Who wrote the Stuxnet worm? And why?

[Yeah]

Was Stuxnet Built to Attack Iran's Nuclear Program? - PCWorld Business Center

Stuxnet is an extremely sophisticated computer worm directed at attacking the low level controller hardware used in industrial installations. As details emerge about the way it works It is becoming clear that some significant resources were put into it's development. Definitely not the work of script kiddies.

With that level of expertise involved there is a belief that its target must have been very high value, more than the previously imagined industrial secrets. That and the fact that the epicenter of the infection appears to be Iran, suggests that someone might have been trying to attack their nuclear program.

 

[SavageEagle]

Was Stuxnet Built to Attack Iran's Nuclear Program? - PCWorld Business Center

Stuxnet is an extremely sophisticated computer worm directed at attacking the low level controller hardware used in industrial installations. As details emerge about the way it works It is becoming clear that some significant resources were put into it's development. Definitely not the work of script kiddies.

With that level of expertise involved there is a belief that its target must have been very high value, more than the previously imagined industrial secrets. That and the fact that the epicenter of the infection appears to be Iran, suggests that someone might have been trying to attack their nuclear program.

Interesting. They seemed intent on insisting it was Bushehr they were after but I don't buy that. The place isn't even operational yet and this thing was created months ago. I'd bet it was intent on going to the functional plants.

I wouldn't put it past Israel, but I also wouldn't put it past the USA or just regular hackers. A good team of hackers could do something like that I'm sure.

 

[Wabatuckian]

... Skynet...

 

[SavageEagle]

... Skynet...

By the time Skynet became self-aware it had spread into millions of computer servers across the planet. Ordinary computers in office buildings, dorm rooms; everywhere. It was software; in cyberspace. There was no system core; it could not be shutdown

 

[jedi]

What!!! Skynet is here now!!!

I'm late to make it to the bunker and hide! Thanks a lot SE for the 5 hour notification.

 

[Keith_Indy]

I'd lay odds on Israel. They are a country who can do something and keep it a secret for a long time. The US would have to brag about it in some way, especially with the current crew in the WH.

Motive: Prevent Iran from getting the bomb.

Means: They have some of the best software engineers on the planet. Would not be hard to limit targets to largely Iranian IP addresses.

Opportunity: The internets is wide, and open. Researcher uses his computer at home and work. Get's infected at home, brings it to work, where it gets spread around.

 

[Yeah]

A good team of hackers could do something like that I'm sure.

No doubt a team of hackers was involved, but the exploit used 4 different undisclosed Windows vulnerabilities ("zero days"). Anyone looking for a quick financial reward could have accumulated 6 figures in a day by offering them for sale on one of the few but busy markets for those types of things.

It is likely someone spent a sizable chunk of money to buy those, or employ the people selling them. To hope for a return on that investment by harvesting industrial secrets was maybe plausible at one time, but it doesn't look like the worm even looks for those or transmits anything anywhere. I still think it is possible the intent could have been industrial sabotage against a competitor, but I'm growing less sure of that as time goes on.

 

[jedi]

Hum... only 2 countries have the capability of creating such a "virus"" :US and Isreal.
Hum... YouTube - Rahm Emanuel: You never want a serious crisis to go to waste
Hum...

In terms of the skynet note. We do appear to be moving closer and closer to that don't we. One day the monster we have created is going to bite us.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Hum... only 2 countries have the capability of creating such a "virus"" :US and Isreal.
Hum... YouTube - Rahm Emanuel: You never want a serious crisis to go to waste
Hum...

In terms of the skynet note. We do appear to be moving closer and closer to that don't we. One day the monster we have created is going to bite us.

I think Russia and China have proven they have some good hackers as well. As for motive: Well Russia is providing equipment for their nuclear program; if it needs to be replaced because a virus ruined it, who gets paid twice? And the US/Israel will get blamed by Iran anyway.

