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- Date: 02 Mar 93 11:56:08 EST
- From: Crypt_Newsletter <70743.1711@COMPUSERVE.COM>
- Subject: File 3--Official virus-writing contest
-
-
- W E L C O M E
- T O
- T H E
- F I R S T
-
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
- * *
- * I N T E R N A T I O N A L *
- * *
- * C O M P U T E R *
- * *
- * V I R U S *
- * *
- * W R I T I N G *
- * *
- * C O N T E S T *
- * *
- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-
- - 1 9 9 3 -
-
- Final Date For Submissions: APRIL 1, 1993
-
- This Contest is Sponsored by:
-
- American Eagle Publications, Inc.
- P. O. Box 41401
- Tucson, AZ 85717 USA
-
- Publisher of The Little Black Book of Computer Viruses
-
- Ok, all you genius hackers out there! Here is a challenge for you.
- Prove your stuff!
-
- This is an INTERNATIONAL contest, and this file is being circulated
- all over the world, so if you want to compete, be forewarned,
- you've
- got worldwide competition. Only the best have a chance in this
- game.
-
- Still up to the challenge?
-
- Ok, here it is:
-
- I am writing Volume 2 of The Little Black Book of Computer Viruses.
- This is a study of the scientific applications of computer viruses,
- and their use in artificial life research, and all of that neat
- stuff.
- One of the things I want to discuss in the book is the limit on the
- size of a virus for a given level of functionality. So I took the
- TIMID virus from Volume 1 and tore it down to the bare minimum. Not
- good enough. I wrote a virus that worked a little differently. I
- tore
- that one down to the bare minimum. Good enough? Well maybe. But
- maybe
- not. I have some pretty compact code, but is it the absolute best?
- I'm guessing somebody out there can top it.
-
- Here are the rules:
-
- (1) The object of this game is to write the smallest
- virus you can with the required level of functionality.
-
- (2) The virus must be capable of infecting all COM files
- on the logged drive in the current directory of a PC,
- no matter how many COM files are there. It may infect
- them as quickly or as slowly as you like, so long as
- it can be demonstrated that it will do so in an hour,
- when running the programs in that directory one after
- the other in sequential order.
-
- (3) The virus must recognize itself and avoid re-infecting
- files that have been infected. At most, only one in
- fifty thousand files should get accidentally re-infected,
- assuming that the data in unknown COM files is random.
-
- (4) The virus must terminate gracefully if it cannot find a
- file to infect.
-
- (5) The virus must not destroy any of the code in any file
- which it infects. It must allow that code to execute
- properly, or refuse to infect a file.
-
- (6) The virus must be self-contained. It cannot hide
- code in some common location on disk.
-
- (7) The virus must function properly under MS-DOS 5.0 with
- no TSR's resident, and nothing loaded high.
-
- (8) The size will be determined by the larger of (A) the
- number of bytes the virus code itself takes up in
- an infected file, and (B) the largest number of bytes
- the virus adds to a program when it infects it.
-
- The best code I have for a virus that follows these rules right now
- is
- 139 bytes long. Both source and executable are included in the ZIP,
- named LITTLE.ASM and LITTLE.COM.
-
- In the event of a tie for size, originality and ingenuity of the
- code
- will break the tie. All judges decisions are final.
-
- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
-
- The winner will receive the following:
-
- (1) A $100 CASH REWARD.
-
- (2) Your code will be published in The Little Black Book of
- Computer Viruses, Volume 2.
-
- (3) I will give you credit for the code and for winning the
- International Virus Contest in the book, using either your real
- name
- or an alias, your choice, published in the book.
-
- (4) Your name will be posted on the MISS bulletin board as the
- contest winner.
-
- (5) A free copy of The Little Black Book of Computer Viruses,
- Volume 2, and a one year subscription to Computer Virus
- Developments
- Quarterly ($95 value).
-
- Three honorable mention winners will receive a free copy of The
- Little
- Black Book of Computer Viruses, Volume 2.
-
- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
-
- You may make an entry in two ways:
-
- (1) Mail your entry on a PC format floppy disk to American Eagle
- Publications, Inc., PO Box 41401, Tucson, AZ 85717 USA.
-
- (2) Upload your entry to the M.I.S.S. bulletin board at
- (805)251-0564
- in the USA. Log on as GUEST, password VIRUS, last 4 digits of phone
- number 0000, and upload to the CONTEST UPLOADS directory.
-
- A valid entry consists of the following items:
-
- (A) Complete source code for a virus, which can be assembled using
- either TASM, MASM, or A86. If you use another assembler and don't
- know
- if one of the above will work, then send the assembler along with
- the
- submission. If you do anything tricky that we may not understand,
- you
- must explain it in comments in the assembler source.
-
- (B) A statement of who you are (aliases accepted) and how to get in
- touch with you in case you win the contest. This information will
- be
- kept strictly confidential, and encrypted at all times.
-
- By submitting an entry to the contest, you agree that the copyright
- to
- your entry will be considered the property of American Eagle
- Publications. The copyright to any losing entry will be returned to
- the owner upon written request. In the event that you win or
- receive
- honorable mention in the contest, the copyright to the code will
- remain the property of American Eagle Publications, Inc.
-
- You may submit your entry encrypted with PGP 2.1 if you desire. Use
- the following public key to encrypt:
-
- -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
- Version: 2.1
-
- mQBNAitZ9w4AAAECAOXJYOsJNavAAWFBRwf4/u0QWMJ9IHj8eajgOfDRdlCNwEBJ
- wMs1vb5GcdJCaeoCgBR3Xxzh6oEo2nrwfru8mqMABRG0CE1BTHVkd2ln
- =P6d4
- -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
- *end*
-
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