comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Jingle
Infected Program Types: Common, Hacking
A spam virus, Jingle bombards users of the node (in both
AR and VR) with pop-up advertisements, spam messages, dubious
offers, commercial jingles, or even politically-motivated media
blitzes (anti-corporate, eco, anti-meta, anti-fascist, etc.).
Looper
Infected Program Types: Simsense (Activesofts)
Skillsofts infected with the Looper virus have trouble interacting
with the firmware of the character’s knowsoft link or
skillwires. Whenever the skillsoft is used, the character will be
caught in a feedback loop and will become unable to stop using
the skill forcing the user to repeat an action over and over. The
effect lasts (Virus rating) hours, or until the virus is purged.
pacifist
Infected Program Types: Combat programs
This specialized variant of the Inertia virus specifically targets
programs used in cybercombat. Although it appears as if they
function normally, the virulent code prevents the program from
actually translating damage to the target’s condition monitor or in
the form of lethal biofeedback.
Slave
Infected Program Types: Common, Hacking,
This prankster virus blocks the user from executing certain
actions or commands (accessing an icon, browsing, using a specific
program, transferring cash) until he has followed an “order” from
the virus (for example, reciting a certain political slogan, visiting a
certain Matrix site, donating cred to a certain cause, sent a photo
to certain address, etc.). Though following these orders may slow
the user down, this virus is intended to annoy the user more than
cause lasting damage.
Splice
Infected Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft
Similar to activators or deactivator (p. 116, Augmentation),
the virus either subscribes or unsubscribes the persona to various
nodes without the user’s permission.
Swiss cheese
Infected Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft?
This virus impairs the effectiveness of the commlink’s firewall,
effectively reducing its rating by 1 per copy of the virus in
the node.
ticker
Infected Program Types: Common, Hacking, Autosoft
This virus is designed to try and crash a node after a pre-programmed
amount of time has past. Once the timer has activated,
the virus attempts to crash the OS, rolling its Virus rating x 2 in
place of Hacking + Attack (see Crash Program/OS, p. 223, SR4).
Unplug
Infected Program Types: Common, Hacking
One of the most malevolent viruses out there, Unplug is designed
to reformat a node, deleting the entire OS and all programs
and data within memory. Once it has infected a node, the virus
makes an Virus rating x 2 (System + Firewall, 1 minute) Extended
Test. As soon as the reformatting begins, the OS will alert all security
and admin users, so that they may take action to eradicate the
virus and cancel the reformatting.
worMS
Worms are reactive and autonomous malware agents used
specifically to target nodes. Worms are designed to spread actively
to achieve certain goals, impair or disrupt computer systems or
commlink networks, delete or encrypt files, acquire and send
documents, or to create zombies and botnets.
Worms are treated as independent intruding agents for rule
purposes, using the Response attribute of the node on which they
are currently operating (or conquering). Although a number of
worms possess the ability to replicate by the means of a special
agent autosoft (p. 112), not all worms require this special program
to be effective malware.
encountering worms
Since worms are basically agents, they cannot be disinfected
or purged by antiviral software—they must instead be overcome
in cybercombat. Another option is to shut down the node, which
dumps the worm.
SaMpLe worMS
Here are a few examples of worm templates designed to perform
different tasks in a node.
Baitworms
Baitworms provoke intrusion alarms in infiltrated nodes to
draw the attention of IC and spiders, allowing the hacker that
deployed it to sneak past the distracted virtual opposition.
Programs: Armor, Attack, Exploit
Autosoft: Replicate
crashworms
Crashworms seek to undermine software integrity, causing
programs to crash or suffer from induced errors. Besides crashing
programs and operating systems, these worms are also sometimes
used to intentionally seed bugs into software loaded onto a node.
To accomplish this, the crashworm must either find a program’s
source code or crack it using Pilot rating (see Piracy, p. 94), and
then insert the bug using the rules for Adding Bugs, p. 119. Hackers
can also load a crashworm with an already buggy program, and
instruct it to overwrite existing software with the buggy version.
Programs: Attack, Browse, Edit, Exploit, Stealth
Autosoft: Replicate
cryptoworm
Cryptoworms are designed for cryptoviral extortion attacks.
Once they have infiltrated a node, they either encrypt network
communications or stored files, preventing other users from accessing
them. While some cryptoworms are used to force the owner
into paying for the encryption keys (so-called “ransomware”),
hackers also use them to temporarily blind or impede security
networks and spiders during runs.
Programs: Browse, Edit, Encrypt, Exploit, Stealth
Unwired
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9