Viruses... In... Spaaaaaaaaace

from the for-you-muppet-fans dept

Wed, Aug 27th 2008 5:48pm — Mike Masnick

NASA is admitting that laptop brought to the international space station in July apparently contained a virus designed to swipe user passwords, though they're not sure how it happened. The computers don't control anything mission critical, but are used by astronauts to send email and to track their nutritional programs. The computers were never connected to the internet, so NASA is guessing that an astronaut had an infected USB key or something that resulted in the virus getting onto the computer.

Filed Under: nasa, space, viruses

28 Comments

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Jake, 27 Aug 2008 @ 6:17pm

You'd kind of think that someone who spends a lot of time almost entirely dependent on computers for their survival would be a bit more careful about malware.
Mind you, doesn't the Shuttle still largely depend on embedded DOS?
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lee, 27 Aug 2008 @ 6:21pm

Virus's in space
NASA: When will you ever learn? Everybody get a MAC!
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- Sheesh, 27 Aug 2008 @ 7:22pm
  
  Re: Virus's in space
  NASA already tried MAC back in the day. After the Challenger they moved to PC... lord, I apologize...
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- tcamp17, 27 Aug 2008 @ 9:08pm
  
  Re: Virus's in space
  Why? Mac is easier to hack than Windoze!!
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- Ray, 28 Aug 2008 @ 1:41am
  
  Re: Virus's in space
  Mac isn't the best OS to get. Windows offers compatibility with the majority of computer programs, although if you are looking for flexibility, not in Windows, go for Linux.
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- huh?, 28 Aug 2008 @ 5:36am
  
  Re: Virus's in space
  hows that going to help? PCs dont just get viruses, stupid people using PCs get viruses. All macs do is help protect the uneducated. The puter is not the problem! You sound like a MAC user, so I would not expect you to know this. You probably shouldn't use a pc
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Brandon, 27 Aug 2008 @ 6:22pm

Not any user password
The virus was meant for getting game usernames and passwords (like WoW and Steam and such). Not really a security threat.
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- Kevin, 27 Aug 2008 @ 6:34pm
  
  Re: Not any user password
  Just find out who the Gamer is and you have the person responsible. hahaha
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  - Anonymous Coward, 27 Aug 2008 @ 9:05pm
    
    Re: Re: Not any user password
    gamer...? My guess... even astronauts need porn.
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Ian, 27 Aug 2008 @ 6:37pm

E-mail with no internet?
"...used by astronauts to send email..."
"The computers were never connected to the internet..."

Sign me up.
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- hegemon13, 27 Aug 2008 @ 7:58pm
  
  Re: E-mail with no internet?
  I would assume this means a sort of closed-circuit email.
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- Dan, 28 Aug 2008 @ 7:27am
  
  Re: E-mail with no internet?
  Nasa can do that and still had 2 vehicles blow up? Move some of those IT guys over to the mechanical engineering department.
  
  LOL!
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Marilynn, 27 Aug 2008 @ 6:39pm

Re: Not any user password
Well at least it's not so bad since it's for games or some Gamer is now playing one realistic game of space shuttle.

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Chunky Vomit, 27 Aug 2008 @ 7:11pm

Hopefully we don't have astronauts paying their bills from space. :)
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Michael Foord, 28 Aug 2008 @ 12:52am

Uhm....
How can they be used to send email *and* never connected to the internet?
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- Damien Sturdy, 28 Aug 2008 @ 1:00am
  
  Re: Uhm....
  Ever heard of an Intranet?
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Charming Charlie, 28 Aug 2008 @ 1:33am

They pee into a device which creates suction around their genitals. That they still need internet porn makes me question whether we really have our best and brightest in space.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Aug 2008 @ 6:04am

Indepenence Day
No, you've got it all wrong.
They took it out there so that they could infect the mother ship inoder to take down its shield.
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Omali, 28 Aug 2008 @ 6:17am

Ok, who's the gamer?
I can just picture this guy updating his blog:

"When I find out who hacked my WOW account, you can say goodbye family, hello Guantanamo Bay"
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Dan, 28 Aug 2008 @ 7:45am

We all noticed Mike's Pig's in Space reference. I bet his favorite character was either the Swedish Chief, or Beaker.
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GeneralEmergency (profile), 28 Aug 2008 @ 10:56am

In Space...
...nobody can hear you... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot... reboot
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another mike, 28 Aug 2008 @ 1:30pm

could be worse
The computer could be homicidal, not just infected.

"Open the pod bay doors HAL."
"I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that."
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J, 28 Aug 2008 @ 3:59pm

Isn't there a Joke somewhere here????
Isn't there a Joke somewhere here????

Even a Rocket Scientist cannot figure out to manage Antivirus software.

Poor guy is probably having his house raided while he is floating around outerspace. As they check his home computer
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Dallin, 31 Aug 2008 @ 10:31am

Macs are for the weak.
lol... the day everyone runs on a MAC is the day the whole world is too stupid to run a PC.

MACs are for those who cant operate a PC, because they arnt educated enough, and it is too complex for them. Macs DO get viruses. The only reason they are so rare is because nobody cares to make them for a machine that the common use dosnt even know how to check their own bank account online.

People who buy Macs, only buy it for 2 reasons:
1) They are to stupid to run a PC
2) The logo

Plus... NASA dosnt run Windows (are you fucking crazy? How would you like to get a BSOD out in the middle of space?), they run either their own form of a Unix based OS, or a pre-programmed disro of Linux.
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Tanzanite, 14 Oct 2008 @ 8:59am

Virus in Space or UK?
Sounds like they should hook up with the British government - they have managed to lose countless records and passwords to hackers this year! tanzanite
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Tanzanite, 14 Oct 2008 @ 9:00am

Virus in Space or UK?
Sounds like they should hook up with the British government - they have managed to lose countless records and passwords to hackers this year! tanzanite
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