Logic bomb

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This article is about a type of malicious software code. For the psychedelic trance group, see Logic Bomb (band).

A logic bomb is a piece of code intentionally inserted into a software system that will set off a malicious function when specified conditions are met. For example, a programmer may hide a piece of code that starts deleting files (such as the salary database), should they ever leave the company.

Software that is inherently malicious, such as viruses and worms, often contain logic bombs that execute a certain payload at a pre-defined time or when some other condition is met. This technique can be used by a virus or worm to gain momentum and spread before being noticed. Many viruses attack their host systems on specific dates, such as Friday the 13th or April Fool's Day. Trojans that activate on certain dates are often called "time bombs".

To be considered a logic bomb, the payload should be unwanted and unknown to the user of the software. As an example, trial programs with code that disables certain functionality after a set time are not normally regarded as logic bombs.

Contents 1 Historic logic bombs 2 Fictional logic bombs 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Historic logic bombs

• In 1982, the Trans-Siberian Pipeline incident occurred. A KGB operative was to steal the plans for a sophisticated control system and its software from a Canadian firm, for use on their Siberian pipeline. The CIA was tipped off by documents in the Farewell Dossier and had the company insert a logic bomb in the program for sabotage purposes.^[1] This eventually resulted in "the most monumental non-nuclear explosion and fire ever seen from space".^[2]
• Michelangelo was a logic bomb designed to activate yearly since the early 1990s, on the birthday of the painter of the same name - March 6th. In 1992, mass hysteria broke out, but only around 20,000 computers were ever affected in that year, and only two in 1998.^{[citation needed]}
• In June 1992, a defense contractor General Dynamics employee, Michael Lauffenburger, was arrested for inserting a logic bomb that would delete vital rocket project data. It was alleged that his plan was to return as a highly paid consultant to fix the problem once it triggered. Another employee of the company stumbled upon the bomb before it was triggered. Lauffenburger was charged with computer tampering and attempted fraud and faced potential fines of $500,000 and jail time,^[3] but was ultimately fined $5,000.^[4]
• In February 2000, Tony Xiaotong, indicted before a grand jury, was accused of planting a logic bomb during his employment as a programmer and securities trader at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell. The bomb, planted in 1996, had a trigger date of July 20, 2000, but was discovered by other programmers in the company. Removing and cleaning up after the bomb allegedly took several months.^[5]
• On October 2, 2003 Yung-Hsun Lin, also known as Andy Lin, changed code on a server at Medco Health Solutions Inc. Fair Lawn, New Jersey headquarters, where he was employed as a Unix administrator, creating a logic bomb set to go off on his birthday in 2004. It failed to work due to a programming error, so Lin corrected the error and reset it to go off on his next birthday, but it was discovered and disabled by a Medco computer systems administrator a few months before the trigger date. Lin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in jail in a federal prison in addition to $81,200 in restitution. The charges held a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of US$250,000.^[6][7]
• In June 2006 Roger Duronio, a disgruntled system administrator for UBS was charged with using a logic bomb to damage the company's computer network, and with securities fraud for his failed plan to drive down the company's stock with activation of the logic bomb.^[8][9][10] Duronio was later convicted and sentenced to 8 years and 1 month in prison, as well as a $3.1 million restitution to UBS.^[11]

[edit] Fictional logic bombs

• In Moffett's Ghost, an episode of Airwolf television series, Hawk loses control of the onboard computer, which was programmed on a timer by Airwolf's creator, Doctor Charles Henry Moffett... once activated, Airwolf is set to destroy any aircraft in its range.
• The Tom Clancy book Debt of Honor features a logic bomb installed in the code of various stock market computers.
• Hugh Jackman's character in Swordfish, Stanley Jobson, claims to have "dropped a logic bomb through the trapdoor" while hacking into a Department of Defense network.
• In an episode of the second season of the 2004 version of the TV series Battlestar Galactica, the Cylons leave a logic bomb in the ship's computers after briefly gaining access to them. It later causes a series of nearly catastrophic system malfunctions.
• In the CIA level of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, a conversation can be heard with a reference to a logic bomb.
• In the PC strategy game Empire Earth, the Japanese special unit, the Cyber Ninja, has an attack called "Logic Bomb". This bears little resemblance to a real logic bomb, instead simply disabling an enemy building for a brief period.
• In Season 3 of 24, Nina Myers manipulates Jack Bauer to unknowingly activate a virus in the CTU computer systems. It is activated by a phone call to a certain number.
• In Season 6, Episode 8 of Spooks the Yalta organization sets off a logic bomb planted within the American defense network to shutdown all US controlled satellites. It is activated by the entry of a code into a game which causes the logic bomb to copy a virus to all the satellites and shut them down.

[edit] See also

• Backdoor (computing)
• Easter egg (virtual)

[edit] References

1. ^ Tech sabotage during the Cold War
2. ^ CIA slipped bugs to Soviets
3. ^ Programmer Accused of Plotting to Sabotage Missile Project
4. ^ Logic bombs, Part 1
5. ^ “Man Indicted in Computer Case”, The New York Times: C.7, 2000-02-10 
6. ^ Vijayan, Jaikumar. Unix Admin Pleads Guilty to Planting Logic Bomb. PC World. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
7. ^ 2.5 Years in Jail for Planting 'Logic Bomb'. Slashdot.
8. ^ Man accused of crashing UBS servers | The Register
9. ^ Nightmare On Wall Street: Prosecution Witness Describes 'Chaos' In UBS PaineWebber Attack - News byy InformationWeek
10. ^ Are Background Checks Necessary For IT Workers? Ask UBS PaineWebber - VARBusiness
11. ^ Former UBS Computer Systems Manager Gets 97 Months for Unleashing “Logic Bomb” on Company Network