OS/400 Alert: iSeries Movies, Tools, and More

April 14, 2004 Shannon O'Donnell

If you’ve ever wondered what IBM would do if it had a really great computing platform, a video camera, and a budget of at least six dollars, then have we got some great news for you! IBM has gotten into the movie business by releasing a series of videos showcasing the reliability of the venerable iSeries. Also in this issue, we alert you to a free study offered by IBM that might help you convince management to consolidate all those Linux and Intel-based servers onto the iSeries.

A NEW TOOL TO PROMOTE THE ISERIES

Being an iSeries professional, you know you’re fighting an uphill battle when trying to convince Windows and Linux users of the merits of moving to the iSeries platform. For many, the idea of a fully consolidated database and hardware oriented security just does not well with what they are used to from their Windows and Linux worlds. So what is an IT professional to do? IBM may have just the solution you need to convince those who hold the purse strings that the IBM’s integrated platform and its ability to consolidate Linux and Intel-based servers.

IBM’s new program, IT Optimization CDAT (consolidation, discovery, and analysis tool) is a software analysis tool designed to measure not only network traffic but also the performance of a network’s Intel and Linux servers. When complete this analysis is designed to convince those who need convincing that the iSeries is the correct solution for consolidating or replacing your organization’s Windows and Linux servers. How do you get started? You “nominate” your organization for one of these “free” analysis surveys from IBM. Once accepted, IBM will dispatch the appropriate personnel to your site to perform the analysis and work with your organization. More information can be found on IBM’s Web site.

ISERIES VIDEOS: RELIABILITY IN ACTION

Now starring in a movie near you…the iSeries! It had to happen. First there was Chuck Norris in all those Vietnam movies in the ’80s. In the ’90s it was Bruce Willis in action-packed movies like Die Hard, and Day of the Jackal. IBM felt it was time for the iSeries to take a starring role in a series of new action videos. Yes, strange as it sounds, IBM has put together a series of videos that attempt to portray the iSeries as a dynamic, action-packed computing platform. If you are interested in viewing “The Legend of iSeries” videos, such as “Tornado,” the gripping story of the iSeries facing off against that scourge of the Midwest, the twister, then head on over to IBM’s Web site and get ready for some action. Don’t forget the popcorn.

THIS WEEK’S NASTY WINDOWS WORRIES

The following information is from www.symantec.com.

MP3Concept is a proof-of-concept Trojan targeted at the Mac OS X platform that is currently not seen “in the wild.” It is not spreading or infecting Mac users. The proof-of-concept program does not contain any malicious payload, such as viral code, the ability to e-mail itself, or perform destructive functions like deleting files. It only contains code to display a message box and mp3 audio data of a man laughing.

W32.HLLW.Donk.M is a network-aware worm. It attempts to connect to a predetermined IRC server to get instructions from the attacker.

W32.Gaobot.YN is a variant of W32.HLLW.Gaobot.gen that attempts to spread to network shares and allows access to an infected computer through an IRC channel. The worm uses multiple vulnerabilities to spread, including the DCOM RPC vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026), using TCP port 135; the RPC locator vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-001), using TCP port 445; and the WebDav vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-007), using TCP port 80.

W32.Gaobot.YC is a variant of W32.HLLW.Gaobot.gen that attempts to spread to network shares and allows access to an infected computer through an IRC channel. The worm uses multiple vulnerabilities to spread, including the DCOM RPC vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026), using TCP port 135; the RPC locator vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-001), using TCP port 445; and the WebDav vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-007), using TCP port 80.

W32.Netsky.U@mm is a mass-mailing worm and a variant of W32.Netsky.S@mm. This worm also contains back-door functionality and may perform a denial-of-service attack against predetermined Web sites. The subject line and attachment name will vary. The attachment will have a .pif file extension.

Trojan.Mitglieder.H is a minor variant of Trojan.Mitglieder. This Trojan horse opens a proxy on your system that allows it to relay e-mail. It can update or uninstall itself. Unlike its previous variants, Trojan.Mitglieder.H does not try to stop security software.

W32.Gaobot.WO is a variant of W32.Gaobot.gen. It attempts to spread through network shares that have weak passwords. It also allows attackers to access an infected computer through a predetermined IRC channel. The worm uses multiple vulnerabilities to spread, including the DCOM RPC vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026), using TCP port 135; the RPC locator vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-001), using TCP port 445; the WebDav vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-007), using TCP port 80; and the workstation service buffer overrun vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-049), using TCP port 445.

W32.Tunk.A is a file-prepending virus. Infected systems may fail to restart from May 2004 onward.

Backdoor.Nibu.D is a multi-threaded Trojan horse that opens a back door, runs a key logger, and attempts to steal personal information.

PTF’S AND FIXES FOR OS/400 AND RELATED PROGRAMS

IBM released the latest cumulative package for V5R2 customers on March 29.

The latest HIPER package was released March 16.

The Database Group PTF was updated February 26.