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- mjenkins, on 10/28/2008, -0/+76Code Red was horrible. I was working at a small web hosting company. I warned the owner that our servers were vulnerable and we needed to patch ASAP. He didn't believe me, did nothing and wouldn't give me the key to get into the server room after hours. Sure enough, all of our servers got infected. The only silver lining I had was when I called the owner at 3am for an "I told you so, dumbass".
- Jaime2000, on 10/29/2008, -3/+69The wort virus of all times is the one that splits articles across 10 ***** pages.
- dilbert, on 10/29/2008, -0/+34You're fired!
- Bisclavret, on 10/29/2008, -0/+31what did he say afterwards?
- yahoofrom, on 10/29/2008, -0/+24I blame you for this virus infection and I am going to fire you.
- AReallyGoodName, on 10/29/2008, -0/+23The list didn't include Chernobyl, aka CIH.
It's the reason BIOSes now have a 'Virus protection' option in the menu. The Virus protection option prevents the BIOS from being writeable.
CIH would overwrite your BIOS so you couldn't boot at all. No POST, no beeping, no memory test, nothing. It caused a lot of damage. Certain versions even wrote to the flash of your peripheral devices, so not only did they kill your motherboard they also bricked your CD-ROM drives.
"for laymen the virus essentially destroyed the PC. Technically, however, it was possible to replace the BIOS chip"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIH_virus - xptoast, on 10/29/2008, -0/+19Blaster worm. That thing took down our whole dorm....a couple times.
- rubaaan, on 10/29/2008, -0/+16what about that worm that went around that shut down peoples computers? i remember EVERYONE i knew caught that *****. it was the most annoying thing ever. it made the news as well.
you'd ge on your computer and you'd get a pop up saying "computer will shut down in 30 seconds [countdown]" and bam! almost tore my hair out a couple times.
i dont remember the name :[ - FaithclubDotNet, on 10/29/2008, -0/+14Antivirus 2009 is a pretty bad virus because it tricks people into thinking they're downloading antivirus. The people who want protection get screwed instead. Its a morale breaker.
- cl2yp71c, on 10/29/2008, -0/+12Dugg because I just got some annoying as hell malware yesterday, and just got rid of it today...
I cannot express how much contempt I have for the people who wrote that *****! - palagrim, on 10/29/2008, -1/+12Did you read the list? Did you read the Wiki entries that Brian994 posted?
I don't think you did 'cos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_virus would tell you that Leap was a virus for MacOS X in 2006....
As a Mac "Genius" I'm sure you're aware of the Carpet Bombing bug in Safari as well then?
I'm a developer. I write code for a living. ALL code is vulnerable to attack. This is why when you install your beloved OS, you have to download 400+MB of updates.
By all means, expound the virtues of Apple/Windows/Linux as much as you like - but please don't sit there in your ivory tower proclaiming Apple propaganda when you clearly don't know what the ***** you're talking about.#
Edit - Having read your other comments, I see you're a Linux user rather than a Mac user... In which case, I apologise for lumping you with "that lot" - however, Linux/Unix has it's issues too... Remember the "sendmail" bug that allowed people to gain Root? Everytime I boot my Linux box there's updates for something or other... Whatever OS you use there's no replacement for user knowledge and common sense. - encrypteduser, on 10/29/2008, -0/+10Antivirus 2009 is not a virus. It's a fraudware "Rogue" program that tricks people into paying X amount of dollars to remove the "malware" on their system. The only thing it exploits is the human vulnerability.
- inactive, on 10/28/2008, -7/+17THE worst virus of all time:
Melissa loves worms, Oompa-Loompas, Sapphires and Code Red. She plays MyDoom and has a sasser personality, which goes with her sapphires. She also has...worms?
I tried. - draculthemad, on 10/29/2008, -2/+12This list only focuses on widely spread viruses, not the ones that do the most "damage". There were some older viruses that were far more malicious than the generic outlook-trojans going around today.
- zulfy26, on 10/29/2008, -0/+10no but this is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0
- ArthurSucks, on 10/29/2008, -0/+9"The Leap-A virus doesn't cause much harm to computers, but it does show that even a Mac computer can fall prey to malicious software." In other words, it didn't do *****.
- zunipus, on 10/29/2008, -0/+9Actually the Mac worm (not virus) they put on the list nonsensical as it was never active in the wild. It was a Proof Of Concept malware program designed to point out a security flaw in Mac OS X. It wasn't even capable of replicating itself on the Internet. It ran only within a LAN. A better choice would have been the OSX.RSPlug.A Trojan that currently remains in the wild thanks to phishing site wranglers. It was recently rendered inert on Mac OS X Server but client Macs remain vulnerable. That is the one and only active, in the wild, Mac malware at this time.
