Iran Says Stars Virus Intended For Cyber Espionage
A new malicious worm reminiscent of the notorious Stuxnet is reportedly attacking systems in Iran and causing experts to worry that the virus could be used for cyber espionage activities in the U.S. and other countries as well.
Iranian officials are currently investigating the effects of the Stars worm, which is suspected to be equipped with espionage features, Brigadier General Gholam-Reza Jalali told Iran's Mehr News Agency.
"Certain characteristics about the Stars worm have been identified, including that it is compatible with the (targeted) system and that the damage is very slight in the initial stage, and it is likely to be mistaken for executable files of the government,” Jalali told the Mehr News Agency. Specific details about the worm, such as technological capabilities and intended targets are thus far unclear, while security researchers say they have yet to nail down sample code of the Stars virus.
