Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!gatech!hubcap!ncrcae!ncr-sd!crash!pnet01!haitex
From: haitex@pnet01.cts.com (Wade Bickel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: virus, ARRRG! (really a virus-eating-virus)
Message-ID: <2363@crash.cts.com>
Date: 13 Jan 88 08:36:09 GMT
Sender: news@crash.cts.com
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA
Lines: 39

ccasttd@pyr.gatech.EDU (Thomas M. Dixon Jr.) writes:
>YES...
>If this is not what 2.0 will do, lets get 3.0 out immed with this feature.
>We need a program that "hangs out" all the time and randomly checks for
>system corruption.  Something that follows certain criterion for check   
>intervals but also checks willy-nilly to make it hard to defeat.  This way
>you all of a sudden get a system window saying "System Corruption Detected:
>DF0: Boot Block Corruption." or the like.  I think this config would be the
>superior option.

        I would like to point out that any such program

        
             A)  Becomes the likely target of a virus.  If you can corrupt
                   this program then you've got um.  Also, if it runs on
                   "every" system it is a commonality which can probably
                   be exploited.

             B)  Becomes a risk.  After all, what happens if the program
                   mutates on its own?  All it takes is the wrong bit to
                   be changed (disk error??) and your virus has a side
                   effect.  Not much of a risk, but with any program which
                   spreads spores the numbers are bound to catch up with
                   you!

        So PLEASE do not create any program that propogate themselves in a
           virus-like manner.  Let people install the program, or add it to
           their start-up sequence, or tie it to a common command, or
           whatever, but no spores.

                                                        Thanks,


                                                                Wade.


UUCP: {cbosgd, hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, nosc}!crash!pnet01!haitex
ARPA: crash!pnet01!haitex@nosc.mil
INET: haitex@pnet01.CTS.COM