Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!cert.sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: teda!RATVAX.DNET!ROBERTS@decwrl.dec.com (George Roberts - page 0571) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: re: unix viruses (UNIX) Message-ID: <0013.9012181426.AA01528@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 17 Dec 90 18:01:34 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 47 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu WHY DO SOME PEOPLE STILL ASSUME YOU NEED PRIVELEGES TO SPREAD VIRUSES? "Jan C. Zawadzki" writes: >To write a UNIX virus you need a very high level of skill at picking >the internals of UNIX, and that system IS harder to master than DOS. >Granted, there is a number of ways of gaining the root privs. One doesn't need root privs. One doesn't need to know the internals of UNIX. I doubt a virus that works on a particular UNIX cpu would be much more or less complicated than one that works on a pc. There are some very sophisticated viruses on pc's and I admit that there could be even more sophisticated viruses in UNIX that would be very complicated, but a very simple "UNIX" virus (using no holes) would not be difficult to write. Simple viruses on pc's have spread uncontrollably. >No one but root can mess with my files or directories, I and I should >not be able to mess with anyone else's file space. Not true. You can mess with your files. Similarly, on a PC. >If you keep people from writing to */bin directories, >they will not be able to mess with publicly used utilities. True, but: 1) Viruses don't need to be in publicly used utilities (the */bin directories) to spread. 2) Someone needs access to these directories, or your software will never change. When this person (with root priv) executes a program with a (simple) virus in it, those public utilities will get infected anyway. Viruses spread when people share software. On pc's this can be done through removable disks. On time-share systems, it is easier. You can simply assign execute access on a file to a friend and let him/her know about the program. There are many other ways to share software on both types of systems, but it is generaly easier on time-share systems. - - George Roberts ..decwrl.dec.com!teda!ratvax.dnet!roberts