Re: [gentoo-user] Somewhat OT: Any truth to this mess?

[Pandu Poluan <pandu@poluan.info>]

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On Feb 18, 2012 7:27 PM, "Volker Armin Hemmann" <volkerarmin@googlemail.com>
wrote:
>
> Am Samstag, 18. Februar 2012, 06:00:00 schrieb Dale:
> > Alan McKinnon wrote:
> > > On Sat, 18 Feb 2012 04:26:02 -0600
> > >
> > > Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> Howdy,
> > >>
> > >> I ran across this and though it was a joke.  Did a news search and
> > >> sure enough, it is reported in lots of places.  Random linky:
> > >>
> > >>
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102856/Will-FBI-shut-Internet-Ma
> > >> rch-8-virus-concerns.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
> > >>
> > >> Is there any truth to this mess?  My bigger and better question, how
> > >> is shutting down the internet going to fix this?  When the net comes
> > >> back up, they are still going to be infected.  Right?
> > >>
> > >> I'm glad I run a really nice Linux OS.
> > >
> > > Gawd, I hate it when morons write sensational articles that attempt to
> > > make sense to other morons. You get crap like that.
> > >
> > > So if this is legit, and I'm not saying it is, what happened is this:
> > >
> > > The malware changes the DNS cache settings on infected machines,
> > > sending the user to rogue caches. The FBI captured some (or all) of
> > > these rogue caches and (possibly) tried to fix them. A court has now
> > > said those rogue caches must now be shut down.
> > >
> > > So if the morons reading the article do nothing, on March 8 the DNS
> > > caches they use will be down. The user's DNS will not work.
> > >
> > > OMFG!!!!!!! Da intartubes is broken!!!!!
> > >
> > > <sigh>
> > >
> > > Instead, why not just set the DNS caches to something NOT owned by
Ivan
> > > The Russian Spammer?
> > >
> > > And no, the intartubes will NOT be switched off.
> >
> > I don't really think they can unless they just cut power to all the
> > computers.  After all, the internet is supposed to be redundant right?
> > If there is a few computers still running that have a connection, it is
> > still working.  Sort of anyway.
> >
> > Does make one wonder tho.  They have been talking about having a
> > internet "off switch" but I'm not sure it would be that easy.
>
> basically, yes. Take down the core routers and backbones and everything
falls
> apart.
>
> --
> #163933
>

Indeed. In fact, easier than that.

Just inject false BGP routes into one of the backbone level routers, and
see how wide the Internet becomes 'impacted'. Do it to maybe 5 or 6 other
routers that watch guard over the transatlantic and transpacific routes,
and watch as the Internet fold upon itself.

I was once a certified Network Engineer before I became a System Admin, so
I know. The soft underbelly of the Intartubes is depressingly very
vulnerable.

Rgds,

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