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- VIRUS-L Digest Tuesday, 7 Feb 1989 Volume 2 : Issue 38
-
- Today's Topics:
- Re: How-to-Infect Book
- Re: new Anarchist's Cookbook
- VirusDetective's configurability (Mac)
-
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Date: Mon, 06 Feb 89 16:19:58 CST
- From: Rob Caton <C70301RC@WUVMD.BITNET>
- Subject: Re: How-to-Infect Book
-
- > In Bill Machrone's column in the latest PC Magazine (Feb. 28,
- >1989) he mentions that he has seen a book which shows interested
- >parties not how to protect oneself against viruses and the like, but
- >how to WRITE the suckers. The author has thoughtfully provided
- ...(Stuff deleted)...
- >Great. An "Anarchist's Cookbook" for computers. I think the concept
- >is pretty reprehensible.
-
- I wouldn't be surprised if it does exist. I have seen a book called
- "The Computer Underground" which gives tips and techniques for
- breaking into computer systems, phreaking, blue boxing, etc. I'm just
- surprised that a book on writing viruses hasn't been released earlier.
-
- >Art Weisenseel
- >PR0032@BINGVMB.BITNET
-
- Robert Caton
- C70301RC@WUVMD
- Washington University
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Mon, 06 Feb 89 19:25:04 EST
- From: "Jeffery K. Bacon" <BACON@MTUS5.BITNET>
- Subject: Re: new Anarchist's Cookbook
-
- I personally found the Anarchist's Cookbook to be an awfully
- enlightening and useful book, if only because it taught me things I
- didn't know and might need someday. (Yeah, I read it. Couldn't find a
- copy to buy for myself tho.) It also taught me what I might want to
- look out for.
-
- I don't think the parallel is quite accurate. I can think of
- cases where I could use what I learned from the Cookbook. Why would
- anyone ever NEED to write a virus/worm/trojan?
-
- In any case, I'm afraid something like this was bound to happen
- eventually anyway. It's a free-information society, and virus-writing
- tricks are as much information as anything else. Besides, it might
- sell. I for one would be most interested in seeing such a book, esp
- since it would help me to understand what these people are doing in
- the first place. (The smallest computer I know anything useful about
- is an IBM PC-RT; my normal working habitat is 370 VM/CMS and SunOS. My
- knowledge of PCs extends to writing very simple batch files, and all I
- know about a Mac is 'point-and-click-and-pray', so I tend to get left
- in the dust sometimes.)
-
- Just as a matter of debate, do (the collectve you) think that
- such a book would be that harmful? If someone was really intent on
- writing a virus, it seems that they would find out what they need to
- know anyway, somehow. Sure, there would be a few who would
- 'dabble-and-poke' at it because of the book, but they probably
- wouldn't be able to do anything much. ??? (Point-of-debate only; I
- tend to think some other things.)
-
- -JB
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Tue, 7 Feb 89 13:12 GMT
- From: Danny Schwendener <SEKRETARIAT@CZHETH5A.BITNET>
- Subject: VirusDetective's configurability (Mac)
-
- Today a user came by and told me he found the "INIT 10" virus. When I
- asked what virus he was talking about, he replied "I don't know. But
- someone on [network name deleted] recommended to add INIT 6,10 17 and
- 32 to the Search list in VirusDetective". As I expected, the user had
- found a legal INIT 10 resource in a CDEV (Vaccine), and thought it was
- a virus.
-
- Those of you who follow the virus discussions will probably know that
- the Scores virus creates *among other resources* three INIT resources
- of ID 6, 10 and 17, and that the nVIR virus writes 6 nVIR resources as
- well as one INIT 32 resource into the System. But finding a single
- INIT 10 without any other symptoms does not necessarily mean that
- you're infected, even if that INIT is in the System file.
-
- To detect Scores, Virus Detective's Author Jeffrey Shulman has
- included the search string "CODE Jstart 7026 - for finding Scores in
- applications". If you want to search for Scores in the System file,
- too, include the search string "DATA Dual -4001 7026 - for finding
- Scores in System". But don't look for a plain INIT 6 or 10 or 17, as
- there are plenty of them in the sane world.
-
- Don't abuse the configurability of Programs such as VirusDetective.
- Adding strings like "INIT ID 6" or "INIT ID 32" will not increase the
- program's success rate. Au contraire. All it will change is that
- you'll have VirusDetective ringing bells and whistling like crazy on
- many uninfected CDEVs and INITs.
-
- Following are the Search strings that are included in VirusDetective
- 2.0 (plus one that finds Scores in the System). They are sufficient to
- detect the nVIR, Hpat, Scores and INIT29 viruses on your disks.
-
- nVIR any - For finding nVIR in all files
- Hpat any - For finding nVIR in all files
- INIT Dual 29 712 - For finding INIT29 in non-application files
- CODE Jstart 712 - For finding INIT29 in applications
- CODE Jstart 7026 - For finding Scores in applications
- DATA Dual -4001 7026 - For finding Scores in System,Desktop,Scores
- files (*)
-
- (*) Note that if VD rings on this, the two System files "Note Pad
- File" and "Scrapbook File" will be infected, too, and should be
- removed.
-
- - -- Danny Schwendener
- ETH Macintosh Support, ETH-Zentrum, CH-8092 Zuerich, Switzerland
- Bitnet: macman@czheth5a UUCP: cernvax!ethz!macman
- InterNet: macman@ifi.ethz.ch Voice: yodel three times
-
- ------------------------------
-
- End of VIRUS-L Digest
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