Bugtraq mailing list archives
Re: A comment on using CPU resources
From: Steven Champeon <schampeo () hesketh com>
Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2005 16:44:15 -0400
on Sun, Jul 10, 2005 at 12:23:51AM +0530, Raghu Chinthoju wrote:
This isn't a new thing, stealing CPU cycles this way is known for some time now. The following are the reasons I guess why this isn't feasible: 1. No anonymity. The code is directly visible to the victim.
It is, however, entirely possible to obfuscate JavaScript, or to hide the data being processed by fetching it post-load.
2. As long as any script is running, the browser shows that the page is still being loaded. This might drag suspicion to view whats in the page or the user might simply cancel loading (ie the java script). Time consuming scripts might have less chances.
Canceling loading (e.g., hitting the "stop" button in most modern graphical desktop browsers) doesn't cancel script execution.
3. There are many better ways for a determined CPU thief. For example, there are plenty of vulnerable machines connected to Internet offering their everything to hackers in a silver plate.
Agreed.
4. If CPU cycles were really in huge demand, some one could just start a business offering to pay for in return to lending idle CPU. Guess not a bad idea ;-)
This is not a new idea - there are already several companies doing exactly this sort of distributed computing-for-hire. United Devices, for example. -- antispam news, solutions for sendmail, exim, postfix: http://enemieslist.com/
Current thread:
- A comment on using CPU resources Gandalf The White (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Jeroen van Rijn (Jul 09)
- A comment on using CPU resources, addendum. Jeroen van Rijn (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Steven Champeon (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Security (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Andreas Bartelt (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Raghu Chinthoju (Jul 09)
- RE: A comment on using CPU resources Scott Marburger (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Steven Champeon (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Joachim Schipper (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Christian (Jul 09)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- RE: A comment on using CPU resources Joseph Finley (Jul 09)
- RE: A comment on using CPU resources Martin Konold (Jul 09)
- Re: Re: A comment on using CPU resources securityfocus (Jul 09)
- Re: A comment on using CPU resources Jeroen van Rijn (Jul 09)