Space Station laptops catch "nuisance" virus

While it doesn't appear to be nearly as serious as some of the computer problems the International Space Station has faced, it looks like a virus has managed to find its way onto some of the laptops used on the Station, which NASA is now describing only as a "nuisance." According to SpaceRef.com, the virus is the W32.Gammima.AG worm, which is normally used to swipe sensitive information for online games. As Wired's Threat Level reports, the worm has also spread to more than one laptop on the Space Station, which would seem to suggest that it has either been spread via an on-board intranet, or via a thumb drive. Somewhat disconcertingly, when asked by Threat Level if any mission critical systems were connected to the same network as the laptops, NASA spokesperson Kelly Humphries simply said, "I don't know and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to tell you for IT security reasons."

[Via Threat Level, thanks a.c.e.r.]

[Terc @ Aug 27th 2008 1:30PM]

Wait, so they run Windows in the ISS?!

No excuses here folks, this is NASA, they develop their own apps (I hope) and shouldn't be tied to an OS that requires frequent reboots, reinstalls, and antivirus just to keep running.

[From My Cube @ Aug 27th 2008 1:36PM]

I use vista and have no anti-virus and havent rebooted in a week...the OS is only as dumb as the user....

simple rule, just because it poped up and flashed on the screen does not mean you have to download it....


this is like saying your car is unsafe when you run redlights and stop signs daily

[Bernhard @ Aug 27th 2008 1:39PM]

Wait till you are stuck 300 000 miles above the earth without the ability to play WoW.

[who? @ Aug 27th 2008 1:39PM]

That's what the aliens said in the movie Independence Day...

[OneLove @ Aug 27th 2008 3:14PM]

They need vista media center to watch "prison break"

[Ian @ Aug 27th 2008 4:36PM]

hate to be a stickler, but 300,000 miles? try 217 miles above the earth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station)

[Rachel @ Aug 27th 2008 5:06PM]

Hmm, actually, if they were running Ubuntu they _would_ be able to play WoW _and_ wouldn't have caught that worm. :D

[Jon Doe. @ Aug 27th 2008 5:28PM]

Whatever. I've used Windows since 3.11 and I've had two viruses. An MBR virus back in 3.11 days and something in 98. Use a little common sense, a firewall, keep patched, and basic AV and windows is perfectly secure. Its not as if people are browsing porn up there....wait....maybe they are.

[thedesolate1 @ Aug 27th 2008 5:49PM]

I just hope that worm doesn't make Skynet become self aware. They should of been running a *nix based OS! Houston we have a problem...

[BarryBee @ Aug 27th 2008 1:31PM]

You see what space pron gets ya? Nothing but viruses!

[thedesolate1 @ Aug 27th 2008 5:48PM]

It gets lonely up there you know being 210 miles above civilization and all. Man it must be pretty difficult to wank in zero gravity and in a suit.

[From My Cube @ Aug 27th 2008 1:32PM]

thats one small hack for coders...one giant bork for mankind

[xcrunk @ Aug 27th 2008 1:33PM]

Surfing porn sites using Internet Explorer!!!

Should be using Firefox.

[BirdofPrey @ Aug 27th 2008 2:04PM]

The browser shouldn't matter.

If you don't have antivirus you can get a virus using any browser.
Firefox is not anti virus software don't assume it can keep you safe. It may have less security holes but it still has them.

[phanbouy @ Aug 27th 2008 2:20PM]

"The browser shouldn't matter."

My FF3 with NoScript begs to differ.

[From My Cube @ Aug 27th 2008 1:35PM]

I use vista and have no anti-virus and havent rebooted in a week...the OS is only as dumb as the user....

simple rule, just because it poped up and flashed on the screen does not mean you have to download it....


this is like saying your car is unsafe when you run redlights and stop signs daily

[Terc @ Aug 27th 2008 1:42PM]

I use debian, have no anti-virus and haven't rebooted in 42 days (thanks to no new kernel updates). Good luck getting half that far in Windows if you plan on staying up to date, you'll find yourself rebooting once a week at minimum for goofy things like IE7 updates or Office updates, even minor security patches. Also, I'm not sure you'll find ANY IT professional that would recommend running Windows without antivirus. I just so happen to be a system admin at a large accounting firm, which I think qualifies me as an IT Professional. While I admit Windows has its place (mostly out of familiarity to users and a massive developer base), neither of these should be factors in deciding on an OS for the ISS. These people are scientists and probably have plenty of *nix experience and could be trained if not.

[From My Cube @ Aug 27th 2008 1:53PM]

Dear Engadget,

Your comment system BLOWS harder than my Xbox 360.


That is all,

From My Cube

[phanbouy @ Aug 27th 2008 2:43PM]

terc speaks the truth and only corporate fanboys downrate.

[phanbouy fan @ Aug 27th 2008 3:16PM]

yeah! nobody can like windows better than linux unless they are a fan of corporations. linux rules and only fanboys would downrate someone who doesn't agree! phanbouy tells it like it is, sister!

[Jon Doe. @ Aug 27th 2008 5:30PM]

ONly 42 days? That's pretty pathetic. My home Server running Windows 2000 was rebooted this past Spring. Try again.

[Amz @ Aug 27th 2008 7:17PM]

so the longer your computer has gone without rebooting, the bigger your e-penis is, right?

[zargon @ Aug 27th 2008 10:11PM]

"ONly 42 days? That's pretty pathetic. My home Server running Windows 2000 was rebooted this past Spring. Try again."

