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German Teen Admits Making The 'Sasser' Internet Worm
Microsoft Is Led to Suspect By Tipsters Seeking Reward
By Craig Whitlock
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, May 9, 2004; Page A15
BERLIN, May 8 -- A teenager in Germany confessed to creating a computer worm that has crashed computers around the world in the past week, German authorities said Saturday. The suspect had been identified by acquaintances seeking a $250,000 reward.
The 18-year-old high school student, whose name was not released, was detained Friday by police in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany, officials said. Original programming code for the virus, dubbed "Sasser," was found on a computer in his home, according to authorities.
German authorities and officials at Microsoft Corp., whose Windows operating system was targeted by Sasser, said the tipsters approached the software firm's investigators on Wednesday, claiming they knew who was responsible and were willing to reveal his name in exchange for money.
Microsoft officials said the tipsters, whom they declined to identify, provided technical information about the worm's origins that was quickly authenticated by the company's investigators.
"We had overwhelming technical evidence in this case provided by the informants and confirmed by our experts," Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said in a telephone interview. After Microsoft notified German authorities, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, Lower Saxony police arrested the suspect Friday in the village of Waffensen, near Bremen.
Helmut Trentmann, a local prosecutor, said at a news conference that the teenager confessed soon after he was detained and appeared taken aback at the havoc he had unleashed.
"He admitted that he underestimated the extent of the damage," Trentmann said.
Rolf Muldehn, an official with the Lower Saxony state police, said by telephone the student had been released Friday night pending charges of computer sabotage, which under German law carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.
German authorities said the suspect lived at home with his parents and is studying computer science at a vocational school. Investigators and Microsoft officials said he appeared to be the sole creator of the computer bug.
The worm appeared a week ago and moved quickly across the Internet. Software experts have estimated it infected as many as a million computers, causing them to crash repeatedly. Among the machines affected were at least 400 used by Montgomery County employees.
Unlike other viruses spread through e-mail attachments, Sasser exploited a flaw in Windows to enable it to move across the Internet without piggybacking on e-mail. It was able to infect computers that run the Windows 2000 and XP operating systems and that had not received a protective software update.
Microsoft officials said the tipsters who turned in the suspect were motivated by the prospect of collecting money under a well-publicized reward program that the company announced in November.
Under terms of the program, Microsoft promised to pay as much as $250,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for creating computer worms or viruses.
If the suspect is convicted, Smith said, Microsoft will make good on its pledge for the full $250,000.
Source - Washington Post - Also related articles and removal information
Microsoft Is Led to Suspect By Tipsters Seeking Reward
By Craig Whitlock
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, May 9, 2004; Page A15
BERLIN, May 8 -- A teenager in Germany confessed to creating a computer worm that has crashed computers around the world in the past week, German authorities said Saturday. The suspect had been identified by acquaintances seeking a $250,000 reward.
The 18-year-old high school student, whose name was not released, was detained Friday by police in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany, officials said. Original programming code for the virus, dubbed "Sasser," was found on a computer in his home, according to authorities.
German authorities and officials at Microsoft Corp., whose Windows operating system was targeted by Sasser, said the tipsters approached the software firm's investigators on Wednesday, claiming they knew who was responsible and were willing to reveal his name in exchange for money.
Microsoft officials said the tipsters, whom they declined to identify, provided technical information about the worm's origins that was quickly authenticated by the company's investigators.
"We had overwhelming technical evidence in this case provided by the informants and confirmed by our experts," Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said in a telephone interview. After Microsoft notified German authorities, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, Lower Saxony police arrested the suspect Friday in the village of Waffensen, near Bremen.
Helmut Trentmann, a local prosecutor, said at a news conference that the teenager confessed soon after he was detained and appeared taken aback at the havoc he had unleashed.
"He admitted that he underestimated the extent of the damage," Trentmann said.
Rolf Muldehn, an official with the Lower Saxony state police, said by telephone the student had been released Friday night pending charges of computer sabotage, which under German law carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.
German authorities said the suspect lived at home with his parents and is studying computer science at a vocational school. Investigators and Microsoft officials said he appeared to be the sole creator of the computer bug.
The worm appeared a week ago and moved quickly across the Internet. Software experts have estimated it infected as many as a million computers, causing them to crash repeatedly. Among the machines affected were at least 400 used by Montgomery County employees.
Unlike other viruses spread through e-mail attachments, Sasser exploited a flaw in Windows to enable it to move across the Internet without piggybacking on e-mail. It was able to infect computers that run the Windows 2000 and XP operating systems and that had not received a protective software update.
Microsoft officials said the tipsters who turned in the suspect were motivated by the prospect of collecting money under a well-publicized reward program that the company announced in November.
Under terms of the program, Microsoft promised to pay as much as $250,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for creating computer worms or viruses.
If the suspect is convicted, Smith said, Microsoft will make good on its pledge for the full $250,000.
Source - Washington Post - Also related articles and removal information
An airplane manufacturer doesn't have a militant group of geeks feverishly working to detect vulnerabilities in their airplanes so they can make them crash for fun.
