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Science Virus Found on ISS Computer
Michael Barkoviak - August 28, 2008 7:25 AM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 36 comment(s) - last by Zensphere.. on Aug 30 at 2:30 PM
Just a "nuisance" but still possible cause for alarm

At least two laptops aboard the International Space Station had a virus that was eventually eliminated using virus protection software and didn't pose a threat to the ISS, NASA confirmed yesterday.  The virus simply was a "nuisance" more than an overall threat to the station.

Due to internal regulations regarding computer security, NASA officials were unable to identify how the laptops were infected with a virus.  Because the ISS does not have a direct internet connection, the most likely way to infect a computer was through a USB stick that one of the astronauts may have brought aboard.  Astronauts are able to send and receive e-mail using the KU band data link that also helps transmit video and other data.

Online space news site SpaceRef.com uncovered the news on Monday, reporting the virus was the W32.Gammima.AG worm, which has been designed to steal login and password information from online gamers and send the information to a remote location.

The infected computer was not used for mission critical purposes, with NASA stating the laptops were used to store nutritional experiment data and for astronauts to compose e-mails.

It's not common for the computers and laptops aboard the ISS to get infected, but it has happened before in the past, though NASA did not mention when or how often similar occurrences may have happened.

The ISS has at least 30 PCs and a handful of laptops for use by astronauts to use in their experiments.

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lol
By vapore0n on 8/28/2008 8:07:44 AM , Rating: 5
I bet one of the astronauts brought porn with him

I would have ;)




RE: lol
By Moishe on 8/28/08, Rating: 0
RE: lol
By Loveless on 8/28/2008 9:19:43 AM , Rating: 5
Don't judge. It gets lonely up there. ;)


RE: lol
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/08, Rating: -1
RE: lol
By Loveless on 8/28/2008 12:49:51 PM , Rating: 2
Thanks for sharing that.

In half-seriousness, an astronaut who did that would get fired and probably charged for sexual assault. Furthermore, such an incident would probably reach national news, probably throwing a monkey-wrench into his life plans. Future astronauts, take a lesson and avoid this situation.

Why do I entertain discussions such as these???


RE: lol
By Cobra Commander on 8/28/2008 4:41:56 PM , Rating: 5
But if he came hard enough - would it cause him to float in the opposite direction his penis was facing at the time.

These are the things I need to know.


RE: lol
By Jedi2155 on 8/29/2008 12:37:01 AM , Rating: 2
They do have a velocity of around 35 MPH....


RE: lol
By Belard on 8/28/2008 8:54:31 PM , Rating: 2
You know... some of those guys are up there for months, up to a year.

And a normal sex drive male (and female) will either:
a) masturbate
b) have sex with another person
c) die from internal preassure.


RE: lol
By Samus on 8/28/2008 4:35:07 PM , Rating: 2
Astronauts watching porn goes hand in hand with truck drivers buying hookers. You're a long way from home on a lonely journey, eventually nature is ganna get the upper hand.


RE: lol
By IcePickFreak on 8/28/2008 9:29:17 AM , Rating: 5
Yeah no kidding, astronauts don't look at porn...

They wait to get back to Earth so they can wear diapers in a cross country stalking in an attempt to kidnap and murder someone over a fling they had with a fellow astronaut.


RE: lol
By Smilin on 8/28/2008 10:27:52 AM , Rating: 3
quote:

Yeah no kidding, astronauts don't look at porn...

They wait to get back to Earth so they can wear diapers in a cross country stalking in an attempt to kidnap and murder someone over a fling they had with a fellow astronaut.


No, that's a result of the psychological break that happens when they don't look at porn. Porn is good for mental health.


RE: lol
By FITCamaro on 8/28/08, Rating: -1
RE: lol
By Moishe on 8/28/2008 2:40:34 PM , Rating: 1
Not about the porn... It's about the responsible adult attitude that these guys have (compared to some random person like the poster above). They're the best people, up there doing a tough job. On their spare time they probably have better things to do than to pull one off in their sleeping bag.

I'm not saying they're not human, but most people aren't some horned up teenager who needs to carry porn on every trip they take, especially astronauts.


RE: lol
By maverick85wd on 8/28/2008 3:26:37 PM , Rating: 2
If you're not saying they aren't human, are you saying their intelligence has reached a level in which they can suppress their *itch*? I really, really doubt it. They go up there for quite a stretch... I'd imagine they MAKE time to pull one off in their sleeping bag at least every once in a while.

I would love to become an astronaut and am working things in that direction. If I do, rest assured... there will be porn in space.


RE: lol
By Moishe on 8/28/2008 2:43:13 PM , Rating: 2
Wow... one kook and all astronauts went from the best and the brightest to crazy porned up killers. Nice.

The human race isn't making people any more reasonable.


