RE: Windows Dcom Worm planned DDoS

["Andrew Thomas" <andrew () generator co za>]

> From: Nick FitzGerald
> Sent: 12 August 2003 01:48
> Subject: Re: [Full-disclosure] Windows Dcom Worm planned DDoS
>
>
> "Andrew Thomas" <andrewt () nmh co za> wrote:
>
> > The examinations of the code so far indicate that the worm is
> > coded to DoS the windowsupdate site from the 15th of August 
> > onwards through the end of the year.
>
> I'll ignore the sloppiness in that description, as several of the 
> published descriptions have (or at least initially got) it confused 
> through slightly wrong too...

The examinations of the code *that I have read so far* indicate 
that...?

> And, of course, if MS started messing with the DNS entries for 
> windowsupdate.com, it would be cutting an awful lot of users off from

> much needed updates. which could be as disturbing as the rest of the 
> worm's effects...

Still leaving large organisations and smaller ISP's free to make
the decision themselves on whether the loss of Windows update
is more or less important than the prevention of the additional
spurious traffic.

In countries/situations where bandwidth is paid for by traffic 
transferred, and is often quite expensive, I suspect that more 
decisions will be made to eliminate access to WindowsUpdate, 
at least for a period of time, rather than paying for excess
traffic generated. 

It's more than a matter of degraded service.

--
Andrew G. Thomas
Hobbs & Associates Chartered Accountants (SA)
(o) +27-(0)21-683-0500
(f) +27-(0)21-683-0577
(m) +27-(0)83-318-4070 

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