Iran president’s blog used to spread malware

spreads malware only to microsoft brand browsers …

I don’t see the link between “good developers” and those who create malware. Classifying ips by country is quite easy, as is simply reading the accept language from a browser request.

http://news.com.com/French+Microsoft+Web+site+hacked/2100-7349_3-6085589.html

Hackers are able people, but not necessarily skilled or good developers.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1999070,00.asp

They can however get jobs with Microsoft apparently.

Um Scoble, what exactly are you saying? Are you publically stating that you support Iran, and it’s attempt to vanquish Israel, by all means necessary?

If this is malware, isn’t that illegal? How do you equate this with good developers? It’s more like skilled, yet sinister developers.

The opressed people of Iran, are probably not totally evil like the New Hitler, Iranian dictator (not president) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Scoble, please don’t tell me you are one of those guys (the useful idiots). Please don’t! Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a brutal dictator. The leadership of Iran treats women like slaves. It wants to vaporize all Jews and Christians.

For goodness sake, do not equate Iran with free democracies, by calling Baboon Armageddon-Jihad a “president”. He is not a president! He is a brutal tyrant.

So next time you mention “president” Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, I sincerely hope that you dont forget to add the word evil in there.

Couldn’t you confirm this, perhaps, before spreading a rumor?

Brent,

I totally agree w/ you. Robert please say you don’t support what is happening in Iran. If I recall correctly your wife is of a Middle Eastern heritige. Imagine where she would be if she lived in Iran.

I second and third what Brent and Jonathan said. While I’m sure there are many good and decent people in Iran, the fact that you even link to this tyrant’s blog doesn’t do the world any favors. Can you attempt to employ at least some hint of discretion and thought before posting?

LOL Wow you guys are touchy. “Robert please say you don’t want Israel wiped off the map.” I think you guys are misreading him completely…

Ok, here’s my take.

I can’t seem to find anything but this one blog in Israel demonstrating the problem. Can anyone else confirm the problem?

One of the comments on her blog helpfully suggests that the problem is actually with http://www.khamenei.ir. (The blogger reported that the virus warning popped up when she went to http://www.ahmadinejad.ir and then clicked on the link for http://www.khamenei.ir.) The commenter, “Tech,” pointed out that http://www.khamenei.ir has what’s called a Mark of the Web that looks like this:

– saved from url=(0017)http://localhost/ –

(brackets removed so it wouldn’t be parsed)

“Tech” goes on to explain that sometimes a Mark of the Web can cause Norton Internet Security to go off, and provides this example of the same problem.

“Tech” then wraps up by saying it’s not really a problem, the blogger should apologize for making a false accusation.

I’m not sure why they used LOCALHOST (Local Intranet zone) on their MOTW instead of about:internet (Internet zone). (Dreamweaver uses “about:internet” on its MOTW.) Maybe Norton Internet Security likes one and not the other…?

So, jury still out, but possibly something wrong with Norton Internet Security. It’s funny how people are running with this and saying “Switch to Linux!” or “Switch to Firefox!” or “Iran is evil!” when really it might just a case of “Symantec software blows!” LOL

On a more humorous note, this is in the source of Ahmadenijad’s blog:

META content=”Microsoft FrontPage 6.0″ name=GENERATOR

META content=FrontPage.Editor.Document name=ProgId

Yep, Made with FrontPage 2003.

I’m guessing we’re not dealing with uber-hackers here.

Influential in your area? What are you saying here Robert?

Influential in your area? What are you saying here Robert?

You guys are too much.

Here, let me fill in the gaps. Here is the un-politically-correct version, with my additions IN ALL CAPS:

Amazing, but THAT KIND OF INSANE CRAP guarantees that Silicon Valley will continue gaining a steady stream of good developers and technical folks from Iran WHO ARE FLEEING THE REGIME THAT REGULARLY DETAINS AND TORTURES JOURNALISTS, INTELLECTUALS AND BLOGGERS. The Iranian community here is quite large and very influential AND IS COMPRISED MOSTLY OF DISSIDENTS WHO WERE SEEKING POLITICAL ASYLUM, SO IF YOU WANT TO ESCAPE IRAN, COME TO CALIFORNIA, THERE ARE LOTS OF I.T. JOBS AND PEOPLE WHO SPEAK FARSI.

That’s just how I read it, though.

A tyrant and dictator ???.

