Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ncar!oddjob!sphinx!pre1 From: pre1@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Grant Prellwitz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: PKARC 3.6 -- IS IT A TROJAN? Message-ID: <4363@sphinx.uchicago.edu> Date: 10 Jun 88 05:56:34 GMT References: Reply-To: pre1@sphinx.uchicago.edu.UUCP (Grant Prellwitz) Organization: U Chicago Computation Center Lines: 44 In article msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) writes: >Recently a file called PK36.EXE with a size of 118K has appeared on a >BBS near me. Is this really a new version of PKARC/PKXARC? Is this a >Trojan or virus? > >Please post your answer so that a warning/verification can reach as >far as possible. > >Mark > >-- >Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance, >61 Tenafly Road that you do not miss what is right under your nose." >Tenafly, NJ 07670 {backbone}!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith >msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu Bill and Opus in '88!!! I recently (last night, actually), downloaded PK36.ARC from a local BBS, put it on my 2 floppy PC compatible, and ran it (yes, I'm always this suspicious with .EXE files). I found that it was just what it claimed to be: version 3.6 of the PK(X)ARC programs. I ran it on a couple of ARC's, and it appears to be fine. Note that I have NOT tested it for Virus activity, but at least it doesn't seem to be a Trojan. I noticed that Keith Peterson said he got a copy from Katz' BBS and was posting it to c.b.i.p. It appears to have a couple of new features, including adding a built-in "more" utility for verbose listing and un-arc to screen, a number of variations on the Move command, and supposedly improved printer handling (I haven't checked it out). Note that the files are now EXE files (they used to be COM), so you have to delete the old files or they will be run instead of the new ones. I posted this as requested because I think that Mark was rightfully cautious and I wanted to be able to help alleviate some unnecessary anxiety, as well as let people know about a new version of a VERY useful (if controversial) program. Please note that you should still take care when downloading any file from a BBS, especially if it is an executable. I have exhaustively tested it for neither Trojan activity nor Virus activity (my English teacher would have marked that sentence "awkward"). -- =====================Grant Prellwitz========================== !ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!pre1 pre1@sphinx.UChicago.edu 76474,2121 (CIS) G.PRELLWITZ (GEnie) pre1 (BIX) -----> contents sole responsibility of poster. <-----