Fast16: High-precision software sabotage 5 years before Stuxnet

(sentinelone.com)

78 points | by dd23 2 hours ago

7 comments

  • vasco 1 minute ago
    So that's why China still can't make ballpoint pens? /s
  • tiagod 15 minutes ago
    This is an amazing find. I'm very curious regarding the specific targets of these rules, and in the exact changes to the results. Wonder if they will only make a difference in simulated conditions super specific to nuclear reactors?
  • codezero 1 hour ago
    My favorite part of this was:

    That kind of notation, called SCCS/RCS, is the equivalent of finding a rotary phone in a modern office. Nobody uses it in 2005 Windows kernel code unless their programming background goes back decades, to government and military computing environments

    The astrophysics lab I worked at in 2006 was still using svn and had a bunch of Fortran with references to systems from the 70s and 80s. The code ran perfectly well thanks to modern optimizing compilers and having moved from Vax to Linux in the 90s, it was a surprisingly seamless transition.

    It reminds me of a conference talk I’ve referenced before “do over or make due” basically implying rewriting large amounts of mostly functioning code was not worth the effort if it could be taped together with modern tools.

  • trebligdivad 1 hour ago
    Haha it's a fun finding though; The source control comment feels a little off; I'm sure there were SCCS (hmm or did cvs use similar?) still around at that time.
    • tiagod 13 minutes ago
      I believe that comment was specific to it being unusual in Windows software, suggesting the developers were also working in UNIX stuff (where usage SCCS/RCS was common).
  • slim 50 minutes ago
    sabotaging science must be the most morally corrupt thing you can do as a civilisation
    • jabedude 28 minutes ago
      Spying on and sabotaging weapons development of foreign adversaries is a completely normal government function
    • Cthulhu_ 35 minutes ago
      Nah; it's to prevent a country from developing a superweapon and possibly triggering WW3 / worldwide nuclear annihilation.

      This comment is very exaggerated, I can think of a few more "morally corrupt" things to do.

  • Retr0id 1 hour ago
    The submitted article appears to be an LLM summary of https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/fast16-mystery-shadowbroker...