Knowledge

Time bomb (software)

Source 📝

360: 832: 67:. Reid sold Scribe to a software company called Unilogic (later renamed Scribe Systems), and agreed to insert a set of time-dependent functions (called "time bombs") that would deactivate freely copied versions of the program after a 90-day expiration date. To avoid deactivation, users paid the software company, which then issued a code that defused the internal time bomb feature. 192:
sweeten the deal, Reid also agreed to insert a set of time-dependent functions- "time bombs" in software-programmer parlance-that deactivated freely copied versions of the program after a 90-day expiration date. To avoid deactivation, users paid the software company, which then issued a code that disabled the internal time-bomb feature.
89:
and time bombs is that a logic bomb may have a timing function implemented into it as a failsafe if the conditions are not met in a certain time period (it may delete itself or activate its payload using the timing system), while time bombs only use timing functions to (de)activate themselves. Time
191:
In 1979, Reid made the decision to sell Scribe to a Pittsburgh-area software company called Unilogic. His graduate-student career ending, Reid says he simply was looking for a way to unload the program on a set of developers that would take pains to keep it from slipping into the public domain. To
222:
For Reid, the deal was a win-win. Scribe didn't fall into the public domain, and Unilogic recouped on its investment. For Stallman, it was a betrayal of the programmer ethos, pure and simple. Instead of honoring the notion of share-and-share alike, Reid had inserted a way for companies to compel
34:
that has been written so that it will start or stop functioning after a predetermined date or time is reached. The term "time bomb" does not refer to a program that stops functioning a specific number of days after it is installed; instead, the term
90:
bombs, once activated, will unload their payload (which may be malicious) in a similar way logic bombs deliver their payloads to the target. The main difference between both time and logic bombs, and
73:
saw this as a betrayal of the programmer ethos. Instead of honoring the notion of share-and-share alike, Reid had inserted a way for companies to compel programmers to pay for information access (see
43:(pre-release) software when the manufacturer of the software does not want the beta version being used after the final release date. One example of time bomb software would be Microsoft's 156: 254: 47:, which was programmed to expire on May 31, 2007. The time limits on time bomb software are not usually as heavily enforced as they are on 873: 798: 775: 897: 806: 247: 738: 534: 788: 64: 153: 866: 601: 240: 117: 892: 793: 714: 514: 74: 770: 728: 384: 98:, and instead does its damage by continually replicating itself to deplete available system resources. 141: 631: 349: 859: 616: 494: 389: 60: 704: 656: 319: 847: 745: 479: 839: 765: 677: 626: 571: 439: 394: 292: 263: 112: 44: 359: 8: 549: 324: 282: 733: 661: 566: 40: 781: 539: 474: 424: 371: 329: 277: 210: 179: 23: 206: 175: 750: 690: 454: 444: 339: 70: 31: 641: 621: 519: 344: 334: 160: 843: 811: 709: 559: 509: 484: 449: 429: 309: 297: 51:, since time bomb software does not usually implement secure clock functions. 886: 721: 682: 651: 646: 499: 489: 459: 755: 611: 314: 695: 529: 504: 469: 304: 59:
The first use of a time bomb in software may have been in 1979 with the
