Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!usc!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: dmg@retina.mitre.org (David Gursky) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: Shrink wrap...still safe? Message-ID: <0001.9001171419.AA13242@ge.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 16 Jan 90 20:04:31 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 18 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu Several people in Virus-L V3 #12 suggested that were vendors to distribute applications on write-locked media, the potential for vandalism by buying an application, infecting it, and return it, would be reduced. While that statement is broad enough to be true, I would suggest that the suggestion is far to easy for a vandal (and not even a very determined one at that) to get around, where 3.5" media is concerned. With 3.5" disks, a small hole can be covered by a moving tab, to indicate to the disk drive whether the disk is locked or not. Open is locked, closed is writable. If vendors disseminate applications on write-locked 3.5" media, all a vandal needs to do is cover the hole with a small piece of electrical tape. 5.25" media is more difficult to pull this stunt with. The presence of small notch in the side of the flexible case means the disk is writable. In order for a vandal to infect an application shipped on 5.25" media, the vandal would have to physically mar the case, which is a surer sign of tampering.