- noisymime, on 10/29/2008, -6/+14"Mac computers are partially protected from virus attacks because of a concept called security through obscurity. Apple has a reputation for keeping its operating system (OS) and hardware a closed system"
WTF?!?! OSX is build on BSD, a far more standardized and open system than Windows. Obscurity is MS realm, not BSDs. There are significant portions of OSX that are open source (Samba etc). This statement is wrong in song many ways. - DigitAl56K, on 10/29/2008, -0/+8Dugg up, I was just about to log in and post the same :)
- benroy, on 10/29/2008, -0/+8I'm surprised that I didn't see Symantec Internet Security on that list.
- Brian994, on 10/29/2008, -1/+910. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_%28computer_w ...
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILOVEYOU
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klez_%28computer_worm ...
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Red_%28computer_ ... & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Red_II
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimda
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL_slammer_worm
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyDoom
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasser_%28computer_wo ... & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netsky_%28computer_wo ...
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_virus
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Worm - addiktion, on 10/29/2008, -0/+6your balls grew 2 inches bigger in diameter on that day.
- tnoy, on 10/29/2008, -3/+9#2 was a Mac virus.
- xptoast, on 10/29/2008, -0/+6They forgot the blaster worm. Freaking thing sucked so bad. Hated that one. It took down almost everyones computer in the dorms.
- tama00, on 10/29/2008, -0/+6I'm not reading it if its only 10 different pages. You can get ***** if I'm pressing next 10 ***** times.
- inactive, on 10/29/2008, -0/+5I've run several of them in Wine. It's really funny to do it.
- khaxan, on 10/28/2008, -0/+5Obvioiusly cause of the network environment, these virus are worst in a sense, but they're a lot of file-destructive virus we've had to deal before the internet era.
- zunipus, on 10/29/2008, -2/+7No Digg. In fact I sent them as series of corrections.
They included their misuse of the term 'virus' when they meant 'malware'. I then provided a list of malware, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware and adware, defining their attributes.
I also pointed out that the Mac Leap-A worm (not virus) never infected any Mac in the wild. It was in fact a 'Proof Of Concept' worm that showed a security flaw in Mac OS X. There are about 9 such 'Proof Of Concept' malware for Mac OS X. That the Leap-A worm was included in their list made no sense. The worm has been a total non-threat. It is not even capable of replicating itself in the wild. It is specifically limited to LAN networks. A better choice would have been OSX.RSPlug.A Trojan that remains in the wild thanks to unscrupulous phishing site wranglers and still affects client Macs. It was recently rendered inert on Mac OS X Server machines.
Also, the 'Security By Obscurity' hypothesis was disproven as soon as it was stated. It does not exist. Using simple mathematics one can calculate the number of malware per computer user on each platform. The results indicate a shocking security problem specifically with Microsoft Windows and nothing more. As per usual there will be arguments to the contrary, but they will all be lame and pointless.
Their noting in the article that the Mac platform has security vulnerabilities was important. Pressure upon Apple regarding security has resulting in their much improved vigilance as well as the greater attention of many Mac users. However, I suggested to the writers that their information be accurate and not exaggerated, which sadly has been the nature of Mac security statements from the likes of Symantec, McAfee and Sophos. Exaggeration only renders the messenger unreliable in the eyes of the receiver. Sticking to the facts successfully provides useful knowledge. - Rudegar, on 10/29/2008, -1/+6"Saddam Disk-Validator virus" for Amiga cost me many a games back in 1991 :S
- ansatsu29, on 10/29/2008, -0/+5Dugg for the ILOVEYOU virus.
Damn, that was nasty and it came from my country. Shucks. - smotpoker, on 10/29/2008, -0/+5If I were running Windows I'd still run an AV periodically even though I mostly stick to the same sites and don't randomly open emails/click links etc.
The only virus I ever personally witnessed on our networks was only detected because I happened to notice atypical IRC connections on our network when no one was using it. No telling how many systems it DoS'd or infected by the time I noticed but I'm willing to bet that with today's hardware and bandwidth a large # of hosts could be infected and actively used without the owner noticing (especially without AV or using the system all of the time) - zunipus, on 10/29/2008, -0/+4Stoopid obscenities aside, most malware these days is designed to make the perpetrator $MONEY$. Wreaking havoc is not considered as much fun as profiting monetarily from malware. What's the point of ruining a computer when you can, for example, use it to trick users into visiting phishing sites, or zombie it and use it for SPAM distribution, or use it for Denial Or Service attacks that can be used to gather blackmail money, or keylog the machine to gather credit card numbers, etc.
- Frostek, on 10/29/2008, -0/+4"What's the point of ruining a computer..."
