From: "Paul S. Penrod" <furballs@netcom.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 1996 05:40:27 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: WARNING vIRuS!
In-Reply-To: <199608311621.LAA20992@netnet1.netnet.net>
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9608311205.A15184-0100000@netcom>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



I doubt very seriously that this is anything more than a troll.

First off, the algorythms used to find polymorphics are sophisticated 
enough to detect newly published viruses.

Secondly, DOS/Windows et al. are not much more than boot sector viruses 
themselves. :-) Their structure is well know and there isn't any back 
door available to bang the OS from that hasn't already been exploited.

Real OS's like Unix, OS/2 etc. are also know quantities.

Binary launches are the way they do it, and the way a virus spreads, 
unless you get caught up with autoexecuting Word and Excel macros.

I have yet to see *any* truly data propogating viruses.

None the less, it is always a good idea to keep a scanner handy for 
thoses files that wander in off the Net. You never really know what 
they've been doing and who they've been doing it with. :-)

...Paul

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there
 is no need to do so, almost everybody gets busy on the proof"

                                            -- John Kenneth Galbraith

"Success is attending a funeral as a spectator"

                                            -- E. BonAnno 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Sat, 31 Aug 1996, kickboxer wrote:

>         There is a new and VERY dangerous virus called the HAZ-MAT virus!
> it fucks up the sectors on your hd, and really messes up the partition
> tables.  It does this once a week, picking a random time to do it.  99.9% of
> virus scanners and other antivirus programs will not recognize it, for it is
> a totally new strain, using a never before seen code.... Be warned!  The
> HAZ-MAT virus usually resides in JPG, and GIF files... once the files are
> viewed, the virus takes effect.
> scan all images upon download!
>                                                                                
> 
>