funsec mailing list archives
Re: Spam King arrested
From: Nick FitzGerald <nick () virus-l demon co uk>
Date: Sat, 02 Jun 2007 10:08:37 +1200
Åke Nordin to Steve Manzuik to ferg (if memory serves):
Anybody know if the malware Soloway used to build his spambot networks is subject to fairly easy takeover by somebody else?Not sure but if a copy of the malware is available it wouldn't be too hard for one to take a peek and figure out how to gain control of the botnet.The least of the problems involved with that scenario are probably the technological ones. I assume one puts h{im|er}self in a rather delicate legal position in most western countries if one would hijack such a botnet (and thus implicitly the systems under it's control), since there would be a rather high probability that a few of the affected systems were owned and/or operated by legal bodies in the same jurisdiction. I reckon only LEAs operating under unusually permissive legal restrictions would have any chance to get away with it.
Or other spammers, etc. I'd be very surprised if that was not the concern behind ferg's original question. It's all well-and-good, as much of the mainstream media has, to herald this arrest, and it's understandable that those NOT well-versed in the workings of modern spam and other Email-based shenanigans might further herald such an arrest as "likely to result in a reduction in spam", as most of the mainstream media has, but folk like ferg know all too well that simply taking out one of those big operators will have pretty much exactly no effect on the problem, as the slime "advertising" through spam will simply move to other spammers, and the spammers (or at least, their botherders) may engage in a turf war trying to wrest control of the eliminated operator's botnets. Regards, Nick FitzGerald _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.
Current thread:
- Spam King arrested Brian Loe (May 31)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Spam King arrested Fergie (May 31)
- Re: Spam King arrested Valdis . Kletnieks (May 31)
- RE: Spam King arrested Steve Manzuik (Jun 01)
- Re: Spam King arrested Åke Nordin (Jun 01)
- Re: Spam King arrested Valdis . Kletnieks (Jun 01)
- Re: Spam King arrested Åke Nordin (Jun 01)
- Re: Spam King arrested Nick FitzGerald (Jun 01)
- Re: Spam King arrested Valdis . Kletnieks (May 31)
- Re: Spam King arrested Blue Boar (Jun 01)
- Re: Spam King arrested Dude VanWinkle (Jun 02)