760: 576: 524: 407: 287: 232: 107: 86: 636: 591: 586: 434: 402: 122: 91: 48: 36: 831: 596: 554: 417: 207:"Free as in Freedom – Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software" 176:"Free as in Freedom – Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software" 20: 606: 581: 544: 464: 379: 164:, Adobe Systems, Technical Note #5042, 31 March 1992. Page 5. 80: 63:
markup language and word processing system, developed by
154:PostScript Printer Driver Optimization Case Study 884: 867: 248: 39:" applies. Time bombs are commonly used in 874: 860: 255: 241: 223:programmers to pay for information access. 799:Security information and event management 262: 204: 173: 81:Comparison of logic bombs and time bombs 885: 776:Host-based intrusion detection system 236: 94:, is that a fork bomb has no payload 826: 807:Runtime application self-protection 13: 358: 14: 909: 739:Security-focused operating system 830: 535:Insecure direct object reference 789:Information security management 198: 167: 146: 135: 1: 128: 85:The main differences between 846:. You can help Knowledge by 205:Williams, Sam (March 2002). 174:Williams, Sam (March 2002). 7: 794:Information risk management 715:Multi-factor authentication 271:Related security categories 101: 10: 914: 898:Computer programming stubs 825: 771:Intrusion detection system 729:Computer security software 385:Advanced persistent threat 54: 670: 370: 356: 350:Digital rights management 270: 495:Denial-of-service attack 390:Arbitrary code execution 705:Computer access control 657:Rogue security software 320:Electromagnetic warfare 142:Windows Vista home page 842:-related article is a 751:Obfuscation (software) 480:Browser Helper Objects 364: 30:is part of a computer 746:Data-centric security 627:Remote access trojans 362: 75:Events leading to GNU 840:computer-programming 678:Application security 572:Privilege escalation 440:Cross-site scripting 293:Cybersex trafficking 264:Information security 113:Planned obsolescence 45:Windows Vista Beta 2 325:Information warfare 283:Automotive security 893:Software licensing 734:Antivirus software 602:Social engineering 567:Polymorphic engine 520:Fraudulent dialers 425:Hardware backdoors 365: 159:2016-03-05 at the 855: 854: 820: 819: 782:Anomaly detection 687:Secure by default 540:Keystroke loggers 475:Drive-by download 363:vectorial version 330:Internet security 278:Computer security 905: 876: 869: 862: 834: 827: 691:Secure by design 622:Hardware Trojans 455:History sniffing 445:Cross-site leaks 340:Network security 257: 250: 243: 234: 233: 227: 226: 218: 217: 202: 196: 195: 187: 186: 171: 165: 150: 144: 139: 118:Scribe Time-bomb 71:Richard Stallman 913: 912: 908: 907: 906: 904: 903: 902: 883: 882: 881: 880: 823: 821: 816: 666: 366: 354: 345:Copy protection 335:Mobile security 266: 261: 231: 230: 215: 213: 203: 199: 184: 182: 172: 168: 161:Wayback Machine 151: 147: 140: 136: 131: 104: 83: 57: 17: 12: 11: 5: 911: 901: 900: 895: 879: 878: 871: 864: 856: 853: 852: 835: 818: 817: 815: 814: 812:Site isolation 809: 804: 803: 802: 796: 786: 785: 784: 779: 768: 763: 758: 753: 748: 743: 742: 741: 736: 726: 725: 724: 719: 718: 717: 710:Authentication 702: 701: 700: 699: 698: 688: 685: 674: 672: 668: 667: 665: 664: 659: 654: 649: 644: 639: 634: 629: 624: 619: 614: 609: 604: 599: 594: 589: 584: 579: 574: 569: 564: 563: 562: 552: 547: 542: 537: 532: 527: 522: 517: 512: 510:Email spoofing 507: 502: 497: 492: 487: 482: 477: 472: 467: 462: 457: 452: 450:DOM clobbering 447: 442: 437: 432: 430:Code injection 427: 422: 421: 420: 415: 410: 405: 397: 392: 387: 382: 376: 374: 368: 367: 357: 355: 353: 352: 347: 342: 337: 332: 327: 322: 