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From: c-rossgr@microsoft.COM
Newsgroups: comp.virus
Subject: Re: Can such a virus be written .... (PC)
Message-ID: <0004.9106271453.AA02305@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 26 Jun 91 22:05:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: ubu.0004.9106271453.AA02305
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>From:    padgett%tccslr.dnet@mmc.com (A. Padgett Peterson)
>
>vanaards@project4.computer-science.manchester.ac.uk (Steven van Aardt) writes:
>>
>>   Is it possible to write a PC virus which installs itself whenever
>> you place an infected disk in the drive and do a DIR command ?

>1) No: You cannot contract a PC virus by doing a DIR, a virus must be executed
.

There is at least one batch file running around that, when you "exec"
it, it turns into a virus.

If a machine is using ANSI.SYS, it is possible to rename files to
provide for reprogramming the keyboard.  An argument can be made that
causing the, say, F3 key to execute some program or some some batch
file due to it being reprogrammed could mean that doing a simple
directory could later *cause* a virus to be executed.

Ross