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From: 76476.337@CompuServe.COM (Robert McClenon)
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Question About Stealth Viruses
Message-ID: <0006.9105281329.AA07374@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 24 May 91 03:21:40 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@LEHIIBM1>
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Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu


    I have a question, or probably a series of related questions.  Can
someone please explain exactly what "stealth" viruses are?  Is there a
standard definition of what characteristics make a virus a "stealth"
virus?  If not, what are the alternate definitions?  I have read that
they delete themselves from the hard disk and hide in memory when they
are active.  If so, can't they be disinfected by simply powering off
the workstation?  If not, exactly what are they doing and how?  I
apologize if I am wasting the time of some readers, but I assume that
there are others who also want to know this.

    Robert McClenon
    Neither my employer nor anyone else paid me to ask this.