317: 312: 310:Cyberterrorism 307: 302: 301: 300: 298:Computer fraud 295: 285: 280: 274: 272: 268: 267: 260: 259: 252: 245: 237: 229: 228: 197: 166: 145: 133: 132: 130: 127: 126: 125: 120: 115: 110: 103: 100: 82: 79: 56: 53: 49:trial software 16:Computer virus 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 910: 899: 896: 894: 891: 890: 888: 877: 872: 870: 865: 863: 858: 857: 851: 849: 845: 841: 836: 833: 829: 828: 824: 813: 810: 808: 805: 800: 797: 795: 792: 791: 790: 787: 783: 780: 777: 774: 773: 772: 769: 767: 764: 762: 759: 757: 754: 752: 749: 747: 744: 740: 737: 735: 732: 731: 730: 727: 723: 722:Authorization 720: 716: 713: 712: 711: 708: 707: 706: 703: 697: 694: 693: 692: 689: 686: 684: 683:Secure coding 681: 680: 679: 676: 675: 673: 669: 663: 660: 658: 655: 653: 652:SQL injection 650: 648: 645: 643: 640: 638: 635: 633: 632:Vulnerability 630: 628: 625: 623: 620: 618: 617:Trojan horses 615: 613: 612:Software bugs 610: 608: 605: 603: 600: 598: 595: 593: 590: 588: 585: 583: 580: 578: 575: 573: 570: 568: 565: 561: 558: 557: 556: 553: 551: 548: 546: 543: 541: 538: 536: 533: 531: 528: 526: 523: 521: 518: 516: 513: 511: 508: 506: 503: 501: 500:Eavesdropping 498: 496: 493: 491: 490:Data scraping 488: 486: 483: 481: 478: 476: 473: 471: 468: 466: 463: 461: 460:Cryptojacking 458: 456: 453: 451: 448: 446: 443: 441: 438: 436: 433: 431: 428: 426: 423: 419: 416: 414: 411: 409: 406: 404: 401: 400: 398: 396: 393: 391: 388: 386: 383: 381: 378: 377: 375: 373: 369: 361: 351: 348: 346: 343: 341: 338: 336: 333: 331: 328: 326: 323: 321: 318: 316: 313: 311: 308: 306: 303: 299: 296: 294: 291: 290: 289: 286: 284: 281: 279: 276: 275: 273: 269: 265: 258: 253: 251: 246: 244: 239: 238: 235: 225: 224: 212: 208: 201: 194: 193: 181: 177: 170: 163: 162: 158: 155: 149: 143: 138: 134: 124: 121: 119: 116: 114: 111: 109: 106: 105: 99: 97: 93: 88: 78: 76: 72: 68: 66: 62: 52: 50: 46: 42: 38: 33: 29: 25: 22: 848:expanding it 837: 822: 756:Data masking 412: 315:Cyberwarfare 221: 220: 214:. Retrieved 200: 190: 189: 183:. Retrieved 169: 152: 148: 137: 95: 84: 69: 58: 27: 18: 696:Misuse case 530:Infostealer 505:Email fraud 470:Data breach 305:Cybergeddon 87:logic bombs 887:Categories 761:Encryption 637:Web shells 577:Ransomware 525:Hacktivism 288:Cybercrime 216:2008-09-26 185:2008-09-26 129:References 108:Logic Bomb 92:fork bombs 65:Brian Reid 592:Shellcode 587:Scareware 435:Crimeware 395:Backdoors 123:Time bomb 37:trialware 28:time bomb 766:Firewall 671:Defenses 597:Spamming 582:Rootkits 555:Phishing 515:Exploits 211:O'Reilly 180:O'Reilly 157:Archived 102:See also 24:software 21:computer 607:Spyware 550:Payload 545:Malware 485:Viruses 465:Botnets 372:Threats 55:History 32:program 801:(SIEM) 778:(HIDS) 662:Zombie 399:Bombs 380:Adware 96:per se 61:Scribe 838:This 647:Worms 642:Wiper 560:Voice 408:Logic 844:stub 413:Time 403:Fork 41:beta 26:, a 418:Zip 77:). 19:In 889:: 219:. 209:. 188:. 178:. 875:e 868:t 861:v 850:. 256:e 249:t 242:v 35:"

Index

computer
software
program
trialware
beta
Windows Vista Beta 2
trial software
Scribe
Brian Reid
Richard Stallman
Events leading to GNU
logic bombs
fork bombs
Logic Bomb
Planned obsolescence
Scribe Time-bomb
Time bomb
Windows Vista home page
PostScript Printer Driver Optimization Case Study
Archived
Wayback Machine
"Free as in Freedom – Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software"
O'Reilly
"Free as in Freedom – Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software"
O'Reilly
v
t
e
Information security
Computer security

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.