a device for manipulating binary numbers - 0 and 1. In the specific implementation, the basic unit is a combination of 8-bit 0 and 1, that is, a byte.

In modern times, 32-bit computer systems have become popular. In order to improve performance and other purposes, this basic unit has become 4 bytes.

It's like, in the process of making coffee, you will use a series of units that you are used to and ignore, such as spoons, cups, etc., for the sake of convenience and efficiency.

In this way, in a 32-bit system, even if you only use 2-byte integers, the computer system actually uses 4 bytes for processing.

Put this data processing technique, or the principle of 'byte alignment', on the file storage structure in the hard disk, and there will be a lot of 'gaps' outside the 'valid data'.

Especially when software manufacturers design a file structure, they will reserve some empty bytes that are temporarily unused for future upgrades, thus further increasing the 'gap'.

The Chernobyl virus took advantage of these 'gaps' to encrypt, compress, and divide itself into several fragments, so that it could hide itself and prevent any abnormalities in the size of the infected files.

...

The reporters looked at each other in dismay, and a thought popped up in their hearts at the same time - the person who designed the Chernobyl virus is really amazing!

...

After spending a long time spitting, Gordon Eubanks finally wanted to give his company a sense of presence.

He solemnly stated: As the world's leading computer security company, Symantec has joined hands with Zheru Software, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and other important manufacturers to discuss solutions to the Chernobyl virus, and closely Pay attention to possible virus variants.

...

The reporters rolled their eyes - after talking for a long time, there is still no effective way to deal with the Chernobyl virus.

...

There are too many people who rolled their eyes because of the ravages of the Chernobyl virus.

On the east coast of the United States, Joel Klein, the prosecutor of the Department of Justice in charge of the United States of America v. Zheru software company monopoly case, rolled his eyes while looking at the document in front of him.

Although many important materials have been sorted out early and printed into books, some of the latest evidence is still in the paralyzed computer.

The Department of Justice is sending professional technicians to try to recover the precious data on the hard drive.

Even if these documents can be retrieved in their entirety, today is the trial date for the United States of America v. Zheru Software Corporation monopoly case, so it is obviously useless.

...

After arriving at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit of the District of Columbia, Joel Klein noticed that the people here also looked unlucky.

He inquired again, and even Thomas Penfield Jackson, the judge who presided over the monopoly case of the United States of America v. Zheru Software Company, had the computer in his office destroyed by the raging Chernobyl virus!

Joel Klein's heart sank suddenly, because he knew that Thomas Penfield Jackson was actually inclined to Zheru Software's suspected industry monopoly in terms of attitude.

But even the judge's office computer has been hacked, so some important information cannot be removed for the time being.

What makes Joel Klein feel a little bit psychologically balanced is that everyone in the legal team of the rival Zheru Software Company does not look relaxed. The chief lawyer David Boyce still takes time from time to time to look at the Material.

In this way, the United States of America v. Zheru Software Company monopoly case, in a subtle atmosphere that should have everything ready, but was suddenly caught off guard, the trial was held for the first time like a flashback.

...

On the west coast, it's business as usual for the richest man - do what you have to do!

Looking at the huge headline in the New York Times - Don't turn on your computer this Monday, Tang Huan couldn't help but chuckle.

Gein's situation is so similar to the ransomware virus derived from Eternal Blue more than ten years later in time and space!

The rich man then read the Wall Street Journal, which said - the Chernobyl nuclear accident 12 years ago caused economic losses of 18 billion US dollars to the Soviet Union at that time; today's Chernobyl computer The virus has caused an estimated $10 billion in economic losses to the world today.

Tang Huan picked up his mobile phone and looked at the US stock market - because of the time difference, the New York stock market had already opened.

As for the result, it naturally fell in response - this is really too rare.

You know, since late October last year, due to the Asian financial turmoil, the New York stock market has undergone a so-called drastic adjustment, and it has entered an invincible mode of rising steadily.

...

When the richest man came to Zheru Software’s headquarters, he happened to see his employees impatiently driving the investigators of the Ministry of Justice—to ask for Mao’s documents, our network was paralyzed by the Chernobyl virus , the printer also went on strike, and there is no shit for you!

Tang Huan ignored the pushing and shoving and quarreling, and went straight to the office of the chairman of the board that he set up here.

Just after making a pot of tea, Brad Swahlberg, CEO of Zheru Software, rushed over and talked about the United States of America v. The trial of the software company's monopoly case was live.

The debate in court can only be described as a cliché. Brad Swahlberg showed a kind of pleasure on his face, mixed with a somewhat sarcastic smile, It is said that some so-called powerful latest evidence, the Department of Justice I can't make it out for the time being.

The richest man nodded noncommittally, and changed the topic: The danger of the Chernobyl virus is still at the peak of its spread—how are we going to deal with it?

Mainly divided into two aspects - one is internal, the other is external. Brad Swahlberg replied methodically.

As a user, Zheru Software's internal system has also been affected by the Chernobyl virus. For example, services such as mail servers have been temporarily stopped.

Fortunately, although losses have occurred, they are still within the controllable range.

The real trouble is externally—as a producer, Zheru Software Company, its operating system and office software are two major categories of products, both of which are hardest hit, and the customer service system is already operating at full capacity.

Judging from the current situation, the Chernobyl virus is all caused by hardware damage on the old version of the consumer-grade operating system with a mixed underlying architecture of 16-bit and 32-bit; while the latest pure 32-bit StudiOS is running No computer system has been damaged yet; as for Vientiane, a high-level server-oriented operating system, it is even more invulnerable.”

The prerequisite for office software documents to be destroyed is that the macro switch for running the scripting language is activated.

How to guide our customers to master these key points is a very tricky project.

The two were discussing the mystery of Crisis is also an opportunity, when the assistant sent the latest news.

Symantec has just announced - after analysis by security experts and language experts - that the strings contained in the Chernobyl virus should have come from a native Russian speaker.

In addition, judging from the existing Internet tracking results, the earliest Chernobyl virus infection website was located in Russia.

Although Symantec did not make any further explanations, the implication is already obvious—the Chernobyl virus, which has caused economic losses to the world and is estimated to reach tens of billions of dollars, was done by Russian hackers.

A meaningful smile appeared on Tang Huan's face—this pot should belong to Russian hackers. Anyway, in the original time and space, no matter what the United States is doing, it will give you its hat!