Iran’s Nuclear Program hit by AC/DC thunderstruck virus
Ryan Martin / 12 years ago
Iran’s Nuclear program facilities have been hit by a rather comical (not for them anyway) music “virus”. It is reported by staff working at the facilities that during the night the computers are turned on, before having the volume cranked to the max to play some AC/DC – Thunderstruck.
Chief researcher at Finnish security company “F-secure”, Mikko Hypponen, has made public a letter he received over the weekend from an Iranian scientist from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI). The scientist claims that another virus has struck AEOI’s facilities in the Natanz Uranium enrichment facility in central Iran and secret bunker research facility in Fordo, southwest of Tehran.
The unknown Iranian scientist reports that virus has turned off automated system operations at both the AEOI research centres. Although there is no means of confirming the information, it has been confirmed that the letter was sent from an AEOI server.
The Iranian scientist described part of the virus in his letter:
“There was also some music playing randomly on several of the workstations during the middle of the night with the volume maxed out. I believe it was playing ‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC,”
This AC/DC “virus” is the third in a row to hit the Iranian nuclear program, in addition to 2010’s Stuxnet and 2012’s Flame viruses. Stuxnet is believed to have set back the Iranian nuclear program by 2 years while the Flame virus is reported to have been neutralised by the AEOI.