When did people lose their way? It's not always about making money. Sometimes it should be about crippling as many computers as possible and ruining countless lives.
I just wish someone would come along and write a virus like that and restore my lack of faith in humanity. - zunipus, on 10/29/2008, -1/+5You are completely correct about the 'Security By Obscurity' hypothesis. It was disproven as soon as it was stated. All you need to do is use simple mathematics to calculate the number of malware per computer user for each platform. The results point out the shocking security problems in Microsoft Windows and nothing more.
- IJS209, on 10/29/2008, -0/+4Weird Al's song, "Virus Alert" is Awesome. (Not Rick Roll,I promise.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-GaRKDsz-Y - inactive, on 10/29/2008, -1/+5It is annoying ***** they need to stop if it can be put on a single page without a slow as ***** script behind the whole thing.
- leandrotami, on 10/29/2008, -0/+4Worst viruses of all time? It seems the author knows only about viruses of this century! What about Michelangelo or Stoned?
- xptoast, on 10/29/2008, -1/+5Sounds incredibly crappy. Glad I never got that one.
- Exzhaton, on 10/29/2008, -0/+4Stop all the downloading!
- Asianwaste, on 10/29/2008, -0/+4Blaster should have had an honorable mention. It was an elementary virus with no technological merit. Its merit lies in its concept which was exploit the fact that people rarely update their Windows security. Left everyone with the hard learned lesson that updating is simple and important. Unfortunately I know plenty of individuals and organizations that haven't learned this yet.
- IamSunstorm, on 10/29/2008, -0/+3Worst viruses... Or *best* viruses?
- zunipus, on 10/29/2008, -0/+3Utter rubbish. Mac OS X is proper BSD. FreeBSD and OpenBSD are well known and proven to be the most secure operating systems currently used. Mac OS X uses FreeBSD and OpenBSD as its base OS via Apple's Open Source Darwin OS. Mac OS X is in fact certified as 100% Unix. Linux is not UNIX, but it has excellent security as well.
Mac OS X, nonetheless, does NOT have perfect security, just as Linux does NOT have perfect security. Vulnerabilities for both OSes are discovered on a regular basis. The pressure put on Apple since 2005 to improve their security vigilance has been critical and has provided very good results in the form of greatly increased security patches and improvements.
Windows, in the mean time, even in Vista, remains relatively shocking in its security vulnerabilities. Thank Microsoft for consistently poor programming. That business continues to use Windows as a standard boggles the mind for many reasons, including security. - rockpeteuk, on 10/29/2008, -0/+3who said us geeks dont have humor ?
- TheKitchenSinkX, on 10/29/2008, -1/+4They did mention Chernobyl. It was one of the footer things.
- inactive, on 10/29/2008, -3/+6There is a new version of CIH "in the wild" right now. It allows 20 - 30 reboots of the infected machine (about one day of a Windows machine's life), and then cripples the BIOS. The Intel chipsets DO NOT protect against it, even if the "Virus Protection" option in the BIOS settings menu is selected.
It only infects Windows XP and Vista machines... - robthom, on 10/29/2008, -0/+3"If I were running Windows I'd still run an AV periodically..."
Good point, that is a good idea.
I do do periodic system scans especially if things start to slow down so that if anything is loose I can back everything up quickly before it can spread and do damage to my important files and then tear everything down. But I haven't detected one loose in years so I'm pretty sure that when my system starts to act funny its probably because I'm always tinkering with my registry and windows files. :)
I do make sure to start up AVG or avast to scan files that I've downloaded if they seem peculiar before executing them. But also I'm talking about my personal laptop that I can take more chances with. If I were running a network or using an company computer that I couldn't tear down and rebuild at will then I would definitely be running active protections. - RSS14, on 10/29/2008, -1/+4howstuffworks.com is awesome; negative effect of capitalism my ass.
- KickinitLegit, on 10/29/2008, -0/+3that seriously should have been on the list. even as number ten. thing drove me crazy!
- jamesmcm, on 10/29/2008, -1/+4OS X's security isn't entirely due to security through obscurity but rather it's BSD base.
Notice that all of the viruses (except the SQL Slammer) wouldn't affect GNU/Linux servers, despite GNU/Linux servers having no security through obscurity as they are entirely open-source. Rather it is the lack of obscurity which makes them secure as the bugs and exploits are usually noticed and fixed before a hacker can exploit them.
While most of the viruses do depend on the user's stupidity - I'd still rather not use Windows as it means you don't need to worry about viruses at all really (especially since on Debian all packages are installed from a safe and secure repository). This means that you don't need to worry about viruses spreading due to no fault of your own - like the virus that exploited Windows networks. - badwithcomputer, on 10/29/2008, -2/+5everyone knows the da vinci virus was the craziest.
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