A Taxonomy of Computer Worms

Ashish Gupta

Network Security

April 2004

Worm vs a virus

1. Self propagates across the network

2. Exploits security or policy flaws in widely used services

3. Less mature defense today

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AttackerTarget Discovery

Carrier

Activation

Payload

OVERVIEW

Target Discovery

Target Discovery

• Scanningsequential, random

•Target Listspre-generated, external (game servers), internal

•Passive

Target Discovery

• Internal Target Lists– Discover the local communication topology– Similar to DV algorithm– Very fast ??

• Function of shortest paths

– Any example ?– Difficult to detect

• Suggests highly distributed sensors

Toolkit potential

• http://smf.chat.ru/e_dvl_news.htm

• http://viruszone.by.ru/create.html

• http://lcamtuf.coredump.cx/worm.txt Worm tutorial

Carrier

Carrier• Self-Carriedactive transmission

• Second Channele.g. RPC, TFTP ( blaster worm )

• Embeddede.g. web requests

Activation

Activation

•Human ActivationSocial Enginnering e.g. MyDoom SCO Killer !

•Human activity-based activatione.g. logging in, rebooting

•Scheduled process activatione.g. updates, backup etc.

•Self Activation e.g. Code Red

                                                   

MyDoom : Fastest Ever

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/01/28/mydoom.spreadwed/

Payload

Payload

• Internet Remote Control

• Internet DOS : paper’s dream realized

• Data Damage: Chernobyl , Klez

• Physical World Damage

• Human control Blackmail !

Attacker

Attacker

• Curiosity

• Pride and Power

• Commercial Advantage

• Extortion and criminal gain

• Terrorism Example

• Cyber Warfare

Theodore Kaczynski

• Born in Chicago• extremely gifted as a child• American terrorist who attempted to fight against what he

perceived as the evils of technological progress• eighteen-year-long campaign of sending mail bombs to

various people, killing three and wounding 29. • The first mail bomb was sent in late 1978 to Prof. Buckley

Crist at Northwestern University

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AttackerTarget Discovery

Carrier

Activation

Payload

CONCLUSION

???

• given the target discovery/propagation methods of worms, – how to detect it? – with only network traffic header data?  – at ISP?  at edge routers? at end hosts?