VIRUS-L Digest Thursday, 5 Oct 1989 Volume 2 : Issue 214 VIRUS-L is a moderated, digested mail forum for discussing computer virus issues; comp.virus is a non-digested Usenet counterpart. Discussions are not limited to any one hardware/software platform - diversity is welcomed. Contributions should be relevant, concise, polite, etc., and sent to VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.LEHIGH.EDU (that's LEHIIBM1.BITNET for BITNET folks). Information on accessing anti-virus, document, and back-issue archives is distributed periodically on the list. Administrative mail (comments, suggestions, and so forth) should be sent to me at: krvw@SEI.CMU.EDU. - Ken van Wyk Today's Topics: Re: paper comparing biological and computer viruses CNN coverage of Columbus Day Virus and Friday 13th Virus The DataCrime viruses (PC) Two new PC viruses That's the news... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 05 Oct 89 06:07:51 +0000 From: munnari!gara.une.oz.au!pmorriso@uunet.UU.NET (Perry Morrison MATH) Subject: Re: paper comparing biological and computer viruses SOFPJF@UOGUELPH.BITNET (Peter Jaspers-Fayer) writes: > This is an outline for a semi-serious paper on the similarities > between biological and computer viruses, and the efforts to understand > and combat them. I present it here in the hopes that others may wish > to contribute a paragraph or so (sorry no money, but I'll give credit > for any material I receive). I wrote a short paper published in the Futurist which introduces the analogy of software and organic viruses. For historical adequacy of your paper, I'd appreciate it if you included it in your bibliography: Morrison, P.R. "Computer Parasites May Cripple Our Computers", The Futurist, 1986, 20(2), 36-38. _ _______________________W_(Not Drowning...Waving!)______________________ Perry Morrison Ph.D, V.D (and scar). SNAIL: Maths, Stats and Computing Science, UNE, Armidale, 2351, Australia. perrym@neumann.une.oz or pmorriso@gara.une.oz Ph:067 73 2302 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Oct 89 08:51:37 -0500 From: Jim Ennis Subject: CNN coverage of Columbus Day Virus and Friday 13th Virus Hello, Viruses were covered on the CNN 'AT&T Information and Technology' segment of the CNN Daybreak show Weds, 10/4/89. There was a good non-techie description of what a virus is, how it spreads and some safe computing (safe sex) practices. They did not mention how to detect the virus and remove, or who you could contact for more information. They had short pieces with Winn Schwartau 'American Computer Security', Richard Carr 'NASA', and Ross Greenberg 'Software Author'. The show seems to be lumping all computer security problems as 'viruses', it did not attempt to differentiate (sp?) the different types of problems facing computers. Also, they said that the virus will not affect many people, they did not give any estimates on the number of possible infections (which from following this list is pretty small). The segment might run on Sunday during the 'Science & Technology' half hour show (usually in the early afternoon). It was only about 3-4 minutes long. Jim Ennis UCF Computer Services ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Oct 89 17:13:10 +0200 From: Y. Radai Subject: The DataCrime viruses (PC) In August, Alan Roberts, David Chess, and Kelly Goen discussed the DataCrime II virus on VIRUS-L, but only from one point of view: that it's encrypted and that the decryption code includes a routine which prevents looking at the code with a single-step utility. Unless I missed something, none of them thought of telling us anything else concerning how DC-2 differs from the original DC. Much later, however, we did learn several additional differences, for example: (1) DC-2 infects EXE as well as COM files. (2) It increases file size by 1514 bytes. (3) Whereas DC avoids infecting COM files whose 7th letter is "D" (thus avoiding infection of COMMAND.COM), DC-2 avoids infecting COM files whose 2nd letter is "B" (presumably so as not to infect IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM). So far, so good. But I have since discovered that there was one very important difference which (again, assuming that I haven't missed anything) was not mentioned by anyone on the List: Whereas DC per- forms its damage (low-level format of cylinder 0 of the hard disk) on any day between Oct 13 and Dec 31 of any year, DC-2 does it on any day between Jan 1 and Oct 12, except on Sundays! Y. Radai Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Oct 89 14:33:43 +0200 From: Y. Radai Subject: Two new PC viruses Two new viruses have been discovered in Israel. One of them is called the Alabama virus. It infects EXE files and increases their size by 1560 bytes. Unlike many other resident viruses, it does not use Int 21h function 31h to stay resident. It loads itself 30K under the highest memory location reported by DOS, but (unlike MIX1) it does not lower the amount of memory reported by BIOS or DOS. It hooks Int 9 and checks for Ctrl-Alt-Del. (It uses IN and OUT commands to confuse anti-virus people.) When it identifies this com- bination it causes an apparent boot but remains in RAM. After 1 hour of operation (the virus checks the time on each Int 9 or Int 21 call), the following flashing boxed message appears: SOFTWARE COPIES PROHIBITED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW.............. Box 1055 Tuscambia ALABAMA USA. This virus does not necessarily infect the file which is currently being executed. First it looks for an uninfected file in the cur- rent directory, and if it finds one it infects it. Only if it does not find one does it infect the executed file. But sometimes, when it finds an uninfected file, instead of infect- ing it, it will *exchange* it with the currently executed file without renaming it, so that the user will think that he is executing one pro- gram while he is actually executing another one! I have less information about the other virus (not even a name for it). It adds 4096 to all infected files (both EXE amd COM, incl. COMMAND.COM). But when you perform DIR you don't see the increase in file size since the virus shows you the *original* (uninfected) sizes. Like the Alabama and MIX1, it does not use the usual TSR function. It also uses INs and OUTs to confuse single-step utilities. My thanks to Eli Shapira for this info. Y. Radai Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 05 Oct 89 16:00:00 EDT From: "Kenneth R. van Wyk" Subject: That's the news... To quote Saturday Night Live's Dennis Miller, That's the news and I am out of here! VIRUS-L/comp.virus will be back on-line when I return from Maui/Kaui on Oct. 23. Until then, use VALERT-L for *VIRUS ALERTS* only. Please do not use VALERT-L for anything other than virus alerts. Aloha, :-) Ken van Wyk ------------------------------ End of VIRUS-L Digest ********************* Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253