// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Stars virus say? I'm a little "strung" out.
The Stars virus is a computer virus which infects computers running Microsoft Windows. It was named and discovered by Iranian authorities in April 2011. Iran claimed it was used as a tool to commit espionage.[1][2] Western researchers believes that it is probably the same virus as the Duqu, part of the Stuxnet attack on Iran.
History
[edit]The Stars virus was studied only in an Iranian laboratory, with other cybersecurity organizations not having access to samples, and therefore not being able to compare it to Duqu, Stuxnet, or any other known malware.[1][2] Foreign computer experts say they have seen no evidence of the virus, and some even doubt its actual existence.[3][4] Iran is claiming Stars to be harmful for computer systems. It is said to inflict minor damage in the initial stage and might be mistaken for executable files of governmental organizations.[1][2]
This is the second attack claimed by Iran after the Stuxnet, a computer worm discovered in July 2010 that targeted industrial software and equipment.[2][5]
Researchers came to believe that the Stars virus found by Iranian computer specialists was the Duqu virus. The Duqu virus keylogger was embedded in a JPEG file. Since most of the file was taken by the keylogger only a portion of the image remained.[clarification needed] It turned out to be an image taken by the Hubble telescope showing a cluster of stars, the aftermath of two galaxies colliding. Symantec, Kaspersky and CrySyS researchers came to believe Duqu and Stars were the same virus.[6][7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Military Daily News". Military.com.
- 1 2 3 4 "Iran target of new cyber attack". Archived from the original on April 29, 2011.
- ↑ "Experts sceptical on new Iran 'cyber attack' claim". Arabian Business. arabianbusiness.com. 8 May 2011.
- ↑ "ANALYSIS-Experts skeptical on new Iran "cyber attack" claim". reuters.com. Archived from the original on 2011-05-09.
- ↑ "Israel tests on worm called crucial in Iran nuclear delay". msnbc.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-17.
- ↑ Kim Zetter (2014). Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon. Crown Publishing Group. p. 259. ISBN 9780770436186. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ↑ "The Duqu Saga Continues: Enter Mr. B. Jason and TV's Dexter". securelist.com. 10 November 2011.