Either you don't know squat about linux or just missed the part where he mentioned 42 days (thanks to a kernel update). In case you know squat about linux, the kernel is the core of the operating system. When it is updated, the system needs to be rebooted for it to take effect. The whole point is that a kernel upgrade is just about the only update that requires you to reboot a linux system.

If you would like better, my Gentoo server is currently at 485 days and more like 750 if I didn't have a count a power outage.

What I want to know is why doesn't linux support rebooting of the OS with out rebooting of the system. Since multiple processors is pretty common, since Sun Sparc Station have been doing it for a long time, that linux would be able to do it by now. Essentially all the running processes were passed to one processor and system for them to run was kept open while the other processor "rebooted" the updated system. Once the updated system was up, everything was brought back to running on the updated system and it was as though nothing happened.

[waiownsyou @ Aug 27th 2008 1:36PM]

So that's how they pass by time in space... play WoW.... and what's with a W32 virus? What happened to using a custom Linux build?!

[IndiaTech @ Aug 27th 2008 1:40PM]

I know NASA has been having a budget crunch, lately, but cutting cost by not installing AV is not a smart idea...

[Jeffrey @ Aug 27th 2008 1:52PM]

Bernhard @ Aug 27th 2008 1:39PM

"Wait till you are stuck 300 000 miles above the earth without the ability to play WoW."


The ISS is only about 210 miles up.....supercharged .N anyone?

300,000 miles and you would be further than the moon.

[Adrian Williams @ Aug 27th 2008 1:56PM]

Still watching that tranny midget ape porn I see

[OneLove @ Aug 27th 2008 6:48PM]

I've been looking for that!

[)law( @ Aug 27th 2008 2:00PM]

Housten we have a .....OMGWTFBBQhaxx0r

[Rogue_Genius @ Aug 27th 2008 3:24PM]

All your ISS are belong to us!!

[Thunderbuck @ Aug 27th 2008 7:13PM]

OMFG, that's good...

[digitallysick @ Aug 27th 2008 2:02PM]

nasa uses windows! wtf!!! hahahaha

[SlyDogJeff @ Aug 27th 2008 2:02PM]

BAHAHAHA same virus on 2 laptops at the International Space Station.
ok, so they have a satalite connection.. what would that bandwith be?! Something to the likes of china with 400Mb/s to the home users?! ok.. so their ping is like

[Alex @ Aug 27th 2008 3:37PM]

Wow, good point Jeff.
I used to have to survive on satellite broadband, sure the throughput's great, but the ping - well thats god-awful - don't expect to be playing any online games with it
The ping is down to the distance travelled from earth to satellite back down to earth again - but if you're up on the same level, that ping is going to be much more manageable (probably cut right in half - depending on where the ISS is compared to the satellite).
So with all that data they're undoubtedly transferring on their superfast connection, on windows machines, a virus was sadly inevitable.

And yeh it figures the virus came through on WoW, like the previous poster said, I'm sure their systems, though based on windows, will all have bespoke software on, and as mentioned in the article, an intranet, that I'm sure is used amongst other things, to update all their software builds and AV definitions. Their system was secured against what the system is and what it does (what software is used, how it connects) unfortunately for the Astronouts, and now for NASA - WoW didn't come as standard - and so was not protected against.

Am I the only one who thinks its frikkin cool the astronauts have internet up there?!

[tlarkin79 @ Aug 27th 2008 2:02PM]

Hopefully that doesn't mean their WOW accounts have been compromised.

[BirdofPrey @ Aug 27th 2008 2:06PM]

We're in your space station, stealing your science.

[Leroy Jenkins @ Aug 27th 2008 2:08PM]

LEEEROY JENKINS!!!!!!!!

[absinthe party @ Aug 27th 2008 3:19PM]

Steve Holt!

[phanbouy @ Aug 27th 2008 3:41PM]

"I'm an alternate for...Steve Holt"?

[Jester @ Aug 27th 2008 2:09PM]

Get a Mac!

[phanbouy @ Aug 27th 2008 2:42PM]

omg lolzers! dont you know that teh mac was hacked in 22.3 seconds? its teh suxx0r! security through obscurity and all that

[Jason @ Aug 27th 2008 3:36PM]

For you MAC users out there, don't worry about that 22 sec McHack - unless of course you're using a MAC Mini as a web server without locking it down tight. If you are, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!

Sadly, I think the reason the space station folks didn't go with Linux is that the HAL daemon scares them a little.

[Rainier @ Aug 27th 2008 2:12PM]

Spy sapping my space station!

[michas_pi @ Aug 27th 2008 2:22PM]

Vah-ris sappin' mah mission!

[brandonperry @ Aug 27th 2008 2:45PM]

I think Jeff Goldblum uploaded the virus to the wrong space station :-/

[phanbouy @ Aug 27th 2008 3:13PM]

he also came on to Laura Dern in a really creepy way.

thanks for the memories, Steven Spielterd

[kal326 @ Aug 27th 2008 3:06PM]

Let me guess, they got a bunch of cheap digital picture frames to take with them for the trip. Frames with those free bonus viruses.....

[Jason @ Aug 27th 2008 3:32PM]

What the hell does "laptop" mean on a space station?

[gavinovz @ Aug 27th 2008 3:50PM]

lol Wow, now we need IT guys in space.

[andres @ Aug 27th 2008 6:25PM]

do they have coffee machines in the ISS?