Hmmm: U.S. drone fleet hit by virus
The virus, first detected nearly two weeks ago by the military’s Host-Based Security System, has not prevented pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada from flying their missions overseas. Nor have there been any confirmed incidents of classified information being lost or sent to an outside source. But the virus has resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech’s computers, network security specialists say. And the infection underscores the ongoing security risks in what has become the U.S. military’s most important weapons system.
“We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back,” says a source familiar with the network infection, one of three that told Danger Room about the virus. “We think it’s benign. But we just don’t know.”









Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Maybe not using Chinese-made chipsets would solve the problem.
Bishop on October 7, 2011 at 3:55 PM
Better not be a U.S. citizen who did it.
Christien on October 7, 2011 at 3:56 PM
Dear random hacker:
You probably don’t realize it, but that mass of keylogger data you’re currently scanning for World of Warcraft and online banking passwords may contain something vastly more valuable to the right people. So, look more closely!
You’re welcome!
Sincerely,
Wired
Fabozz on October 7, 2011 at 3:56 PM
Someone is NOT happy with bho giving the orders to kill using these drones? It would not surprise me one bit if bho is doing this so he rop type aren’t mad at him any longer? I know, I am not a fan of bho and detest the daylights out of him.
L
letget on October 7, 2011 at 3:56 PM
Would you like fried rice with that…?
Seven Percent Solution on October 7, 2011 at 3:58 PM
Occupy Drones
faraway on October 7, 2011 at 3:58 PM
“Maybe not using Chinese-made chipsets would solve the problem.”
THIS ^
That virus is probably burned into the hardware they are using. Buying chips made in China for military hardware is STUPID. But we keep doing it.
crosspatch on October 7, 2011 at 3:59 PM
Skynet…
mad saint jack on October 7, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Quit surfing for porn while you’re supposed to be targeting terrorists.
Mark1971 on October 7, 2011 at 4:01 PM
Downskirt?
faraway on October 7, 2011 at 4:03 PM
Famous last line…
So this could be a “dry run”? They don’t know?
Famous last lines:
Go ahead, grab her @ss she looks drunk
Is a coral snake red then black or the other way, doesn’t matter it looks harmless to me…
No, never been a shark in these waters…
Defusing these bombs are easy, the green wire is always the ground, so it is always safe to cut it…
My parents never come home early…
That stock is sure to double or triple…
…That horse can’t lose…
Gun it, no one ever comes down this street…
Cops don’t even know about this place…
right2bright on October 7, 2011 at 4:09 PM
Was Awlaki killed by a virus?
karl9000 on October 7, 2011 at 4:15 PM
I thought that has always been the infantryman. Times have changed.
Christien on October 7, 2011 at 4:17 PM
i dunnon but UBL died of acute lead poisoning….
jus sayin
ted c on October 7, 2011 at 4:22 PM
At first I thought the headline was referring to the OWS crowd, and STDs.
Ward Cleaver on October 7, 2011 at 4:37 PM
“Damned virus! It made us send one of the drones to Beijing, where it blew up a high-ranking regime official.”
teke184 on October 7, 2011 at 4:48 PM
Not good. If they can’t fix this kind of problem I guess that we will always have to have pilots flying some missions.
SC.Charlie on October 7, 2011 at 5:03 PM
BREAKING NEWS – A drone has been taken over by a virus and is currently following Obama’s campaign bus. News at six.
SC.Charlie on October 7, 2011 at 5:05 PM
Perp….citizen soldier with an axe to grind for latrine duty. Bank it.
Limerick on October 7, 2011 at 5:08 PM
They are not a virus, they are self aware proprieties and codes.
Ghost in the Machine
Skynet
tjexcite on October 7, 2011 at 5:10 PM
What could go wrong?
nottakingsides on October 7, 2011 at 5:23 PM