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From: aslakson@cs.umn.edu (Brian Aslakson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: Garfield
Summary: If you know, say.  If you don't know, ask.
Message-ID: <1990Nov3.080223.17090@cs.umn.edu>
Date: 3 Nov 90 08:02:23 GMT
References: <29097@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <4442@tellab5.tellabs.com> <39095@ut-emx.uucp>
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Lines: 37

clouds@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Kathy Strong) writes:
>In article <...> wiseman@tellabs.com (Jeff Wiseman) writes:

>>was this init that we had installed for a while that put a picture of Garfield
>>the cat by a garbage can saying "I hate IBM" on the screen (in color) at
>>startup. I think the name of the init was "color garfield" or something like

>Garfield is definitely a virus--I believe it's a variant of WDEF. The *most*
>recent version of Disinfectant should kill it. Unfortunately, I can't tell
>you what version number that is--they update it so quickly and so often.

Just because a program (init, etc) has a name with Garfield in it doesn't
make it a virus.  OKAY?

In fact, a virus doesn't come AS an application (that's a trojan horse) but
attached TO an application.  I suppose a trojan horse could launch a virus,
but I haven't heard of this happening.

Garfield is another name for the MDEF-A (so far there are A, B, and C versions
known) virus.  The latest Disinfectant catches the C version (and the author of
the virus has been caught.  I want his name and address.)

MDEF is a normal type of resource, so don't worry if you see such a thing while
poking around with utilities.

Disinfect is currently at 2.3 unless something has been posted in the last 2
hours.

Gatekeeper is currently at 1.1.1, and Gatekeeper Aid at 1.0.2.

I would like to find that Garfield init.  Any leads?

-- 
Brian Aslakson

aslakson@cs.umn.edu
mac-admin@cs.umn.edu  <-= Macintosh related