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From: EATER@MICF.NIST.GOV (Chuck Eater)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: re: Odd 77-byte files (PC)
Message-ID: <0007.9105131358.AA08971@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 10 May 91 19:21:29 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@LEHIIBM1>
Lines: 21
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

> Some utility on my PC (running MS DOS 3.3) has been creating several
> hundred hidden files.  All had a filename of an existing COM or EXE
> file, but with the corresponding extension ._OM or ._XE, and all were
> 77 bytes long.  The files are all deleted -- sorry not to have saved a
> copy -- and no available virus scanning utility reports any odd files
> anywhere.  Has anyone seen this elsewhere?

These files sound like the checksum files created by the
auto-inoculate feature of the Norton Antivirus package.  They are
77-bytes in length and are created with the system and hidden file
attributes.

- --chuck

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Charles L. Eater,  National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
          Snail :   Administration A738,   Gaithersburg, MD 20899
          Email :   eater@nbsmicf     eater@micf.nist.gov (129.6.16.4)
          Phone :   (301) 975-4065
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
In-Reply-To:  note of 05/10/91 12:36