                    Ŀ
                            VIRUS REPORT         
                      Ghost Virus (COM version)  
                    

Synonyms: Ghostballs.

Date of Origin: September, 1989.

Place of Origin: Iceland.

Host Machine: PC compatibles.

Host Files: COM files.

Increase in Size of Infected Files: 2351 bytes.

Nature of Damage: Corrupts or overwrites boot sector; corrupts COM
files.

Detected by: Scanv46+, F-Prot, IBM Scan, Pro-Scan.

Removed by: MDisk or DOS SYS command (accompanied by erasing infected
COM files), or use CleanUp or F-Prot.

     The Ghost viruses (both boot and COM) were discovered at Icelandic
University by Fridrik Skulason. The Ghost COM virus infects generic COM
files, increasing the file size by 2,351 bytes.

     Symptoms of this virus are very similar to the Ping Pong virus, and
random file corruption may occur on infected systems.

     The Ghost COM virus may be the first virus to infect both files (COM
files in this case) and boot sectors. After the boot sector is infected,
it also acts as a virus (see Ghost BOOT virus).

     To remove this virus, turn off the computer and reboot from a
write-protected disk. Then use MDisk, NDD, or the DOS SYS command to
replace the boot sector on the infected disk. Any infected .COM files
must also be replaced with clean copies.


ͻ
  This document was adapted from the book "Computer Viruses",       
  which is copyright and distributed by the National Computer       
  Security Association. It contains information compiled from       
  many sources. To the best of our knowledge, all information       
  presented here is accurate.                                       
                                                                    
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  4401-A Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008. Or call our BBS  
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  The NCSA is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving      
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  year. Copies of the book "Computer Viruses", which provides       
  detailed information on over 145 viruses, can be obtained from    
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            The document is copyright (c) 1990 NCSA.                
                                                                    
  This document may be distributed in any format, providing         
  this message is not removed or altered.                           
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