Software Turns Google into a Virus Scanner

Kfleming writes "Websense, a security vendor, has developed software that uses a binary search feature built into Google to hunt down malware. Using this technique researchers at Websense have uncovered over 2,000 websites hosting malware, and are also able to detect legitimate sites that have been hacked. Could this binary search feature also be used to exploit Google and trick users into downloading malware?"

what a good idea

[gEvil (beta)]

You don't say? [slashdot.org]

For his next project...

[Ariane 6]

He plans on using Google as an means to track down dupes on Slashdot!

interesting ...

[Anonymous Coward]

What is this google and where can i download it?

-Sj53

URL Turns google into a dupe-checker

[rylin]

URL Turns google into a dupe-checker [google.com]

What are they talking about?

[Anonymous Coward]

What is a *.exe? Never seen that kind of file on any of my three operating systems. Good, one thing less to worry about.

... you dupe stories, I dupe replies.

Re:what a good idea

[mgblst]

et tu, cowboyneal?

Re:What about dups?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is an outrage! Slashdot is an honorable and journalistically competent online-newspaper. There are no "dupes" here; it's all in your head.

Fucking un-American commie, offending our good god-loving, hard working editors.

I will see that your whole internet will be banned.

Re:What about dups?

[Guppy06]

Yeah, they'll implement that right after they add spell-check.

Let me introduce you to my friend, the Silent E!

So...

[multipartmixed]

...they are using the SOAP API to find virus-laden files.

Theres gotta be a joke in there somewhere..

"In Soviet Russia, SOAP cleans your computer!"

No wait.

"I for one welcome our freshly-washed overlords!"

Crap, that doesn't really work, either.

"Let's pour hot SOAP down Natalie Portman's pants!"

Hmm. I wouldn't mind doing that, but it's not particularly funny.

"Netcraft confirms it, SOAP can eliminate viruses!"

"Hey, Goatse man, did you lose this?"

.....ah, SCREW it. I have better things to with my time than to write comedy. Stephen King died today, and there are 300 victims of a Sri-Lankan Tsunami to worry about!

Big Deal

[tisme]

Big Deal, I have figured out how to use Google to eliminate my need to excrete bodily solids or fluids.

Re:What about dups?

[bostonsoxfan]

Well if you put enough stuff on the internets the tubes will get clogged and you won't get your internets till today (Which was sent out three days ago of course.)

soon my children...

[deamonpainter33]

google will be able to scan your bedroom and tell you if your enviornment will cause you cancer or not :P

binary search? ..... oh, they meant binary search.

[Anonymous Coward]

Looking at the summary I thought to myself: "Hmmm....you can tell google to use plain old binary search? And...what makes the binary search algorithm so usefull for finding websites hosting malware?"

It started with our abuse of the word "computer"

[jdbartlett]

I agree. I think we need to introduce more orthogonal terminology.

Re:what a good idea

[bunratty]

Slashdot should use Google search to find duplicate articles.