FBI killing DNS servers used by common virus, check your machine

[PsyBlade]

there were many pages set up that informed infected users of the problem
iirc google and facebook among them

dns servers don't deliver web pages they only translate names to ip numbers
and simply handing the ip of an webserver with the warning is not possible because you don't know what the client want from that computer
could be http but could be mail skype irc ftp msn news rss or any othe of a few thousand protocols

 

[Lastly]

What a misleading article. As nl255 said above, if you are infected with DNSChanger, the only reason you can still access the net in the first place because of the FBI's "safety net" that was intended to buy those infected time to get rid of the virus. They're going to shut down the "safety net" now since viruses on your computer are really your own problem.

It was intentional to keep the reader tense and the article clarify it. I kept the article extremely simple so non tech-savvy could understand it. A lot of news site do it now so I thought it was the most plausible way.

I must be an idiot or something, I honestly can't comprehend what this article is about... Essentially it's saying, there is a computer virus that has infected 64,000 computers, and they won't have access to the internet anymore... Isn't there some sort of defence (I spelt that correctly, Americans) against it? Why haven't Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware developers added a 'cure' to their databases?

Not everyone are aware of that they are infected and also have anti-virus. Even if they do, it may not be updated or it's just plain horrible. To be honest, anti-virus doesn't detect all viruses; they only detect the obvious ones.

 

[Rydian]

Totally on-topic: Was at a new mechanic's today and one of his computers had some fake AV shit on it. I was removing it for him (since with it active he couldn't enter the state inspection info on a car) and a lady there asked me if I heard about "that virus going around the news".

As a matter of fact I believe I may have been hit by a DNSChanger virus in the past. If not that, just something that screwed with my HOSTS file.

HOSTS is the way they used to work, but hosting fake DNS servers is more common with newer things as hosting prices have dropped and all that crap.

It would interfere with my Google search results, with a wearily outdated looking Google page that sometimes provided real search results, sometimes redirected me to something completely unrelated and spammy.

Modern infections I've seen that redirect google results actually install a browser addon or system service to do the redirects in realtime, so the user actually uses google and gets the proper results (including their logged-in username and junk), but upon clicking a link they're redirected by some inserted script.

Really annoying shit, it is.

Anyhow any computers infected with such a virus like this should be cut-off from the internet, as to not allow it to spread further. These machines can always be fixed and resume regular internet access, and it is only an OS dependent issue. It is in no way the FBI hampering access to the general public but a simple safety precaution. I'm glad the title has been fixed to reflect that.

These things aren't usually viruses, just malware designed to scam you out of money. Most things I see nowadays that change DNS setting do so to keep you from accessing sites that host removal tools (malwarebytes.org, bleepingcomputer.com, etc.), or will even host fake versions of those pages that simply hold MORE infectious software instead of the actual tools. They want people to think they're being protected with real tools, when the tools are just an avenue to get people to send money somewhere (or, as mentioned, forced advertising).

 

[Gahars]

And... it looks like my laptop has managed to escape unscathed. Of all the many, many things wrong with it, I can take comfort in knowing that (at the very least) it isn't infected with this bit of malware.

Ah, the joy of tiny victories.

 

[gifi4]

What a misleading article. As nl255 said above, if you are infected with DNSChanger, the only reason you can still access the net in the first place because of the FBI's "safety net" that was intended to buy those infected time to get rid of the virus. They're going to shut down the "safety net" now since viruses on your computer are really your own problem.

It was intentional to keep the reader tense and the article clarify it. I kept the article extremely simple so non tech-savvy could understand it. A lot of news site do it now so I thought it was the most plausible way.

I must be an idiot or something, I honestly can't comprehend what this article is about... Essentially it's saying, there is a computer virus that has infected 64,000 computers, and they won't have access to the internet anymore... Isn't there some sort of defence (I spelt that correctly, Americans) against it? Why haven't Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware developers added a 'cure' to their databases?

Not everyone are aware of that they are infected and also have anti-virus. Even if they do, it may not be updated or it's just plain horrible. To be honest, anti-virus doesn't detect all viruses; they only detect the obvious ones.

Completely off topic but you do realise that you quoted me twice yet I had (up till now) only posted once in this thread, ergo you quoted someone else with my name xD

 

[Lastly]

What a misleading article. As nl255 said above, if you are infected with DNSChanger, the only reason you can still access the net in the first place because of the FBI's "safety net" that was intended to buy those infected time to get rid of the virus. They're going to shut down the "safety net" now since viruses on your computer are really your own problem.

It was intentional to keep the reader tense and the article clarify it. I kept the article extremely simple so non tech-savvy could understand it. A lot of news site do it now so I thought it was the most plausible way.

I must be an idiot or something, I honestly can't comprehend what this article is about... Essentially it's saying, there is a computer virus that has infected 64,000 computers, and they won't have access to the internet anymore... Isn't there some sort of defence (I spelt that correctly, Americans) against it? Why haven't Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware developers added a 'cure' to their databases?

Not everyone are aware of that they are infected and also have anti-virus. Even if they do, it may not be updated or it's just plain horrible. To be honest, anti-virus doesn't detect all viruses; they only detect the obvious ones.

Completely off topic but you do realise that you quoted me twice yet I had (up till now) only posted once in this thread, ergo you quoted someone else with my name xD

Errr... no idea why that happen. And I'm too lazy to edit it. Err.... so yeah.

 

[stanleyopar2000]

oh look...Internet.

and I didn't relinquish my PC privacy for their snooping surveillance system that they are pushing that they, oh, so want to "help" me with..

I AIN't GONNA BE PART OF YOUR SYYYSSTEEM...MAN! ┌∩┐(⌐■_■)

 

[chartube12]

There were far more dangerous infections that spread world-wide and no government organization was involved in fixing the problem. Seeing that the U.S Secret Service is strongly involved in cyber warfare, I wouldn't be suprised if the virus was their doing, it leaked to the web and they're doing this to prevent being caught red-handed again. That's a conspiracy theory though lol, 64000 computers really isn't much in the grand scheme of things and such actions are quite suspicious, but surely they have a good reason to do so.

FBI does more then "secret service" work. They have a number of divisions. Many none national_security computer crimes fall under their care. In the US cyber crimes are a federal offense. Thus the FBI job to police/investigate the matter.

 

[Rydian]

oh look...Internet.

and I didn't relinquish my PC privacy for their snooping surveillance system that they are pushing that they, oh, so want to "help" me with..

I AIN't GONNA BE PART OF YOUR SYYYSSTEEM...MAN! ┌∩┐(⌐■_■)

This... this is satire, right?

Right?

 

[Gahars]

oh look...Internet.

and I didn't relinquish my PC privacy for their snooping surveillance system that they are pushing that they, oh, so want to "help" me with..

I AIN't GONNA BE PART OF YOUR SYYYSSTEEM...MAN! ┌∩┐(⌐■_■)

This... this is satire, right?

Right?

Poe's Law in action.

 

[stanleyopar2000]

oh look...Internet.

and I didn't relinquish my PC privacy for their snooping surveillance system that they are pushing that they, oh, so want to "help" me with..

I AIN't GONNA BE PART OF YOUR SYYYSSTEEM...MAN! ┌∩┐(⌐■_■)

This... this is satire, right?

Right?

I quoted The Lonely Island...of course it is.