A Windows laptop infected with six high-profile computer viruses has surpassed a value of one million dollars in public auction bids. For a project called "The Persistence of Chaos," contemporary internet artist Guo O. Dong and security firm Deep Instinct infected a Samsung NC10-14GB 10.2-Inch Blue Netbook (2008) running Windows XP SP3 with six pieces of malware that have historically caused financial damages together totaling $95 billion. Included in those threats are WannaCry, a family of ransomware which leveraged a Microsoft SMB vulnerability to infect hundreds of thousands of computers globally in May 2017, and BlackEnergy, which caused a power outage in Ukraine around Christmas in 2015. The art project also features the ILOVEYOU virus, MyDoom worm, SoBig trojan and DarkTequila malware.
An image of the infected computer Dong and Deep Instinct decided to airgap the computer to prevent any of the malware identified above from making its way to the web and causing more harm. The duo put their afflicted computer on display via a live feed hosted on a website created for the project. The feed will most likely remain available until someone wins a public auction for the art piece. As of this writing, the minimum bid for the computer is $1,130,500. Dong told VICE that he created the Project of Chaos in order to explore how people perceive malware:
These pieces of software seem so abstract, almost fake with their funny, spooky names, but I think they emphasize that the web and IRL are not different spaces. Malware is one of the most tangible ways that the internet can jump out of your monitor and bite you.
He went on to describe the project as a "bestiary, a catalogue of historical threats" that highlights how it's "exciting to see the beasts in a live environment.” For more information about Dong and his other Internet art projects like “HiPSTER ON A LEASH” and his Twitter bot called "China Headlines."