RE: lol
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 8/28/2008 11:40:42 AM , Rating: 2
"Online space news site SpaceRef.com uncovered the news on Monday, reporting the virus was the W32.Gammima.AG worm, which has been designed to steal login and password information from online gamers and send the information to a remote location."

I think this reveals more then you think. What are they doing up in the ISS? I believe the truth is, it's the astronauts get away from the family play house. Where they can play World of War Craft and similar games without being bothered. Really think about; diapers, instant food, drinks in a bags, and I'm sure they get very upset if someone changes the environment around them like by opening a window.

I'm not saying this is factual, just saying it's something to think about......


Unbelievable
By freeagle on 8/28/2008 9:56:52 AM , Rating: 2
Are they really using Windows OS for critical missions like this?




RE: Unbelievable
By niaaa on 8/28/2008 10:04:01 AM , Rating: 1
Some US cruisers used to be on NT 4.0 IIRC

Some day one of them got a BSOD....ship disabled :P


RE: Unbelievable
By The Boston Dangler on 8/28/2008 11:14:41 AM , Rating: 2
i don't believe you. a warship is not a desktop. and even if the entire ship was automated and run off of one computer, there's still something called "manual reversion".


RE: Unbelievable
By IcePickFreak on 8/28/2008 11:18:14 AM , Rating: 5
I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.


RE: Unbelievable
By nugundam93 on 8/28/2008 11:22:01 AM , Rating: 2
too bad i have no more ratings left. i would've given you a 6. :)


RE: Unbelievable
By The Boston Dangler on 8/28/2008 11:22:57 AM , Rating: 2
fine. i'll just go in through the airlock.


RE: Unbelievable
By JustTom on 8/28/2008 11:49:21 AM , Rating: 2
RE: Unbelievable
By The Boston Dangler on 8/28/2008 8:58:03 PM , Rating: 2
well, thx for linking that. i may not be hyman rickover, but i gotta say that's piss-poor work on the navy's part. surprisingly pathetic.


RE: Unbelievable
By JustTom on 8/29/2008 2:04:05 AM , Rating: 2
I would agree. I didn't believe it either, and went a looking. Imagine if it happened during a battle.


RE: Unbelievable
By JustTom on 8/28/2008 11:39:32 AM , Rating: 2
It was a laptop, not the stations computer. I doubt it had any mission critical implications.


RE: Unbelievable
By GotDiesel on 8/28/2008 12:43:45 PM , Rating: 2
OMG.. no, they would never use windows for anything critical..

most of the critical stuff is *nix or home grown


RE: Unbelievable
By StevoLincolnite on 8/28/2008 1:25:04 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
OMG.. no, they would never use windows for anything critical..


If they did, it would bring a whole new meaning to: "Blue Screen of Death". - Still Windows has come along way from the age old, wouldn't surprise me if a few systems used it.


RE: Unbelievable
By FITCamaro on 8/28/08, Rating: 0
RE: Unbelievable
By niva on 8/29/2008 2:28:05 AM , Rating: 3
Wrong, the laptops are actually IBM A31P model and are currently using windows XP (email, worldmap, the ones that were infected) or solaris(for commanding purposes and critical telemetry.) The Russian computers are also the same hardware running a modified version of solaris.


Lame joke but...
By aegisofrime on 8/28/2008 8:05:56 AM , Rating: 5
I'm pretty sure that virus is used to disable the shields on the mothership.




RE: Lame joke but...
By Coca Cola on 8/28/2008 2:25:47 PM , Rating: 2
lol, Jeff Goldblum is at it again


Lag
By Cullinaire on 8/28/2008 8:46:00 AM , Rating: 2
Given the amazingly bad ping you'd likely to have playing from space, I'm not surprised the astronaut resorted to lowlife cheats. He fully deserves the virus that came with the latest version of lulzbot(fake).




RE: Lag
By murphyslabrat on 8/28/2008 10:56:56 AM , Rating: 2
Actually, the lag would be more from 10+ year old equipment. Satellite internet relays data off of--go figure--satellites in space. The ISS would then have half the latency, as it is already in space.


RE: Lag
By jimpaka on 8/28/2008 11:59:18 AM , Rating: 2
Just for the sake of argument... the reason a typical satellite internet relay has such high latency is because the satellites involved are in geostationary orbits at an altitude of about 35,000 km. The ISS however, orbits at an altitude of about 340 km. Since the communications satellites which the ISS bounces its data off are likewise in geostationary orbits (see NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System), it is incorrect to assume that the ISS would only be subject to half the latency of a user on the ground. Space is a big place.


Which Country did it
By Zensphere on 8/30/2008 2:30:46 PM , Rating: 2
Seriously
I wonder if it was the Russians!... Do you notice how it is never mentioned? I’ll bet there’s lab tests going on that don’t get shared and Gladimqueer Putin wants access to all that data.




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