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A helpful worm to get rid of a bad worm (slrpnk.net)

submitted 3 weeks ago by ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net to c/chaoticgood@sopuli.xyz

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welchia

Welchia, also known as the "Nachi worm", is a computer worm that exploits a vulnerability in the Microsoft remote procedure call (RPC) service similar to the Blaster worm. However, unlike Blaster, it first searches for and deletes Blaster if it exists, then tries to download and install security patches from Microsoft that would prevent further infection by Blaster, so it is classified as a helpful worm. Welchia was successful in deleting Blaster, but Microsoft claimed that it was not always successful in applying their security patch.[

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[–] Apytele@sh.itjust.works 61 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Fun fact: there are biological viruses that exclusively eat bacteria called "bacteriophages."

Viruses as a rule are extremely host-specific, because they can only latch on to one or a few specific proteins on the surface of the host cells they're parisitizing. The fact that bacterial cells are so different from human or any animal cells means its almost if not impossible for them to harm humans. Using a bacterial sample / culture from an infection to breed bacteriophages that can then be introduced to the patient fight the infection is called "phage therapy" and is actually fairly common in some parts of the world. Phage therapy often outpreforms antibiotic therapy both in terms of resistance and in terms of safety for the patient. Because they're so host specific it's both harder for the bacteria to develop resistance and less likely to harm the patient.

A better analogy to the OP might be something more like a specially retrovirus that inserts dna into a cell that that cell will then replicate as part of its own, but it tangentially reminded me of this so I thought I'd share.

[–] JustAnotherKay@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

A better analogy to the OP might be... Inserts DNA into a cell that that cell...

Granted, I haven't been in a biology class in like 7 years but isn't that how viruses work, and by extensions bacteriophage? I think they use RNA instead of DNA, but that's pedantic

[–] meyotch@slrpnk.net 9 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

There are both DNA and RNA viruses. Not all viruses incorporate themselves into the host genome, thus the special term ‘retroviruses’ for those that do.

[–] JustAnotherKay@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Woah, I've only ever seen 'retrovirus' in reference to things like "scientists find retrovirus in ice!" So I totally thought it meant retro virus. I was wrong lol

[–] meyotch@slrpnk.net 3 points 3 weeks ago

Truly ‘retro’ viruses are too cool to use the term! It’s such an annoying hipster vibe they give off

[–] thevoidzero@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

HIV is the most famous retrovirus. The reason it's hard to cure is basically once it goes from bloodstream to the host cells, it adds itself to the host DNA and RNA, then it just replicates with our cells and that our cell will produce more of it.

[–] BakerBagel@midwest.social 3 points 3 weeks ago

A retrovirus does transcription in the opposite direction. It's RNA genome is used as a template to create DNA which is then used to hijack the host cell and replicate the virus. It's a bit like a cuckoo bird laying it's egg in the host nest, only once that egg hatches it turns the other eggs into cuckoos as well.

Retroviruses were entirely theoretical prior to HIV, as RNA is famous for being unstable. Anyone who has worked in a genetics lab can tell you how big a PITA RNA can be, as even a heavy bump to the lab bench can ruin an experiment.

[–] Apytele@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

they don't usually replicate it as part of themselves going forward, they replicate mostly or only the viral dna and capsules until they explode.

[–] DrBob@lemmy.ca 33 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

The first of these I remember is the "cheese worm" back in the 90s. It closed ports and did some other basic security things and left a message in the sys.log to eat more cheese.

[–] don@lemm.ee 23 points 3 weeks ago

Chaotic good mode enabled.

[–] SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml 12 points 3 weeks ago

Based

[–] AlternatePersonMan@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

someone is my hero.