Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!umn-d-ub!umn-cs!davidli
From: davidli@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (Dave Meile)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: A cure looking for a disease? (I hope)
Message-ID: <4235@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu>
Date: 9 Mar 88 14:30:41 GMT
References: <8803081650.AA29358@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: davidli@umn-cs.UUCP (Dave Meile)
Organization: University of Minnesota
Lines: 36
Summary: legitimate

In article <8803081650.AA29358@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> 051332@UOTTAWA.BITNET (John Turnbull) writes:
>
>A program called VDU_2_0.PRG has been posted to the FILESERVers at
>CANADA01 and UHUPVM1.  It is claimed that it will cure the 'Boot sector'
>virus and immunize the disk from future infection with this virus.
>
>Does anybody have any information about this virus, its mode of
>infection, mechanism, symptoms or how wide-spread it may have become?
>

The program is legitimate.  There has been a virus located and dissected
in Europe.  I first heard about it a month ago, when I got the back
issues of an informational disk called ST NEWS from Richard Karsmakers from
The Netherlands.  He was *quite* furious when the virus was discovered.

I haven't personally looked at the program on CANADA01, but I *do* have
all copies of ST NEWS relative to the virus, its detection and quashing.
If you'd like to see a copy of ST NEWS and read about the whole thing
yourself, you can send me a disk and return postage (or two disks for
the last two issues).  I wrote to ST NEWS and now I [and our local user
group, MAST] will be distributing the disk in the U.S.

I can't write much more about the subject, since I haven't paid all that
much attention till mid-February.  The 'details' are on the disk.  The
VDU program was, I believe, written in GFA BASIC.

If you want to see the issues discussing the virus, send a disk (or two)
and enough postage to get them back to you to:

	Dave Meile
	Box 13038
	Minneapolis, MN  55414

Future (and back) issues will be handled via MAST.  Look for an announcement.

-- Dave Meile