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Back Orifice 2000 Coming Soon
Stutabakah
OSAll Freelance
It was only recently that the Cult of the Dead Cow released their revolutionary remote administration tool Back Orifice at Def Con. BO, as itīs known, was wildly popular for a while, sporting more than three hundred thousand downloads. The popularity began to decline as it became less of a novelty, however.
The cDc is back at it, though. They plan to release Back Orifice 2000, or bo2k, at this yearīs Def Con. Microsoft is sharply criticizing the release, however. One Microsoft spokesperson said "this is ludicrous, irresponsible and juvenile. Programs like this are why computing isnīt secure."
The cDc, however, feels exactly the opposite sentiment. According to them, Back Orifice shows the vulnerabilities in Microsoft products, forcing them to be fixed. Microsoft does, in fact, have a track record of not fixing security problems until theyīre publicly released. This version of Back Orifice will also be public source, allowing everyone to take a look at just how it works.
Whatīs the purpose?
The cDc has long claimed that Back Orifice is a "remote administration tool" and is not meant for illegal activity. Microsoft and some security experts, however, say otherwise. "Back Orifice is meant for system intrusion, plain and simple," said a Microsoft spokesperson.
Some, however, say that itīs the perfect remote administration tool -- it doesnīt get in the way, it always works, and it gives almost total control of the system securely -- for free. In fact, many people have used it for just that purpose, even though the most high profile use is illegal.
What will this version feature?
Chief among complaints about the original BO was the fact that it didnīt work on Windows NT. After all, if you wanted to use it to deface a Web site, you werenīt going to succeed on a Windows 9x box. BO2k will, however, feature support for Windows NT.
Itīs also assumed that this version will be more difficult to detect than the original, which could easily be removed by a little browsing in the Windows Registry.
This version is also supposed to have many beefed up features, including FTP and HTTP access, an improved GUI and command line interface, and a client version for other operating systems.
Most importantly for many, this version will include an encryption system to make communciation between server and host unreadable. This makes it the first truly secure remote administration tool for Windows machines.
Will I become infected?
When the original Back Orifice was released, there was a spat of infections across the world. Thousands and thousands found themselves infected with Back Orifice. The same is expected to happen with the release of BO2k.
Keeping yourself from becoming infected, however, isnīt that difficult. Donīt run any programs you donīt trust -- including e-mail attachments.
Only Release Will Tell
All in all, weīll have to wait until Saturday for the final unveiling of BO2k. Rest assured, though, itīll be a fantastic tool. |
