French planes grounded by Windows worm

I am not sure whom the French military is attacking these days. (I am told that relations with British tourists are much improved.)

But this morning, I happened upon peculiar information while accidentally scanning the French publication Liberation.

Apparently, in the past two weeks, some French fighter planes were grounded because the military had failed to take sufficient action (even though Microsoft had sent advance warning) to prevent the spread of a Windows-transmitted virus that some call Conficker, and the Liberation journalist, Jean-Dominique Merchet, calls Conflicker.

(Credit: CC Gesal)

Mr. Merchet quotes a publication that has somehow escaped my attention--Intelligence Online.

This extremely serious resource for allegedly secret stuff declared that the virus "brought down certain arms systems" and grounded the Navy's Dassault Rafale aircraft.

Clearly, I am not in a position to comment as to whether the French military responded appropriately to the Microsoft warning, though Intelligence Online insists that the incident "raises serious questions about the security of French military networks and their capacity to fight off computer attacks."

However, I would very much like to be reassured that civilian airlines are OK, as I have some flights coming up, and it's bad enough just thinking about bird strikes. Perhaps readers out there might offer some wise words about Conficker, Conflicker, or whatever it ought to be called.

[RainyTable]

Nobody going to suggest that they use Apple? - they're "SOOOO much better" y'know. ;-)

[ballmerisanape]

Well... this wouldn't have happened.... you know.. since there are no.. and have never been.. a virus for Mac OS 10. Trojan's in the wild.. yes.. but nothing that can replicate and spread itself.

If they used some old *nix it would have been just a little more secure....

[sythara]

Why not pay for OS at all and use Linux?

They can use the money that would ahve been spend on license from Microsoft and write their own xnix based OS.

But I guess people don't think that way and are still stuck in their narrow minded Mac vs Windows routine.

[Commander_Spock]

Re: "Why not pay for OS at all and use Linux......................................... narrow minded Mac vs Windows routine...." This is an even better idea... find out what the Russians are doing (not spy on them) and do the same thing that they are doing - They are using OS/2!

BTW, "In 2003, BAE SYSTEMS Platform Solutions delivered the Vehicle-Management Computer for the F-35 fighter jet. This platform consists of dual PowerPCs made by Freescale in a triple redundant setup.[3]" Follow the attached link for additional information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerPC

[Joetwopointoh]

The reality is that incompetence combined with a serious lack of resources across the board, has likely reached such proportions as to render most everything far more susceptible to failure than most really want to know.

[Penguinisto]

Oops?

So much for all that talk about security... try to blame "incompetence" all you want, but hey - if they used something that wasn't such security swiss-cheese in the first place...

[gofalcons]

there goes penguinisto crying again.....shut up, 90% of the world still wont use osx, even with the security issues of windows...says something doesnt it.....should they switch to osx and just not worry about having to buy a bunch of overpriced computers and not have half of their software work....osx is not designed for use everywhere, get over it.

[CNET editor's note: Personal attack deleted.]

[Vegaman_Dan]

Wow. Do you ever give it a rest?

[Penguinisto]

Oh wow! I got a fan club!

So - either of you two capable of defending your idol on technical merits, or are you just whining that someone has the temerity to point out the obvious (e.g. Windows being a security mess)?

[1363nd0f1337]

That's what updates are for, they fill in the holes. If the French tech department could have bothered to run Windows update they wouldn't be in this mess. A computer is only as good as its user.

[ballmerisanape]

They got what they deserved. Using Windows for something like this is just asinine. God help us all.

[Commander_Spock]

This is a very informative, timely and instructive story by CNET NEWS in the name of safety; and, it would have been good if reference was made to the issue with regards to the British Navy's choice of "Windblows" (oops... my bad) to be deployed in their nuclear nuclear submarine fleet. From these recent articles it would appear that NASA's Astronauts and the Russians who are relying on the "IBM's OS/2 Operating System" will be safely circling the Earth while some of those on Earth would be scrambling to get to underground bunkers from fear of planes and nuclear missiles falling out of the skies (not from bird strikes) but from "Windblows (oops) (Windows) Malfunctions"!

http://en.ecomstation.ru/solutions/?action=solutions

[AppleExpert]

Why on earth would you use Windows as your OS in military aircarft?! It's NOT a mission critical operating system and not exactly secure. I can just picture an enemy plane flying up behind the French plane and sending a reboot command or even better, remote into the OS using Remote Desktop Connection and eject the pilot, LOL...

