Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!tank!eecae!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: carroll1!dtroup@uunet.UU.NET (David C. Troup) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: Non-executable viruses Message-ID: <0018.8911281214.AA07608@ge.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 28 Nov 89 06:40:01 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 26 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu stanton!john@uunet.UU.NET (John Goodman) writes: [talk about a non-executable virus] >Has anyone here seen such a virus? Ive been working on several virus (or worms) for the Apple since I read about them back in 86. Since all I had was an Apple IIe, I really had to come up with some weird ideas for implementation for my experiments. What I came up with (in church one night!) was to use a text file that could be EXEC'd from BASIC (or from the HELLO [startup] program on the boot disk) that would execute the commands in that text file. This text file would write a program to memory, that would go and patch other startup programs with the text file, or a smaller version of it. No assembly used (I was ignarant back then), and all of it was done in BASIC with the EXEC'able text files. The programs were REALY difficult to follow; commands that were writing commands to do DOS functions. But it worked, and I infected an entire BASIC.101 class in 2 days. By having the worms cross checking the copy counter (max==21), they "knew" when they got everyone, and promtly killed themselves without anyone knowing. We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed_ _______ _______________ |David C. Troup / Surf Rat_2600 hz__________ _______)(______ | |dtroup@carroll1.cc.edu : mail______________ _______________________________|414-524-6809(dorm)/7343(work)______________ Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com