Destroying your hard drive is the only way to stop this super-advanced malware

pcworld.com ^ | Feb 17, 2015 5:40 AM | Jeremy Kirk

[lormand]

I’m guessing that degaussing and then reformatting will fix it.

[McGruff]

Before you disconnect yourself from the world check this map.

[KarlInOhio]

If the firmware is re-writable, you should be able to re-flash it.

Depending on whether the virus firmware allows the hard drive's firmware be further modified. It might prevent further changes unless you actually pull the hard disk out and reprogram it at the hardware level. I've worked on other hardware that had its bootloader programmed in the flash chip and sometimes when I put in a new bootloader which didn't work. I scapped the boards because I would have had to desolder the chip and program it off board to get it working again and it wasn't worth the time.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin.

[SunkenCiv]

Good idea, SpinRite would clean it up.

Of course, switching to a SSD would also probably eliminate the problem.

https://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

[ShadowAce]

[goldstategop]

Nope.

You have to replace the infected hard drive. The malware is embedded in the hard drive itself.

The sophistication level of this malware suggests a government is behind it - and they can monitor you without your knowledge.

[Yosemitest]

Mark Levin and FCC's Ajit Pai discuss FCC Internet Regulation Grab

Go sign the Petition:

Tell the FCC to stay away from the internet
by Glenn Monday, Feb 16, 2015 at 9:36 PM EST

This is critical! Your voice must be heard now in the loudest of voices.

The FCC is doing a power grab of the internet.

There are only a few days left to voice your opposition.

If you want a Department of the Internet and you think that will make independent voices stronger, stay silent.

Otherwise TELL CONGRESS AND THE FCC HANDS OFF THE INTERNET.

[KoRn]

Rather than have two physical computers just run one.

Have a Windows Desktop(if you prefer), and run a Linux(or Windows) Virtual Machine to go online with. If you need to download/save anything from your online session, use removable media, or network storage of some kind. When you’re done with it, just revert the VM to snapshot(a pristine copy of the VM). Since you saved any data to removable media/network, you won’t lose anything when you go back to the snapshot.

That’s a pretty solid setup. I doubt it would help anyone with the exploit written about on this thread though.

[Marie]

That’s actually a very good idea.

[PapaNew]

What should a low-tech-guy like me do?

At some point, does a Mac look like it’s worth paying for as a safer bet than a Windows PC?

[Still Thinking]

Sounds like Still Thinking’s Low Level Format With Extreme Prejudice: Open the drive, remove platters and shred (requires fairly heavy duty shredder).

[Still Thinking]

Linux live discs and flash media?

Shades of those old floppy-only PC's from the late 80s! ;)

[Still Thinking]

But that’s the beauty of 308; you can destroy disks that are 500 yards away!

[Terry L Smith]

How far back does this discovery lead? Might it lead back, to the time of the immaculation of this Queer-In-Charge in 2009?

[SgtHooper]

That’s not what “cleaning” means in the digital world! :-) /s

[SgtHooper]

Or for that matter, for those of us who can handle soldering irons, get a new chip and blow it with the latest code, provided of course the code is not already compromised.

[SgtHooper]

Not if the code is in the firmware.

[rktman]

Lpl! You csn.

[GeronL]

they should find out who made this stuff and shoot them