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From: jim@insect.Berkeley.Edu
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: init29: data->application?(Mac)
Message-ID: <0007.8910241138.AA15306@ge.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 23 Oct 89 17:55:45 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
Lines: 16
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

INIT29 is a "popular" :-) new Macintosh virus that has
the unusual property of being able to infect data files,
as well as applications.

QUESTION:  If a diskette that CONTAINS ONLY DATA FILES, which
are infected by INIT29, is accessed by an uninfected application
residing on a clean diskette,  can the virus spread to the clean disk?

(Prior to INIT29,  I had been advising my users that if they go
to Kinko's they would be safe if they took only their data diskette.
But if a data infection  can spread to their application disks,
this would not be good advice.)

Anyone got the REAL answer?

Jim Bradley, CNR Computer Facility, UC Berkeley