The stuxnet worm is a sophisticated piece of computer malware designed to sabotage industrial processes controlled by siemens simatic wincc and pcs 7 control systems. Why the stuxnet worm is like nothing seen before new scientist. The stuxnet worm first emerged during the summer of 2010. 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. Het bestaan van deze geavanceerde worm werd ontdekt in juni 2010 door een fabrikant van antivirussoftware uit witrusland. How digital detectives deciphered stuxnet, the most menacing. Stuxnet infects project files of the siemens winccpc s7. Stuxnet was a multipart worm that traveled on usb sticks and spread through microsoft windows computers. Aug 05, 2016 siemens is europes biggest engineering company and a plc market share leader. Stuxnet is a sophisticated worm designed to target only specific siemens. The virus searched each infected pc for signs of siemens step 7 software, which.
Executive summary this document summarizes the most comprehensive research on the stuxnet malware so far. Siemens said in march shortly after the worm was unveiled at black hat asia that the malware was not exploiting a. The worm then propagates across the network, scanning for siemens step7 software on computers. Emerging analysis of the stuxnet worm indicates it was designed to. A senior iranian military commander said that the company facilitated the stuxnet worm cyberattack against iran by providing washington and jerusalem with information about a siemens.
Stuxnet is being described as the first cyberweapon, because of its ability to leverage it system vulnerabilities to produce physical damage to a targeted system. Sep 14, 2010 a sophisticated worm designed to steal industrial secrets and disrupt operations has infected at least 14 plants, according to siemens. Virus targets siemens industrial control systems reuters. Vacon finland and fararo paya iran only when the controllers are. The stuxnet worm, 3 which was first reported in june 2010 by a security firm in belarus, appears to be the first malicious software malware designed specifically to attack a particular type of ics. June 22 2009 first infection of stuxnet occur in iran less than 24 hours after the code was compiled. To illustrate both how to attack a plc and what the consequences of such could be, let us look at the stuxnet worm. Sep 27, 2010 stuxnet exploited four vulnerabilities in microsoft windows to give a remote hacker the ability to inject malicious code into a marketleading plc made by german electronics conglomerate siemens.
Called stuxnet, the worm was discovered in july when. Stuxnet is an extremely sophisticated computer worm that exploits multiple previously unknown windows zeroday vulnerabilities to infect computers and spread. A sophisticated worm designed to steal industrial secrets and disrupt operations has infected at least 14 plants, according to siemens. What has siemens done to reduce the risk to plants. Although neither country has openly admitted responsibility, the worm is widely understood to be a cyberweapon built. Stuxnet malware targets scada systems threat encyclopedia. Why the stuxnet worm is like nothing seen before new. Dll used by siemens wincc systems in the windows system folder. Jan 2010 some components for a new version of stuxnet are completed.
Aug 15, 2017 stuxnet is incredibly sophisticatedit used four separate zeroday attacks including cve20102568 to infiltrate systems and was precision built to only do damage to siemens industrial control. The worm then spreads to further plcs by replicating itself and modi. Acquisition systems and plcs programmable logic controllers as stuxnets primary targets of. In the absence of either criterion, stuxnet becomes dormant inside the computer. While a computer virus relies on an unwitting victim to install it, a worm spreads on its own, often over a computer network 14. Recognition of such threats exploded in june 2010 with the discovery of stuxnet, a 500kilobyte computer worm that infected the software of at least 14 industrial sites in iran, including a. The worm then propagates across the network, scanning for siemens step7 software on computers controlling a plc.
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. Stuxnet is a malicious computer worm, first uncovered in 2010, thought to have been in development since at least 2005. Stuxnet is the most recent intentional attack cited in the document, and is the first worm to specifically target such systems. Pdf stuxnet worm impact on industrial cyberphysical. The plcs are connected to computers that control and monitor them, and. Stuxnet is a computer worm designed to infect siemens simatic wincc and s7 plc products, either installed as part of a pcs 7 system, or operating on their own. A worm targeng siemens wincc industrial control system. For starters, stuxnet is the first worm directly coded to attack power plant and industrial control systems, which fall under the category of scada supervisory control and data acquisition systems. The worm may be introduced into the plant using a already manipulated plc. The worm, having infiltrated these machines, began to continually replicate itself.
The stuxnet worm attack demonstrated widely in mid 2010 that many of the security assumptions made about the operating environment, technological capabilities and potential threat risk analysis. Siemens said in march shortly after the worm was unveiled at black hat asia that the malware was not. Malware affecting siemens wincc and pcs7 products stuxnet. Once it detects a suitable victim, it modifies control logic in specific models of siemens plcs. This report is primarily intended to describe targeted and semitargeted attacks, and how they are implemented, focusing mainly on the most recent, namely stuxnet. Jun 10, 2011 stuxnet is the most recent intentional attack cited in the document, and is the first worm to specifically target such systems. Stuxnet was a 500kilobyte computer worm that infected the software of at least 14 industrial sites in the country it was targeted at, including a uraniumenrichment plant. Pdf stuxnet worm impact on industrial cyberphysical system. Uptodate virus scanner reliably detect and eliminate the malware. It connects using a password hardcoded into wincc, and attacks its database using sql commands to upload and start a copy of itself on the wincc computer. Stuxnet and the future of cyber war duke computer science. Siemens is europes biggest engineering company and a plc market share leader. It starts by taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the windows operating systems and siemens products. The worm used both known and previously unknown vulnerabilities to install, infect and propagate, and was powerful enough to evade stateofthepractice security technologies and procedures.
