Stuxnet is a computer worm discovered in July 2010. It targets Siemens industrial software and equipment running on Microsoft Windows. While it is not the first time that crackers have targeted industrial systems, it is the first discovered malware that spies on and subverts industrial systems, and the first to include a programmable logic controller (PLC) rootkit.
The worm initially spreads indiscriminately, but includes a highly specialized malware payload that is designed to target only Siemens Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems that are configured to control and monitor specific industrial processes. Stuxnet infects PLCs by subverting the Step-7 software application that is used to reprogram these devices.
Different variants of Stuxnet targeted five Iranian organizations, with the probable target widely suspected to be uranium enrichment infrastructure in Iran.
The worm was first reported by the security company VirusBlokAda in mid-June 2010. Journalist Brian Krebs's 15 July 2010 blog posting was the first widely read report on the worm. Its name is derived from some keywords discovered in the software.
Wired.com analyzed the journey of Stuxnet and is provided here. Enjoy the journey of Stuxnet...
TimeGlider Reference: Wired.com
Author: Kim Zetter
