Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Stuxnet Knocks Natanz Out For a Week, Hits Iran's Air Defense (bug raiding all their military)
Debkafiles ^ | November 24, 2010, 9:02 AM (GMT+02:00

Posted on 11/26/2010 9:34:16 AM PST by dselig

Despite Iranian claims in October that their nuclear systems were cleansed of the Stuxnet virus, Iranian sources confirm that the invasive malworm is still making trouble. It shut down uranium enrichment at Natanz for a week from Nov. 16 to 22 over breakdowns caused by mysterious power fluctuations in the operation of the centrifuge machines enriching uranium at Natanz. The shutdown was reported by the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano to the IAEA board in Vienna on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

Rapid changes in the spinning speed of the thousands of centrifuges enriching uranium to weapons-grade can cause them to blow apart suddenly without the monitors detecting any malfunction. The Iranian operators first tried replacing the P1 and P2 centrifuges used at Natanz with the more advanced IR1 type, but got the same effect. They finally decided to shut the plant down until computer security experts purged it of the malworm.

But then, when work was resumed Monday, about 5,000 of the 8,000 machines were found to be out of commission and the remaining 2,500-3,000 partially on the blink.

Tuesday, Ali Akbar Salehi, Director of Iran's Nuclear Energy Commission tried to put a good face on the disaster. "Fortunately the nuclear Stuxnet virus has faced a dead end," he said. However, the IAEA report and Western intelligence confirm that the virus has gathered itself for a fresh onslaught on Iran's vital facilities.

According to an exclusive report, Stuxnet is also in the process of raiding Iran's military systems, sowing damage and disorder in its wake.

On Nov. 17, in the middle of a massive air defense exercise, Iranian military sources reported six foreign aircraft had intruded the airspace over the practice sites and were put to flight by Iranian fighters. The next day, a different set of military sources claimed a misunderstanding; there had been no intrusions. Iranian fighters had simulated an enemy raid which too had been repulsed. debkafile's military sources disclose there was no "misunderstanding." The foreign intruders had shown up on the exercise's radar screens, but when the fighter jets scrambled to intercept them, they found empty sky, meaning the radar instruments had lied.

The military command accordingly decided to give up on using the exercise as a stage for unveiling new and highly sophisticated weaponry, including a homemade radar system, for fear that they too may have been infected by the ubiquitous Stuxnet worm.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: debkafiles; iran; israel; stuxnet; tech; worm; wot
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last
Looks like the Mad Mullahs got their Thanskgiving card early this year!
1 posted on 11/26/2010 9:34:18 AM PST by dselig
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: rdb3; Calvinist_Dark_Lord; GodGunsandGuts; CyberCowboy777; Salo; Bobsat; JosephW; ...

2 posted on 11/26/2010 9:35:48 AM PST by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dselig

Wait ‘til they see their Christmas Present!


3 posted on 11/26/2010 9:38:00 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (Lame and ill-informed post)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dselig

This is too funny

as a software enigneere it is nice to see something good done with computer viruses


4 posted on 11/26/2010 9:39:48 AM PST by Mr. K (TSA: "Because 'profiling' is much more offensive than grabbing your balls")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dselig

Damn clever those Israelis.


5 posted on 11/26/2010 9:41:07 AM PST by xkaydet65
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ShadowAce

You’d think they could boot up in safe mode and do a system restore. :)


6 posted on 11/26/2010 9:44:01 AM PST by Vinnie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dselig

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Keep up the good work, Stuxnet!


7 posted on 11/26/2010 9:44:43 AM PST by Bryanw92 (Obama is like a rocket scientist....who's trying to do brain surgery with a hammer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K
Let's hope it can differentiate friend from foe.
♫ We don't need another Skynet ... ♫
8 posted on 11/26/2010 9:45:33 AM PST by NonValueAdded (Palin 2012: don't retreat, just reload)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Vinnie

That is not a feature of the Jihad2000 operating system. Your only choices are “Detonate, Retry, or Fail.”


9 posted on 11/26/2010 9:46:54 AM PST by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: xkaydet65
Damn clever those Israelis.

Agreed, but I'm wondering why it's taking Obamolester so long to publicly point the finger at them and then apologize profusely to Dinner-Jacket for the U.S. in being so evil for supporting Israel during the Booooooooooooooooooooooosh years.

10 posted on 11/26/2010 9:46:54 AM PST by kromike
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

We should try it on North Korea.


11 posted on 11/26/2010 9:50:28 AM PST by dselig
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: kromike

Bet you they will do a WikiLeak on it next...


12 posted on 11/26/2010 9:52:22 AM PST by battlecry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: dselig
Run into a dead end?

Does that mean there are no more processors to infect?

13 posted on 11/26/2010 9:56:56 AM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie (zerogottago)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kromike

He was waiting for the DEBKA report . Now he has evidnce,yes it’s DEBKA but so what, that Israel is behind the worm. I expect condemnation of Israel in 3,2,1...


14 posted on 11/26/2010 10:02:36 AM PST by xkaydet65
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: xkaydet65

God bless and strengthen Israel! May all they put their hands to prosper, and their enemies become the trash-heaps of history!


15 posted on 11/26/2010 10:05:53 AM PST by Dubh_Ghlase (Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: xkaydet65
“Damn clever those Israelis.”

OK, so even Freepers know the worm is an attack on Iran's nuclear program.

Question: isn't a cyber attack on this scale an act of war?

What if the Iranians did that to our military computers?

Wouldn't it justify an attack?

16 posted on 11/26/2010 10:06:56 AM PST by garjog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: dselig
"Fortunately the nuclear Stuxnet virus has faced a dead end"

LOL, but the Stuxnet virus that takes over the radar outside the base is still a goer.

My money is on Stuxnet suppressing Iranian nuclear ambitions for decades.

17 posted on 11/26/2010 10:13:35 AM PST by agere_contra (...what if we won't eat the dog food?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: garjog

In a world where bombarding an South Korean island isn’t an act of war, a fully deniable attack with a virus isn’t even on the radar.


18 posted on 11/26/2010 10:15:55 AM PST by agere_contra (...what if we won't eat the dog food?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: dselig

Have BUG,
Will Unravel


19 posted on 11/26/2010 10:16:09 AM PST by bunkerhill7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: garjog

China’s already experimented with hacking our computers. As for Israel, I don’t want to say rules dont apply. BUt for a state the size of New Jersey that half the world iS bent on killing, there’s only one rule. DON’T LOSE!!!


20 posted on 11/26/2010 10:27:49 AM PST by xkaydet65
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson