Developing a virus for the iSeries was ->RE: How Secure is Windows, Really?

I have a question that is begging to be asked...  

Why don't we try to write a iSeries "virus" and see where we get?  

If we were to develop a virus we need to have an idea of what to exploit and
we need to have a control for the experiment.  I think a good basis for
control and system configuration should be how the iSeries ships from IBM.
As soon as I plug it in what are my virus vulnerabilities?  Security is at
40 by default.  FTP anonymous is disabled (I just tried :-).  I think a
great way to introduce a virus would be to somehow snoop your way in through
a client side program (WDSC, Client Access, iSeries Navigator, etc)

[thinking]

I think I now have a great idea for a virus.  Back in the day when I was in
college and $.50 seemed like a lot of money I would sign up for these
programs that would pay you to surf the internet and all that was required
was for your mouse to move and keyboard to type every once in awhile.  Well
wouldn't you know it somebody developed a program to auto move the mouse and
auto type on the keyboard while I was at school in class :-)  While I never
made a cent doing that it brings to mind what one could do if presented with
the opportunity to place a "screen/mouse/keyboard" controlling program on
your PC.

What would happen if a program like this was installed on your PC
(unknowingly) and it was specifically looking for the tn5250j software, and
once the emulator was up and running, and was at a command line, and the
screen was motionless for a couple minutes (i.e. you are out to lunch),
couldn't a macro be initiated that would install a small tool that would go
out to the internet, download some RPG code, compile it under your profile,
and that code would go searching for other iSeries machines connected to
your machine and see what additional havoc it could cause.  

There are probably holes galore in that theory, but I can see how some black
hat hackers could get creative with their knowledge of Windows viruses and
the System i5 handbook.

Next COMMON there will be a session titled "Community Virus Writing for the
i" :-)

<evil grin part II>

Time for bed,
Aaron Bartell





-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Gibbs
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 7:05 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: How Secure is Windows, Really?

Scott Klement wrote:

Fortunately, there's a much higher level of ethics in the i5/OS community.

Two responses come to mind ...

1. You assume.
2. For now.

<evil grin>