Harbinger of an emerging warfare capability congressional research service summary in september 2010, media reports emerged about a new form of cyber attack that. What is stuxnet, who created it and how does it work. Iran accuses siemens of helping launch stuxnet cyberattack. Richiede inoltre agli utenti di evitare lutilizzo di penne usb non sicure allinterno della rete anche. The stuxnet worm leverages known and previously unknown vulnerabilities to install, infect and propagate, aiming to sabotage industrial processes operated by siemens simatic wincc and pcs 7. Stuxnet and the impact on accelerator control systems cern. Stuxnet requires a very specific environment certain plc blocks. Stuxnet was a 500kilobyte computer worm that infiltrated numerous computer systems. Via wincc stuxnet searches for computers running siemens wincc, an interface to their scada systems.
Stuxnet, a computer worm, discovered in june 2010, that was specifically written to take over certain programmable industrial control systems and cause the equipment run by those systems to. Stuxnet dossier page 3 security response attack scenario the following is a possible attack scenario. How digital detectives deciphered stuxnet, the most. Stuxnet is being described as the first cyberweapon, because of its. Discovered in june of 2010, a computer worm called stuxnet was designed to attack programmablelogic controllers or plcs that are used to control switches and values in industries that operate a specific. Oct 06, 2010 what stuxnet looks for is a particular model of programmable logic controller plc made by siemens the press often refers to these as scada systems, which is technically incorrect. The worm was written in structured text st, one of the. The siemens s7 communication before above and after. Jul 19, 2010 siemens, microsoft and security experts who have studied the stuxnet worm have yet to determine who created the malicious software. Stuxnet worm and t he effects of its disco very i n iran and. Jul 19, 2010 emerging analysis of the stuxnet worm indicates it was designed to. First, it analyzed and targeted windows networks and computer systems. Apr 17, 2011 a senior iranian military commander said that the company facilitated the stuxnet worm cyberattack against iran by providing washington and jerusalem with information about a siemens designed.
Harbinger of an emerging warfare capability congressional research service summary in september 2010, media reports emerged about a new form of cyber attack that appeared to target iran, although the actual target, if any, is unknown. An impactaware defense against stuxnet university o. Apart from the vulnerabilities in the siemens simatic s7. Stuxnet targets supervisory control and data acquisition systems and is believed to be responsible for causing substantial damage to the nuclear program of iran.
Designed to sabotage industrial processes controlled by siemens simatic wincc and pcs 7 systems. The virus searched each infected pc for signs of siemens step 7 software, which industrial computers serving as plcs use for automating and monitoring electromechanical equipment. Plc blaster worm targets industrial control plcs threatpost. Stuxnet is typically introduced to the target environment via an infected usb flash drive. This report is devoted to the analysis of the notorious stuxnet worm win32 stuxnet that suddenly attracted the attention of virus researchers this summer. Summing up stuxnet in 4 easy sections plus handy presentation. Stuxnet je pocitacovy cerv objeveny v cervnu 2010 beloruskou firmou virusblokada. Iran accuses siemens of helping launch stuxnet cyber. Stuxnet data portion, since it ignores invalid commands in an f. Stuxnet is a microsoft windows computer worm discovered in july 2010 that targets industrial software and equipment. Stuxnet is incredibly sophisticatedit used four separate zeroday attacks including cve20102568 to infiltrate systems and was precision built to only do damage to siemens industrial.
Siemens, microsoft and security experts who have studied the stuxnet worm have yet to determine who created the malicious software. Plc itself 8, default hardcoded access accounts and pass. Stuxnet was a 500kilobyte computer worm that infected the software of at least 14 industrial sites in the country it was targeted at. It is only speculation driven by the technical features of stuxnet. Symantec have now discovered an older version of stuxnet that can answer the questions about the evolution of stuxnet. Stuxnet exploited four vulnerabilities in microsoft windows to give a remote hacker the ability to inject malicious code into a marketleading plc made by german electronics conglomerate.
The s7315 is a general purpose controller which operates a single array of devices. Stuxnet is an advanced malware worm that was discovered in july 2010 and that has attacked siemens pcs7, s7 plc and wincc systems around the world. Technically speaking, stuxnet is a worm, as it spreads over a network without the need for. What stuxnet looks for is a particular model of programmable logic controller plc made by siemens the press often refers to these as scada systems, which is technically incorrect. The genius of the worm is that it can strike and reprogram a computer target. The third section covers the distribution of the stuxnet worm.
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