 

[jedi]

The one country that has the most to gain is Isreal from this.
There was an interview on PBS a few weeks back with one of the soldier's that was on the raiding party that atatcked iraq back in the 70s/80s/90s and the world condemed Isreal for that attack. (Sorry don't recall the timeline or event name). What I do remember from the interview was the soldier saying that it would be much harder to strike at Iran's nuke site with an airstrike since it's a harder (ie hard target vs soft target) and it would require more casulaties in terms of the raid Isreal would have to do (ie. more of their solider's dieing). But that he (former soldier) was sure that such scenarios were in the works in Isreal but that he also suspect that other "non direct attack methods" would also be looked at that were not diplomacy.

The way he worded it sounded odd to me. "non direct attack" as in no bullets fired yet destruction possible. Suspect me might have been referring to sabatoge which is what I would consider this to me.

 

[SavageEagle]

The one country that has the most to gain is Isreal from this.

Wrong. Who would benefit from a war between Iran and Israel and probably imploding all of the middle east?

 

[jedi]

Wrong. Who would benefit from a war between Iran and Israel and probably imploding all of the middle east?

OK SE who?

What I meant by my statement is that Israel IS looking at this from a life or death point of view. Iran that stated publicly that it wants to destroy/kill Israel. Their leader is crazy enough to send Iran to hell in the process so long as he takes Israel with him. Thus his desire for a nuke or more.

So faced with that Israel is doing everything in their power to kill the threat before it kills them.

 

[SavageEagle]

OK SE who?

What I meant by my statement is that Israel IS looking at this from a life or death point of view. Iran that stated publicly that it wants to destroy/kill Israel. Their leader is crazy enough to send Iran to hell in the process so long as he takes Israel with him. Thus his desire for a nuke or more.

So faced with that Israel is doing everything in their power to kill the threat before it kills them.

China AND Russia both benefit from a middle east war because of how invested we are there. They also know that there's a good possibility that we'll go to bat for Israel, regardless what you think this POTUS would do.

The Iran/Israel situation is just a good excuse to help us destroy ourselves.

At least that's where I'm putting my money.

 

[jedi]

Hum... OK MAYBE on the Russian one I'll be it as their president is evil enough. China I don't buy it. They have been around a LOT longer than we have (& will at the rate we are going). They are patient & will wait for us to self-implode.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Hum... OK MAYBE on the Russian one I'll be it as their president is evil enough. China I don't buy it. They have been around a LOT longer than we have (& will at the rate we are going). They are patient & will wait for us to self-implode.

China does take the long view of things, but they aren't waiting for us to implode; they are already starting to make claims to territory in the South China Sea and flexing their muscle towards Taipei. I think they would very much like to give us a distraction in the Middle East.

 

[Keith_Indy]

Unfortunately, this is all conjecture. There's no proof of who is behind STUXNET.

It's also conjecture that the target was Iran. Many things use the controls this thing was built to attack. I'd look into what else can be attacked with this.

How many Siemens controllers are used in the US alone?

What if they all crashed within hours of each other?

Found these links today:
The Volokh Conspiracy VC scoops the security pros ? by two months!
Knowledge Brings Fear » Blog Archive » stuxnet: targeting the iranian enrichment centrifuges in Natanz?

 

[jedi]

Unfortunately, this is all conjecture. There's no proof of who is behind STUXNET.

One thing for sure at this point is that it (STUXNET) was not created with the intent to profit but for destruction. With 4 0-day vurnabilities in it it would have gotten BIG TIME $$$$$ von the black market. Plus the code had 2 stolen certificates as well. From an "orginzaed crime/hacker" point of view it was a major, major waste of $$$ not to sell it.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

One thing for sure at this point is that it (STUXNET) was not created with the intent to profit but for destruction. With 4 0-day vurnabilities in it it would have gotten BIG TIME $$$$$ von the black market. Plus the code had 2 stolen certificates as well. From an "orginzaed crime/hacker" point of view it was a major, major waste of $$$ not to sell it.

Maybe it was developed "on contract" for the purpose it's being used.

 

[jedi]

Maybe it was developed "on contract" for the purpose it's being used.

That would have to be a very, very big contract to find and/or give up 4 0-day vurnablities.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

That would have to be a very, very big contract to find and/or give up 4 0-day vurnablities.

(In Marlon Brando's voice) "I'll make them an offer they can't refuse..."