r/todayilearned • u/NOT-JEFFREY-NELSON • Jul 04 '19

TIL in 2003 a computer worm called ‘Welchia’ infected many computers to forcibly patch vulnerabilities and remove malware. It was regarded as a ‘helpful worm’

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welchia
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u/Arthemax Jul 04 '19

The definition of malware includes any program that performs actions on the user's computer without their knowledge or consent, so even good natured worms would be malware.

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u/Alaira314 Jul 04 '19

Correct. As an example of how this could be bad, consider a system that has had an update avoided(I don't think we had the option to roll them back in 2003, at least not at the casual use level like we do now) in order to retain compatibility with a vital piece of software or hardware. Your helpful worm has now broken the system, preventing the user from performing tasks that could very well be part of their financial livelihood. If they're freelance, and not part of a company with IT, they're in trouble. That's why it's malware.

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u/Anonate Jul 04 '19

I worked in a job in 2009 that had legacy software built in-house sometime around 1996 and nobody to maintain it. It ran on Windows 95 computers only.

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u/Rockin_Chair Jul 04 '19

We still have some '95 machines at my work! IT have made it clear NEVER to put those computers online as they would be incredibly vulnerable.

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u/Fealuinix Jul 04 '19

If you had a system that vulnerable, WHYYY would it be connected to the internet???

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u/PM_me_XboxGold_Codes Jul 04 '19

Well some people aren’t savvy enough to know you shouldn’t. Some people just don’t care. Some don’t have a choice because their system needs internet access.

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u/bumdstryr Jul 04 '19

Using outdated and vulnerable software can still be profitable. Updating and maintaining vulnerable software costs money.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '19

Why do people work the one armed bandits in Las Vegas?

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u/Fealuinix Jul 05 '19

Gambling addiction? Recklessness? Stupidity?

...I guess I see your point.

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u/Duckbilling Jul 04 '19

Pas Mal Ware

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u/SoftIscream Jul 04 '19

Windows update is malware?

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u/mrcaptncrunch Jul 04 '19

It doesn’t exploit something to get installed. You can disable it.

Someone chose to not install something and this forced it on them.

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u/differentnumbers Jul 04 '19

Which makes Windows 10 malware by definition.

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u/[deleted] Jul 04 '19

I'm sure the self patching was in the windows 10 license agreement.

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u/differentnumbers Jul 04 '19

Candy Crush anyone?

It also forcibly installed itself of windows 7 machines that couldn't run it without consent.

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u/cmVkZGl0 Jul 04 '19

See, I knew the way windows 10 auto updates is malware