Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpl-opus!hpccc!blevins
From: blevins@hpccc.HP.COM (David Blevins)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: MIDI viruses?
Message-ID: <380006@hpccc.HP.COM>
Date: 16 Jan 90 19:18:34 GMT
References: <679@s5.Morgan.COM>
Organization: HP PCG / Sunnyvale
Lines: 9

Re midi viruses - if you're talking about transmitting something across
the midi cable to do mean things to midi devices, I don't see how that's
possible.  Some synths will lock up when sent a certain sequence, but
that's due to bugs in the midi interface code which is of course very
mfr. and revision dependent.  A virus could theoretically be sent as 
sys-ex data but what it would do would again be machine dependent - there's
no way to create a "generic" virus that could hose ANY midi device...

dB  hplabs!hpccc!blevins