[Roccus]

Is SETI at risk of downloading a malicious virus from outer space?

Quarantine it in an Airstream.

[Psycho_Bunny]

“about the possibility of inadvertently receiving or downloading a virus, he stressed that the possibility is extraordinarily low, but not impossible.”

It’s actually far more likely that I’d be able to flap my arms and fly to the moon, naked.

[KarlInOhio]

they might be able to send a sequence of signals that would cause a memory buffer to overflow and perhaps allow arbitrary code execution.

buffer overflows come from poor assumptions about the data. For example allocating 256 bytes of memory but trying to load a text string into it until you hit a null character, even if that is more than 256. Since we don't expect any data format from the aliens (or the random noise of space), we don't make faulty assumptions of what that format will be.

[Noumenon]

The ones you’ve got to watch out for are the Arcturian advance fee schemes...

[Mikey_1962]

I can’t get some of my Mac applications to work on my PC. I doubt that aliens would have universal viral applications.

[GregoTX]

Is SETI at risk of downloading a malicious virus from outer space?

No... but in 2009 a malicious swine flu virus was spread by some illegal aliens.

[Truth29]

When things go wrong:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virus_(1999_film)

[omega4179]

A civilization of machines would not be constained by Sagan’s hypothesis. They could infect our machines to destroy us, in effect turning earth technology into Decepticons.

[Old Sarge]

The invaders of “Independence Day” were destroyed by a Mac virus.

Which I why I use Windows....

[Getready]

how about this scenario?

A small group of computer intelligentsia get together, and device
a set of signals (which are a “ code “ of sorts) that are
beamed down to known SETI detectors, through a privately
launched satellite

These signals are non sensical, non codelike (computerwise) in simple
analysis, but are some type of code nevertheless.But when all of
these signals are fed into the SETI computers,
this non codelike information is built to find other data segments which have
been beamed down and fed into the SETI computer main
information bank. The code segments assimilate and
self assemble into a computer virus of sorts. From the
SETI banks this information is shared on millions of
computers, silently siphoning off information, and
turning the private computers into computer “zombies” which
send out malicious and information sucking code to other
connected networks. Pretty soon, you can knock out the whole
systems. They may even be able to tap into military/government
data banks....and disable the system when a emergency
situtation develops....

Bring back pigeons and pencils and paper.

[Ronin]

Oh crap! We’re doomed! Some idiot is going to broadcast Windows Vista into space and the aliens are gonna come and nuke us.

[Cementjungle]

especially if the incoming signal contains something malicious, like a computer virus or Trojan horse

Well, I guess that would provide the answer they're searching for.

[dead]

On my “things I’m worried about” list, this possibility ranks just below the lack of trans-gendered bathrooms in Portland Oregon.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Not one Apple computer has ever been infected with a computer virus written by aliens.

[jimmygrace]

Perhaps we’ll download the secret formula for making Natasha Henstridge!

[adorno]

If humanity is gullible enough to accept the likes of Obama and Stalin and Lenin and Hitler and Ahmadinejad and Castro and Mao and Chavez, as leaders, then, we are gullible enough to accept viruses from alien civilizations that could destroy us. More proof of that, is the fact that, billions of people are willing to accept the lies of the global warming hoaxers, and would vote to re-elect Obama.

Plus, there will always be those who will feel the need to "explore" the alien signals, even as they knew that, there is a danger involved in doing so.

[freedomlover]

This alien has asked to look at my hard drive. I will get back to you . . .

[ari-freedom]

First find simple bacteria on Mars and then we can worry about these supposed super aliens.

[John S Mosby]

Y'all are aware that there is a group of people-- though I don't know how large (unless you count scientologists) who think aliens are already among us, and controlling us... and that only those "in the know" (like our power leaders) really know what's up.

This is an explanation of the bizarre "one world order" worldism of GHW Bush, Clintoonians, GW, and bamalamadingdong. It's all "part of the plan". That and legalizing loco weed to better "convey" the proles to their proper place. Hey, it worked for the Incan ruling class with mama coca!! This has been around since the TV show "The Invaders"... don't forget to look at the little finger!

[Chode]

without knowing the architecture of earthly electronics and the computer code running them, i fail to see how they could do much harm...