I seem to recall that he was elected by a clear majority of Iranians in their presidential elections.

Do you all watch Fox News to form your opinions of the world ???.

That sounds strange, but unsurprising – I wonder what the White House website does if you come to it from Cuba? (OK, probably nothing, but that’d be because the web developer would get their hands slapped big time)

Farvashan is a SharePoint blogger who is from Iran. His list of accomplishments includes some work for the President’s Office in 2004 – I’m interested in his take on this.

That sounds strange, but unsurprising – I wonder what the White House website does if you come to it from Cuba? (OK, probably nothing, but that’d be because the web developer would get their hands slapped big time)

Farvashan is a SharePoint blogger who is from Iran. His list of accomplishments includes some work for the President’s Office in 2004 – I’m interested in his take on this.

No John – I am most certainly not joking at all but then I am not an American and need to lap up and believe in this “Axis of Evil” garbage.

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

Bravo Karim, that’s how I read it.

Um Garth, the Axis of Evil “garbage” couldn’t have been more accurate and on target, given the events of this summer, especially with Iran and N. Korea, concerning nuclear proliferation. Add to that Syria, and the acts of terror groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, al-Qaeda, and others. Also, let’s not forget Venezuela.

Wake up from your stoned haze. This is reality.

Madman Armageddon-Jihad, the New Hitler wants to behead you, and kill all Jews, that is unless you too are one of the terrorists, in which case, we want to detain you at Club Gitmo, for an undetermined time –until you fold and tell us where your Jihadist buddies are. And Kim Jong Mentally Ill just wants to kill you because he is a maniac.

Get a clue. While your at it, clean the sand out of your hair.

Question: do you have to come up for air, while your head is in the sand?

Some of you people would have never survived in previous years, when people actually had to fight for their freedom!

Useful idiot seems to be an understatement.

Actually, if you look over at The Register (link below), you’ll see that the blog is almost certainly *not* being used to spread malware: looks like false alarms from certain security packages. Whatever views one might hold on Iran and the Middle East in general, it’s probably a good idea to base them on verifiable facts, not falsehood: perhaps and update to the original post is needed?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/15/iran_pres_weblog_alert_flap/

Garth,

Well, I’m not lapping up anything when the Iranian president you are defending is on record as intending to wipe Israel off the the face of the Earth. Do you agree with that? Interested to know.

just because he is against what you think, is no reason for being a dictator.
whether you like it or not, i did vote for him, and he is elected by iranian people.
i wonder it’s no evil for usa to have nukes. but if iran tries to gain nuclear technology, it’s evil. and your only reason for iran to have nukes is president bush!
i didn’t ever hear him saying he wants to behead anyone or kill all jews. jews are living peacfully in iran and even have a member in the parliament.
“israel must be wiped” doesn’t mean he wants to kill all jews. they can all go home, where they came from, and let the real owners of this land live their lives.

President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad clearly is an elected president, even if the elections were not exactly free or fair, as the candidates had to be pre-approved by the clerics. However, the man seems to be a bit of a joke so I wouldn’t take anything he says too seriously. The truth is that he’s a puppet, so if you want the real position of Iran you have to ask the clerics.

Brent, why is it that Iran is “evil” for wanting a civilian nuclear power program and supplying arms to its allies for self defense, while the US is not evil despite having the worlds largest nuclear arsenal, developing new nukes, considering actually using said devices, following a policy of pre-emptive war, and selling arms to Israel which have been used for killing thousands of civilians and perpetrating “collective punishment” (a war crime under the geneva convention). I’m not saying that Iran is in the right, just that the US actions are far from their self righteous words

Brent

Now I am suddenly a Jihadist on my way to Gitmo for voicing my opinion ???.

You Malkin and Coulter rightwing loonies really take the cake but fortunately for most of us we don’t have to share a country with you sad lot.

John

No.

Not really related to his blog, but the interview with him on 60 minutes was pretty interesting.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/09/60minutes/main1879867.shtml

Not getting into the geopolitics, but well, it’s all a false alarm, paranoia run wild…heard from three biggie Press guns.

Leave it to the bloggers to spread rumors before verification…

I think his blog is interesting nonetheless. I find it’s always awesome to see another persective on a particular matter.

It’s one of my feeds, so I plan on keeping a watchful eye, but there isn’t much to it at present.

-eR0CK