[1363nd0f1337]

Using OS X for mission-critical systems is just as dumb. A proprietary military OS would have been the smartest choice. And seriously, remote desktop doesn't work without the user's password, so Captain Frenchie McPilotpants isn't doing something right.

[a_flores]

For me, it is a stupidity using Windows or Apple OS for military purposes. They have to use their own OS, created specifically for military purposes. If they have their own OS, no one knows the kernel of the OS, except the military itself. After all, they will be free from all worms, virus, trojan etc. Cheers!

[sythara]

Completely, 100% agree with you on that one!

But not everyone else in the world sees things the same way, unfortunately.

[gdmaclew]

What I want to know is why were the plane connected to the Internet in the first place.
Pilot's bored...lets surf the Web.

[1363nd0f1337]

Yeah, a consumer OS for military purposes is just a gigantic oversight on the French military's (hehe, lol) part.

[Cube Over]

QNX is the kernel of F-15 fighter OS. As well as many others.
Again, you don't exploit the kernel directly, do you? :)
It's all about the shiNe that's built around the kernel.

[Warhaven]

I couldn't locate the article, but I believe Mercedes used MS in one of their car lines, and it promptly failed. The trunk would randomly open when you braked, or the doors would randomly lock/unlock when you turned on the car, and all sorts of other fun stuff.

But using it in the military just frightens me. UK announced they were retrofitting their fleet with Windows. Submarines. Carrying nukes. Running Windows.

I feel safer already.

[Commander_Spock]

Does anyone stop to think why the housing industry in the United States of America along with the banking industries around the world are in such a mess (exploits, hacking...) the banks switched from OS/2 to Windows.

Re: "IBM, Bankers at Odds Over OS/2 Migration Path
Vendor advises OS/2 users to switch to Linux, but ATM makers are leading push to Windows..."

http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/story/0,10801,83884,00.html

And, since this article mentions this these incidents involve "Navy's Dassault Rafale aircraft"... then CITI may have to ensure that their executives are attired with their real "Golden Parachutes" to bailout to save their lives if and when they need to due to Windows Reboot over the Mid-Atlantic!!!

Re: "Citi Jet Purchase: $50 Million, 12-Seat Plane Despite $45 Billion Bailout"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/26/citi-jet-purchase-50-mill_n_160807.html

[imhodudes]

Macs, yes - especially now that Apple owns a chip production plant that makes chips for military missiles; sounds like a good match.

The iPod Hellfire - "Kill Different."

[Dalkorian]

Kill Different - LOL. Good one.

[John_spfld]

Thought US military planes used ADA in avionics.

[ddhboy]

They might, but this is the french military we're talking about not the US.

[Vegaman_Dan]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

Perhaps we should also let the French military know the Earth is round too... you know, just in case they haven't noticed yet and haven't updated their maps.

[neowolfwitch]

So in essence- the French plains surrender automatically? (Sorry, I couldn't pass that up.)

Seriously though- I can't believe how much Microsoft technology ends up in critical military systems. It's just scary to think that some part of our security is relying on Windows, the most unreliable and exploitable operating system yet concocted by man. I would expect them to be running Unix, Linux, BSD, or even older (reliable) standbys like MVS running COBOL. Anything but Windows.

[1363nd0f1337]

Properly managed Windows is just as secure as anything else. But, I too would have expected some form of proprietary Linux/UNIX OS to be used.

[jtjt145]

Anyone using Windows for anything mission-critical or security-sensitive is either totally deranged or corrupt.
K Underhill

[jtjt145]

... oh, I forgot: I wouldn't use Windows for anything performance-intense either.

[1363nd0f1337]

Yeah, doing things like gaming, creating HD video, and programs such as Photoshop and Maya are such a pain in the ass on Windows. Seriously, anytime someone mismanages a computer system, regardless of the OS, and neglects to properly take care of it, they're asking for trouble. It's neglectful people who bring things like this down, a total failure on the management of the French military's IT department.

[clawplock]

France has a military?

[1363nd0f1337]

Not only that, but they have warplanes too?!?!