₦airaland Forum

The computers in three luxury hotels that hosted high-stakes negotiations on Iran's nuclear program were infected with an improved version of one of the world's most powerful computer viruses, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The discovery of the Duqu virus — a collection of malware used primarily for sensitive intelligence-collection operations — by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab ZAO provides the first solid evidence that Israel had in fact been spying on the talks, a suspicion that was first reported in March 2015.

Kaspersky has not officially named Israel as the source of the attack. But the uncovered virus "was so complex and borrowed so heavily from Duqu that it 'could not have been created by anyone without access to the original Duqu source code," according to the Journal and Kaspersky's report.

Duqu — and malware linked to it — has been used by Israel to spy on Iran in the past, copying blueprints of Iran’s nuclear program. The malware has a variety of functions to suck up information.

"Since Duqu uses root capabilities and exploits vulnerabilities that allows for an elevation of privileges, Duqu can be used to install other code that can keystroke log, record conversations, record video, extract files, track any activity that occurs on the infected Windows PC or laptop," Jeff Bardin, chief intelligence officer of Treadstone 71, told Business Insider. "This includes the capturing of user ids, passwords, and sensitive files."

Bardian added: "Once the code is installed, most anti-virus software cannot detect or remove this malware. Duqu allows for the complete takeover of the target Windows devices."

In 2012, Kasperskpy told The New York Times that that it believed that Duqu was created by the same state-sponsored program as the Stuxnet and Flame viruses, which also targeted Iran's nuclear program.

Stuxnet, a joint US-Israel project, is known for reportedly destroying roughly a fifth of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges by causing them to spin out of control. Flame is a massive program that leaves a back door (i.e., Trojan) on computers through which it sucks information from networks by actions Bardin described as functions of Duqu.

Chris Weber, cofounder of Casaba Security, told Business Insider that the improved version of Duqu, dubbed Duqu 2.0, "is extremely advanced malware platform with delivery mechanisms on par with Stuxnet."

"Once infected, the Duqu platform offers its operators ability to install either a simple, memory-resident backdoor or a more persistent and fully featured command and control package," Weber explained. "After that the platform allows for leverage into other parts of the network."

Weber called Duqu 2.0 "bad-ass" and said the malware "is the tool of choice for nation-state spying."

After intercepting communications between Israeli officials, the White House suspected that Israel had been spying on the negotiations to gather sensitive information that it could then reveal to Congress in hopes of sinking the deal.

The administration did not elaborate on the tactics used, however, saying only that Israeli officials couldn't have possibly known certain details surrounding the talks without actually being in the room.

Kaspersky researchers were alerted to Duqu's resurgence after detecting the virus in their own system earlier this year — it had been there, Kaspersky believes, for at least six months.

The FBI is investigating Kaspersky's claims, according to The Journal. The firm has declined to name the three European hotels that were targeted.

Nuclear talks were held at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Intercontinental in Geneva, the Palais Coburg in Vienna, the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva, the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich and Royal Plaza Montreux in Montreux, Switzerland.


https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/complete-takeover-israel-unleashed-one-155200503.html

JohnnySins:
Like play like play, osinbajo will become another sambo. Just useless.

Sambo's own wasn't up to this extend, at least GEJ still allow sambo to partake in meeting like this.

What i can't wrap my head over is, Buhari locking out the VP on such important matter. This is what happens when Godfather ism, is allow in politics. I' m sensing Buhari wasn't comfortable with Osibanjo nomination, but he accepted it with grudges, so he will not be labelled as intolerant.

See how Buhari is treating him like a " mere commissioner".

APC are now cry babies, why can't guys just accept defeat and allow Buhari deliver on his promises to the electorates.

Pathetic loosers!

Ilekeh:
Nigeria's opposition party really sucks.

Sounds like a badly written article by ikengawo and Mogidi

Hahahahaha

They have not even started yet and here you 're whining. But can you really blame them? I think not, they are just paying back in equal measure what you gave then when GEJ was there.

As they say " what goes around, comes around"

It's pay back time get ready to rumble.

jejemanito:
When he made the predictions some supporters of APC were like

Don't mind them, they will all swallow their words.

Mogidi:
Barcanista predicted all these events to a "T" he even dotted the "i".

Kudos to Niaraland's foremost political pundit, a genius at political calculations.

More like it bro, i changed the topic based your post.

Barcanista you are genius in the making, i give it to you.

Need i say more?

Truckpusher, Francizy, barcanista, CHM11 ,temi temi, phockphockman, tit, fire fire, mogidi ,severussnape ,Aryzgreat,chukwudi44



I need 100 likes for Barcanista.

Observing...

BukolaZ:
SHOCKER!!!! Lulu Briggs emerges Speaker House of Representatives

This must be a joke, right?

eagleeye2:
But you see no qualms in a TINUBU stooge heading the NASS.
If Tinubu had allowed the Senators to choose their leaders, there would never have been this much controversy in The APC.
He already handpicked the VP, so we should all close our eyes while he handpicks the SP and Speaker?

Don't mind Tinubu, he is acting as if the country belongs to him, he has not seen anything yet.

MalcoImX:
Saraki is too ambitious. And I bet such person cannot have a smooth ride.

That's a story for another day

Lol

Interesting times ahead.

Failed politics of ethnic numbers; it has suddenly become primitive and unworkable in modern Nigeria.

its pay back for APC. with the help of APC senators in 2011, Tambuwal emerged Speaker inspite the strong opposition from his then party, PDP

It will be a travesty of justice if they give any Hero's award to Bruce Jenner. AKa. Caitlyn.

When the real Hero's are out there, are they looking for a real American Hero?

Here they are >>>

Just because you wear a corset, high heels and a damn wig does not make you a woman. Just because you wish to be, wanna be, hope to be, think you have always been, does not make you a woman. A woman, like a man, is respected, admired and loved because of who they are and what they do for their family. He created children Bruce, by having sex like a man. He lied to his wives, who now say they didn't know, especially Chris for the longest time. He is a charlatan for sure, a man, no, a real man doesn't use women like he did. And he hardly, hardly a real woman.

Failed politics of ethnic numbers; it has suddenly become primitive and unworkable in modern Nigeria. Pandering to it is simply signing up to the the macabre game that involves how best to run into a wall face-first. The face will lose the battle no matter how many times the game is repeated.

ElDaIllest:
But why now?

Well...it is written "He came unto his own and his own knew him not"...

Do you understand English? I think not.

The guy is daft beyond believe, little wonder people accuse Ghanaians to be white mans àss kissers. They are ever willing to bend over and take it from behind, in as much as a white man is involve.

Not all of them tho, b'cuz one of my best friends is a Ghanaian and he is a Gee to the core

Just hoping the U.S wouldn't have any reason not to sell us arms again, since their puppet is now holding sway.

We are watching them in 3D.

haha I have said it before and am saying it again. NO POLITICAL PARTY or one individual can bring change to this country. The politicians make up the political party. If you have corrupt politicians changing political party that does not change their heart. Corruption is a heart issue. Changing political party does not fix. #wakeupnigerians.

Na today?

Not only the Nigeria justice system, all the spheres of Govt are irredeemably corrupt. You wouldn't even be wrong if you call Nigeria a failed state.

The last pic he was with the Ethiopian prime minister Haile Mariam Desalegne.

bellong:
What legal implication?

Nothing apart from swearing affidavit of change of name for the attention of necessary authorities .

More like it.

Demdem:
He still looks daft.

You never fail to come across as both remarkably mentally challenged and unable to contribute a farthing to any topic.
How does it feel to be as stup!d as you?