Did It Really Take Over A Year For Security Companies To Realize That Iranian Prez's Blog Installs Trojans?

from the seems-a-bit-slow dept

Thu, Jan 3rd 2008 12:33am — Mike Masnick

Someone who apparently prefers to remain anonymous submitted to us the news that Israeli security companies are warning people to stay away from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's blog, as it installs some spyware. What struck me as odd about that story was that this is not news at all. In fact, it was widely reported in the weeks following the launch of Ahmadinejad's blog. The blog watches to see if your IP address is from Israel and then tries to install the spyware (if you're using Windows). So, why is it suddenly being reported in Israel that this is happening, when it was well known about a year and a half ago? Isn't that a little late to try to get the warning out?

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Filed Under: iran, israel, mahmoud ahmadinejad, security, trojans

20 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 3 Jan 2008 @ 1:06am

Why is it suddenly being reported that its suddenly being reported on?

If it's old news then who cares?
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Axel, 3 Jan 2008 @ 2:15am

The people who didn't pay attention the first time care. Or maybe they are not paying attention this time.

However, the people who say it's their job to care, anti-virus security companies, ought to care. Otherwise, it's just a show (but we knew that already).
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Cixelsid, 3 Jan 2008 @ 4:24am

Re:
Why comment then?
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old news is good news, 3 Jan 2008 @ 5:05am

slow news day
State sponsored terr ... I mean spywareism?
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Killer_Tofu (profile), 3 Jan 2008 @ 5:23am

The News
Just the fact that it was considered newsworthy almost makes it newsworthy again.
With the rate people seem to forget about tech news like this, it is probably good to bring it to people's attention again.
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chris mcelroy, 3 Jan 2008 @ 5:31am

Just for me
This post was written just for me since by some of the comments I am the only one on the planet that did not know this.

Now I know not to go to the irnaian president's blog. I learned two things. I also learned he had a blog.

So someday I could have just been stumbling along and landed on his blog and then where would I be?

This post has saved my life. Really!
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Koresho, 3 Jan 2008 @ 5:45am

Just becuase...
Just because some of you/most of you already read about the blog doesn't mean that others don't enjoy reading about new stuff. I for one didn't know about the Iranian president's blog and I find it interesting that he would install spyware on israeli(sp?) computers. Just because the news here may not be immediately obvious in your life doesn't mean that you have to go and slam it.
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Wolf, 3 Jan 2008 @ 6:31am

I trust the isrealis as much as I trust the iranians... which is about as far as I can spit.
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Thom, 3 Jan 2008 @ 6:41am

Ya See,
What I'd do if I were in Israeli intelligence is deliberately infect several computers. Then, once I knew what information was transmitted, I'd feed the Iranians false intelligence and set them up to take a few major falls. Bingo, Bango, Bongo!

In the meantime of course I'd be very sure to prevent that trojan from getting on any vital computers and I'd go out of my way to prevent the Iranians from thinking we might be on to them - even silencing the media and security companies on the issue. Once we'd achieved our goal, or felt Iran no longer trusted the information we were feeding them, I'd let the press and security companies sound the alarm to protect the general populace.
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Lawk Salih, 3 Jan 2008 @ 6:52am

Didn't know!
I didn't know of this news since I have no need to visit "his" blog. The guy has a brain of an ant so why would you visit his blog?

Cheers.
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a nuke, 3 Jan 2008 @ 7:53am

Some one should install
under this guys bed and welcome a better world after it goes off.
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Hellfang, 3 Jan 2008 @ 8:37am

Re: Just for me
That's hilarious. If your IP is from Israel it installs spyware .. lool
what would Iran do with information about Israeli citizens shopping preferences and their most played mp3s?
I mean, its not that easy to infect a Mossad agent's computer, is it? Ahmadinejad is too funny.
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Kevin, 3 Jan 2008 @ 8:58am

Re: The News
Just the fact that it was considered newsworthy almost makes it newsworthy again.

Whoa! You are so meta, and you don't even know it!
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Jones, 3 Jan 2008 @ 8:59am

Re: Ya See,
And the spooky part about your comments is, that's more than likely what they did and why we are all just hearing about it now that the disinformation campaign is complete.
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Miler, 3 Jan 2008 @ 9:01am

Follow the money
That's exactly why Iran wants spyware on Israeli computers. Didn't you know that Jews have all the money, they've pilfered billions from the Muslim nations and hidden it away. What better way to get it back than to get yourself a backdoor into Jewish computers and capture some of those top-secret, well guarded, account numbers and passwords. It's genius I tell ya, genius!
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Jan 2008 @ 11:10am

Re: Some one should install
Ahmadinejad isn't very bright, his period in office is almost over, and he's full of hot air, so I'm not worried about him. I'm more worried about who the Americans will put in office next. There's a lot of BAs (Business Assholes, to quote George Carlin) and unsavory characters I wouldn't trust with a butter knife let alone the entire world's fate, that are competing for that title: Guiliani, Romney, and Clinton are prime examples.
But there are a few that generate some optimism in my book, Gravel, Kucinich, and Obama provide us with some hope for the world's future! I'll keep my fingers crossed.
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crackingboy, 3 Jan 2008 @ 11:51am

You guys are idiots! Do you really think such a hoax has a base? No wonder why the guy wanted to stay anonymous!!! Ahmadinejad is a stupid character, but how the hell a political system wants to do something so childish?

The only thing this blog does is too look at the IP and show a a relevant language. With all Anti-spyware and Anti-viruses and secure browsers, even a kid would be able to discover if a site is trying to mess with your system, no need of Israeli security analyzers!!
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Dean, 3 Jan 2008 @ 4:50pm

Re: Re: Some one should install
Are you aware that the world is not the same thing as America?

Less than 5% of the worlds population lives in the USA.

The rest of us really probably couldnt care less who Americans elect as their next head of state, if we cared last time around we'd have told you.
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John, 4 Jan 2008 @ 3:22am

Re: Re: Re: Some one should install
I would tend to agree with you Dean, if it wasn't for the fact that the next moron America elects will probably lead them into the next war and that war could very well be declared on *your* country.
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SailorRipley, 8 Jan 2008 @ 10:56am

Re: Re: Re: Some one should install
Are you aware that although less than 5% of the worlds population lives in the USA, its head of state (its government, its big business,...take your pick) dictates a whole lot more than 5% of what goes on in the rest of the world...

so maybe the rest of us should care and take an interest, especially since you mention "last time around", I think nobody can deny what a great "leader" Jr. has been
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