Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!mcsun!ukc!icdoc!qmw-cs!liam
From: liam@cs.qmw.ac.uk (William Roberts;)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aux
Subject: Re: WDEF A virus alert from DigiBoard
Message-ID: <3005@redstar.cs.qmw.ac.uk>
Date: 20 Mar 91 17:59:12 GMT
References: <1991Mar10.182133.23778@digibd.com>
Sender: usenet@cs.qmw.ac.uk
Lines: 20
Nntp-Posting-Host: blackspot

In <1991Mar10.182133.23778@digibd.com> merlyn@digibd.com (Merlyn LeRoy) writes:

>The WDEF virus doesn't try to do anything but
>replicate itself, but on newer machines (mac IIci and later) it crashes
>instead of reproducing, so it can't infect them.  It can be destroyed by
>rebuilding the desktop (hold down the option & command keys while booting
>or inserting a floppy), or with Disinfectant or other anti-virus software.

A/UX 2.0 is immune to the WDEF virus anyway (or it was at 2.0b3 - the Mac 
compatibility of the final 2.0 release may be better!). It also appeared to be 
fairly immune to nVIR - the System got infected but that didn't attach to 
anything further.

We currently use the Disinfectant INIT with the MacPartition to boot into A/UX 
and the A/UX shared System Folder - this is mostly for the benefit of 
students, so that the System tells them if their floppies are infected.


Does Apple have anyone who keeps track of Mac viruses? Do A/UX releases get 
tested for infectability?